​Have a bit of a break between creative projects? Don't have much of a hiatus but really need to relax and recharge?

TINY TIP FOR CREATIVITY #2:
Try doing something that is outside your area of creativity. 

Don't get me wrong--I love acting, writing, and anything having to do with theatre or film. Often an idea of a fun night out in the city involves seeing a live performance--how could it not? But I'll be honest: when it comes to really slowing down and getting some crucial rest from a creative project, I have found that I need to seek that rest outside of the theatre. Simply put, the theatre is not always relaxing for me. 

Consider the performances of my play BIG WORK earlier this spring--when we finished the run, overjoyed as I was, I was also pretty wiped out. I had wide open evenings and weekends and was looking forward to relaxing again (which I did happily in my bathrobe--see Recharging Isn't Meant To Be Pretty). One of the first evenings, I tried to settle on the couch, ready to relax by reading a new script or doing some journaling about the theatrical process of creating the play. But as I tried to open the book or jot down some thoughts, I had the overwhelming urge to to do something else, anything else to relax.  

I ended up doing some coloring in my adult coloring book that I got from a friend earlier this year, binging on some Netflix, doing a lot of cooking, and taking advantage of my desire to get up and get moving. All of these things were incredibly appealing to me, but in the back of my mind I had this nagging feeling of guilt or shame--it was as if I felt like I was betraying my love of theatre by wanting to recharge any other way. Even just typing that sentence makes me realize how ridiculous that is! 

I think I often trick myself into believing that if I'm a "real" theatre artist, I have to not only work on creative projects one right after the other (absolutely NOT true), but that my downtime and free moments should be spent enjoying the theatre as well (sometimes it's what I want, other times not at all). 

I've been making peace with the fact that everyone recharges in a different way, and lately, recharging and filling my own well has meant taking a true break from the theatre, from rehearsals, from the ever present desire to keep making, making, making things. We all need a break, even from the things we love to do.

The thing I've loved doing most lately? Riding my second hand bicycle. It's finally feeling warmer here in Boston, and there are so many beautiful bike paths both in the city and a bit farther out that just beg to be explored on a day off. My husband is a cyclist, and so getting to enjoy some exercise, Vitamin D, and his company have made for some awesome times.

Not only is bicycling in the sunshine great exercise--not to mention a good antidote to hiding away in a dark theatre for hours on end--it's become such a meditative time for me. The wheels keep spinning, my lungs breathe a little deeper, and my mind unwinds. It's also a perfect way to see the place in which you live through new eyes, noticing things you missed while driving or on the bus: daffodils, happy dogs out for a walk, trees, sky, and water. I'm finding out more and more how restorative it feels to spend time in nature, pedaling my way through. 

It's all personal preference, I suppose. If you are a musician and music is your relaxation jam, then by all means, enjoy yourself. If you're a dancer and nothing refills your well more than taking an extra class or two, then have at it! But if you're like me and need a break from your craft now and then, whatever it is, then go ahead: stray from your creative path and try something new, anything that makes you forget your cares and creative projects, and do it guilt free. And who  knows? In the end, it's probably beneficial to your creative work to get some renewed peace of mind and a slightly different perspective. 

What is your favorite way to recharge? 

 



​​I spent this sunny, spring weekend shooting a short student film in Boston. I am still very new to film, and even though I had a small, unpaid role, my six year old self who dreamed of being in movies was very excited. Heck, my 32 year old self was pretty thrilled too!

I was the only adult in the cast, and through some conversations I had and overheard between scenes with others on the set, I learned that I was the only actor on the set without an agent. The three children under the age of ten on set all had agents. I don't. 

For just a few minutes, this realization deflated my joy a bit and I felt filled with self-doubt. Am I a failure? A fake? I felt like I was doing a good job on my scenes, but was I kidding myself? Was the underlying and undeniable fact that I don't have (and am not planning on getting) an agent enough to make my pride in the job I was doing and my own definition of success evaporate? 

It felt that way for a bit. But honestly, I can tell I'm making progress, because my bummed out attitude only lasted a few minutes at most. One of the things I love most about getting older and more comfortable in my own skin is not that I'm never plagued by doubt and fear of being a fraud, but that the lag time between self-doubt and peace of mind gets shorter and shorter. 

I think I'm doing just fine. I don't have an agent, and I'm not paid to do all of my acting jobs, but I love performing more than almost anything in this world. I love what it feels like to tell a story, to be able to share something emotional with a live audience or a camera and crew. Acting makes me feel beautiful and intelligent and purposeful. Performing is where I like myself best. 

So I don't have an agent. This means that there's no one plotting my next project or telling me how to wear my hair or what roles they think I'm right for. That's one way to look at it, right? But I choose to see it a different way--in a way that is liberating. The change of mind doesn't even require a change of language: there's no one plotting my next project or telling me how to wear my hair or what roles they think I'm right for! See what I mean? I GET TO DECIDE about all those decisions and a million more that are all MINE to make. That, my friends, is sweet freedom and mystery, and yes, a whole hell of a lot of work, but something that I love. 

So with the film being over, I am left to decide. Do I want to audition for something else? A play? A film? I could take a break for a few months if I want and take up a new hobby or watch every episode of The Office or Gilmore Girls just for fun. Work on writing my book. Plan a vacation with my husband and wipe my acting calendar clean for however long I please. I'm in charge.  

