​Ironically enough, it's so easy to preach this kind of creative self-care advice and then decidedly not follow it yourself. In the spirit of helping you to thrive (and stay sane) during an arts conference or creative community gathering, I put together a few tips and tricks that helped me. Hopefully they will benefit you as well!

1.) Dress for the occasion. If you are headed to an arts conference, most likely you're headed to a hotel and we know what that means: air conditioning. If you are perpetually cold like I am, or even if you're not, it's a good idea to toss a cardigan or a blazer in your bag before you head out the door. You'll thank yourself later!

2. Make like a mom and bring snacks. When I was little, my mom always had gum, granola bars, and a piece of fruit in her purse at any given time in case hunger were to suddenly strike. Follow her lead and pack a small lunch tote with food for the day. It doesn't have to be complicated--just choose a few items that you would happily munch on when you are in need of a snack between conference sessions. Because I'm currently on a very strict diet, the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol, to manage psoriasis (I promise to talk a bit more about that in a future post!), I have to be extra mindful of what I can eat when I'm away from the apartment all day. This time around, my snacks of choice were an apple, a sliced cucumber, a thermos of bone broth, plantain chips, and some all natural beef jerky. It was a little bulky to carry around all day, but boy, was I thankful I brought it!

3. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Need I say more? No one wants to end up feeling cranky with a migraine when you want to feel your best. So keep drinking!

4. Pack smart. Your strategy for a handbag or backpack will certainly depend upon whether or not you are staying at the hotel where the event is (and thus can return to your room with relative ease) or if you are at a local event where you need to carry what you need for the entire day on your person. I wouldn't recommend too heavy a haul (hello muscle tension), but besides the snacks, water, and aforementioned cardigan, I would suggest bringing just a few more items with you: tissues, pain reliever of your choice, a small notebook and pen for jotting notes, and a few business cards if you have them. You might not use all of these things, but better safe than sorry. 

5. Surrender to the whirlwind that is a conference. I have been to quite a few arts events where I have spent more time than I'd like to admit trying to guard my introvert self against the inevitable onslaught of networking, meeting new people, catching up with old friends, making small talk with strangers at luncheons...the list is endless. Does anyone else know what I'm talking about? These days, I can still feel drained by these things, but very recently, I have tried coming to peace with the fact that I am going to be tired at the end of the day. And that's ok! Sometimes just accepting this and not railing against it is enough to soften the edges of a full schedule for me just a bit.

6. At the same time, rebel against the schedule and make space for quiet moments. Artists are known for breaking the rules, right? No one is going to tell on you if you skip the networking breakfast, don't stay for the evening reception or miss a session or two. I love spending time with my creative community at a conference because we have learned to be flexible and agree to skip a session if it means getting some more one on one catch up time or doing some sightseeing if we are in a new place. Don't feel a bit guilty for skipping out on a "should attend" event to get out of the hotel or event center and do something carefree and spontaneous with your people. You will feel better for it. And if the need for solitude drives you to retreat to the nearest bathroom for a bit of quiet? Embrace it, my friends. Many an introvert will admit that finding a hotel restroom is a solid strategy for combating any overwhelm you might feel at a conference. Author and introvert/extrovert expert Susan Cain is one such creative soul who has no shame about seeking some peace and quiet in a bathroom stall. 

7.  Be grateful. At the end of the day after I get to my room, I make it a point to acknowledge the fatigue AND joy that comes with a big conference or event. I actually say aloud, "I am so tired and so happy." Let's face it, it's a privilege to come together with old friends and meet new people and get to share, troubleshoot, and celebrate the amazing path that is creative work. I believe that when you are grateful, good things follow.

Happy Friday, folks! Hope that as we gently transition from the smack-in-the-middle-of-summer schedules to the slightly-more-regimented fall schedules that this list helps you to remain sane, self-care focused, and inspired. Whether you are headed to a conference, have a big event coming up in your personal or work life, or just need some every day ideas, never feel guilty for taking the time to take care of yourself.

Got any more ideas I should know about? Please share them in the comments!

In the very midst of a wonderful and packed summer,  I happened upon the sweet little image above and my shoulders suddenly relaxed my shoulders a bit and  let my breath out.  Until I saw this, I'm not sure I even realize how much I have been walking around with my shoulders hunched up to my ears or that I have been holding my breath for what feels like months. But this visual is so perfectly timed for me and I can't resist sharing it with you in case you too, have been holding your breath. 

My summer months so far have been filled with dear friends and family, miles spent on the road traveling, day-jobbing, a slightly askew sleep schedule (due to aforementioned travel), and the usual hustle and bustle that is a subway/bus commute in a large city. Ironically, I just co-taught a workshop with three special friends last week at the American Alliance for Theatre Education here in Boston focused on self-care for artists. Afterwards, we joked that we need to be mindful to take our own advice about recharging and refilling our own well as to not throw ourselves into a creative and personal drought. It's so easy to get caught up in our list of "shoulds" and "need to do" checklists that after awhile,  our neglected souls get a little withered in the process. True, we can't stop cooking or doing our laundry altogether, but it's so important to listen to our spirits when they tell us that they need some T.L.C. too. 

I am continually inspired by the notion that as artists, we are called to create what we wish to see, hear, feel, or experience in the world, as opposed to waiting for it to magically appear. By this token, I wanted to share some advice that I wish I had heard more as a young artist and human being finding my way in this wild world. It's not novel and it's not complicated, but I believe it's crucial for our well-being.

Give yourself permission to recharge, guilt-free. Don't let ANYONE, not a partner or a child or a parent or a sibling or a teacher or an employer or a friend or the person sitting next to you in traffic make you feel bad. I have lost count of the number of times someone has said to me "Wow, it must be nice to have the time to sleep eight hours a night/watch a movie/spent the morning reading, etc. I wish I had that kind of time!"

Their lack of time or unwillingness to care for themselves is not your responsibility. Everyone needs to put on their own oxygen mask first, just as they say at the beginning of a flight.  I used to fall apart with guilt when someone brought the snark but now I know that such words are not only unsupportive (and thus pretty useless to me), but a sure sign that the person speaking them is in need of some serious recharging him or herself. Their reaction speaks volumes about their own relationship with replenishment and has little to do with me and my own self-care.

Don't let the snark steal your peace. Let it go. 

Have faith that when you choose to "be lazy" and watch a movie in your pajamas
or eat your weight in strawberries while reading a good book
or go to bed early for an entire week, that you are choosing to take care of yourself.  

In fact, let's banish the word "lazy" altogether when it comes to the topic of self-care, shall we?

You would probably not neglect a window box of flowers that you notice are parched for rain, so why should you be content to ignore your own very real need for refreshment?

Take care of yourself and see what happens. Do it and don't apologize. If possible, gently remind others in your life to do the same and support them when they do. never shame anyone for refilling their well. Ironically, when each person in a community practices self-care, the entire community enjoys better health and wellness. And if you come across someone who tries to guilt you into keeping in line with the "busy, busy. busy" status quo we accept as the norm in our society, you may find that you need to rethink the role that the person plays in your life. If the person shaming you is YOU? Spend some time thinking about where the pressure to keep going without a break comes from for you, do some journaling about it and be patient with yourself. Self-care can be a huge shift in our routines and still feels like an act of rebellion in our productivity obsessed world.

How do you recharge? How do you deal with others in your life who make you feel guilty for taking the time to practice self-care? What barriers have you discovered within yourself to taking more time to replenish your energy and creativity?