Wellness Secrets: The Engine of my Creative Mind
Something you may not know about me is that fitness is one of the main components of my creative process. Running, meditation, and yoga are all cogs in the wheel of my creative engine. Each are tools for clearing my mind in order to allow creative ideas to flow. While all of these activities aid in fostering a creative mindset, they can at times of transition, be more challenging to maintain. Still, the disciplines of running, meditation and yoga are what I have learned to rely upon when the balance of creative inspiration and expression is disrupted, and boy has it been disrupted this past year! Having these three practices have helped me through times of tremendous change and brought clarity and calm amidst major life decisions, depression and trauma throughout my adult life.
Learning to listen to my body and modify my physical activity accordingly as I age to avoid injury is an ongoing awareness. Running is a practice for me that is psynonimous with meditation; it is both a breathing practice and a mindful practice. Creating art is work and is physically demanding. I have always stayed fit in order to remain capable of meeting this demand along with whatever life requires like handling all logistics of a major relocation and building out a new studio for instance.
I have especially liked how compact running, yoga and meditation are and have been able to do all three wherever I travel to. All of these are FREE and the running part can be a fun way to sightsee and you are pretty much invisible to everyone. From the Brooklyn Bridge and Central Park, to the Charles River, Victoria B.C., Cape Cod and Vermont, I’ve gotten to log some fun miles. When at home and in the right weather, I take my sweet pooch Willomina with me along the Astoria Riverwalk whenever I can as running helps the well being of dogs as much as it helps the humans. There are still so many running spots for us to explore in our new town!
A Lifelong Practice
Not until my mid 40’s did I realize that most of my knee and foot pain was coming from wearing the wrong shoe type and shoe size! Now when my knees, back or feet start to hurt, that is not my body telling me that running is bad for me, it is telling me that I’ve run all the miles I can in my shoes and it’s time to get a new pair. VERY IMPORTANT little fact there. As the feet change so should the shoes and my feet have not gone without their issues. This little detail changed my practice and made it possible for me to continue running. Investment in a good pair of shoes is a fraction of the cost of a gym membership and well worth keeping pain and injury at bay. Plus, all of my running shoes retire to become studio shoes anyway, so, a win win!
How it Began
I started running in Jersey City, NJ on a cold day after a snow storm in 1979. My older brother, fresh out of the Marines, took me for my first 5K run around Pershing Field Park. It was during Christmas vacation and my parents gave me a really flashy velour sweatsuit from the 80s with black stripes and a pair of Nike Cortez running shoes. I wish I still had those shoes, they're worth $2,500 on eBay now! After a car accident, I stopped running for a while, but picked it up again in my late 20s. I was a bit worried about my past knee injury, but it didn't bother me. As I reached my 30s, I wondered if I could still run when I turned 40. Then in my 40s, I questioned if I could do it when I reached my 50s. Throughout this time, I read up on preventing injuries by taking salt baths, icing when necessary, and staying hydrated. Now, in my late 50s, I've set a new goal for myself: running through my 60s! I'm searching for books and resources on running as a senior. I never thought I'd be running for this long or be considered a senior. Running requires a lot of mental control, but I never regret doing it, even on those days when I don't feel like it (and I have plenty of those days). So, if you are considering taking up running, no matter what your age, be sure and take a humble approach by starting slow and steady with small incremental pace goals. One foot in front of the other and breathing one moment to the other, that’s all it takes.
A Well of Inspiration
Running has an extraordinary way of inspiring the mind and nurturing creativity, it is a solitary space through which I reconnect with my creative mind and find solace amidst the chaos of the world. The meditative state that arises during a run carries over into the studio and allows me to tap into my creative mindset, providing a well of inspiration to draw from. Whether it's painting, or printmaking, teaching or completing daily tasks, running and fitness in general helps us to strive to be better, more patient and present.
The Astoria-Megler Bridge I’m running over tomorrow. Willo at one of the water features on our path.
My current shoe of choice: The On Cloud Strata
The Power of Physical Fitness
One of the most addictive aspects of running is the endorphins. The so called “running high” really helps to unblock the mind. Ideas and inspriations for new work will come like lightning bolts in both my active and resting state. Regular running not only strengthens muscles and improves overall cardiovascular health but also boosts the immune system, oxogenates internal organs, creates energy reserves, has the power to ward off dimentia and heart disease, does wonders for the complexion, builds bone density as well as wards off osteoperosis, diabetes and a host of other health benefits including added longevity.
Setting New Challenges
Other than a brief stint running relays, I have never been much into running marathons or racing. Running for me has been a very internal thing to practice and more of a personal accomplishment for me. I don’t brag about it, it’s just a habit like brushing my teeth that gets me outdoors. I do enjoy how physically beneficial it is which is what inspired this blog post. Two weeks ago, I turned 57 and I decided to set a new challenge for myself to run the Great Columbia Crossing, a 10K race that will take me from Washington over the Astoria-Megler bridge into Oregon. This is happening this weekend, October 8th. I am so excited for this and I look forward to getting to see incredible views from the bridge, a place not often tread upon by human feet.
Almost to the finish!
Thank you for reading this blog post. I will be doing more posts like this in the future and welcome your comments!