I'm sharing this with you in hopes that it might resonate with any experiences you have had where you've felt unmoored, or where someone (maybe even yourself) has made you feel less for not playing by traditional rules or following a well trodden path. Don't mistake Artistic Self-Determination for a lack of direction.  And no, this idea of Artistic Self-Determination is not new by any stretch of the imagination, but it is new for me, at this time in my life, and that's worth feeling good about. 

What about you? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Friday! The first week of April is finished, and I'm kind of wondering where the last month went. BIG WORK opened and closed, my essay in Elizabeth Gilbert's anthology Eat Pray Love Made Me Do It was published last week, and I'm going to a film shoot this week for a short student film project in Boston. 

Despite these recent projects, the biggest chunk of my time has been spent on relaxing. And oh, how good it feels! I'll admit that I had a hard time transitioning from a constant production schedule to free evenings and weekend, but once I let that buzz of busy-ness fade away, I have thoroughly enjoyed taking things slower.

My inner perfectionist tried to take the wheel at first, making me think I had to plan the perfect way to recharge. "Should I go to yoga class or take a nap? And I know I want to read and stretch, but which one is best to do first?" Finally, after much agony over the proper way to go about relaxing, I took the advice of a very wise friend and simply did whatever I felt like. Which for me, has meant a bunch of different things; all of which help me to recharge and refill my well. 

Here's a partial list:

Binging on Gilmore Girls (which is streaming on Netflix!)
Trying some new comfort food recipes (since it's still apparently winter here in the NE)
Snuggling with my cat
Long, leisurely, Saturday morning breakfast with my husband
Reading a few new books that have been  on my list forever
Getting back into meditation
Laying on the couch and literally staring at the ceiling and breathing
Dancing alone in my kitchen

I think part of me felt like I had to design the perfect relaxation schedule because often, when we read about recharging, we're faced with a million photos of people relaxing that look like this:

​Am I right? The internet is full of photos of beautiful people sipping tea, holding a yoga pose serenely, gazing up at the sky, lying in a bed of cloud white sheets (with no dirty laundry in view). True, photos like this look so lovely, but most of the time, they don't inspire me. They just make me think "Geez. I don't think I have the wardrobe for relaxing. Or the right amount of sunlight." 

So much of the time, I feel like I need to be wearing the "right" thing to relax, sipping the "most relaxing" cup of tea possible (what does that even mean?!) and generally conforming to this ideal image of Beautiful Rest that we see splashed all over Instagram and Facebook. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? 

It's time to start a rest revolution. Instead of Beautiful Rest, let's aim for Real Rest. And, to prove I'm not just all talk, I am leaving you with this very real photo of me about to embark on an evening of relaxation. No yoga studio, perfectly coiffed hair, staged setting, or Photoshopping here. Just striped pajama pants, a well loved pink sweater, and a classic reindeer, wolf, and bear bathrobe. For me, it doesn't get any more relaxed then this. 

It's April this week (never mind the snow, Boston), and in celebration of a new month, I thought it would be fun to start a new series here on the blog: Tiny Tips for Creativity. I've also started categorizing the existing blog posts, so soon you should be able to use the search box to the right to find past posts, and browse by category as well.  Hurrah for technological progress!

Let's dive right in with Tiny Tips. Drum roll, please....

TINY TIP FOR CREATIVITY #1:
Find yourself a small notebook and pen and carry it around with you. Everywhere. 

Ok, so it feels a little cliche, and maybe oversimplified, to suggest that creative souls keep a notebook and pen in their pockets (or purses or totes) at all times, but I have to tell you that as a former skeptic, I've tried this and what can I say? I'm a believer. 

See, I used to pride myself on being able to remember any creative idea that buzzed into my head. I didn't need to write things down...or so I told myself. On my morning walk to the subway, I'd have caught two or three really interesting ideas only to sit down in my office at my day job and realize that they had flown away. It's easy to underestimate this kind of creative loss--after all, what's one or two ideas gone? But with me, it became clear that I wasn't just losing a few of my ideas I had during the day (or right before bed). I was failing to catch most of them. 

Enter a little notebook and pen. The one pictured above was gifted to me by a wonderful friend for Christmas this year, and I've carried it with me everywhere ever since. It's kept me company at the movies, out to lunch with friends, on my commute, and even to the dentist office. I keep it by my bedside at night, too. The point for me is not to distract myself from living or observing life by writing in it constantly, but rather to pull it out at a moment's notice to jot down an idea. This could be a creative to-do list item, like "submit ten minute play for short festival this summer" or a piece of a conversation that I overheard on the train. You never know when you might need an idea for a play you're writing, a web series you are dreaming about making, or a creative problem you are trying to solve. 

Did I mention you can also draw in your little notebook? Yes, doodles are allowed, as are song lyrics, half finished poetry, and flow of consciousness journaling, such as "It's the morning and I'm tired and I want to go back to bed." Anything goes. And remember it's ok to keep it short and sweet; in fact, I find that brief phrases are all I need to jog my memory later on when I'm sitting down to work on a creative project and need inspiration. 

Thanks for helping me to welcome this new little series! I'm so excited to continue with this series in hopes of sparking some simple but powerful tips for cultivating creativity all day!