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Illustrations by: Adam Wachholz

Written By: Ben Ott

I will tell you the happy tale of Jonathan the friendly whale.

He was so large in size his gentleness was a surprise he was not mean, he was not mad he helped small fish when they were sad.

One time a jellyfish was in trouble Jonathan was there on the double he helped him out then swam away he had others to help and couldn’t stay.

The jellyfish asked “How can this be? He’s two-hundred times as big as me!”

An octopus who was nearby swam overslow and told him...

Why it doesn’t matter if you are small or the biggest fish of all you can be nice to anyone just as Jonathan has done.

THE END

GREENHOUSE

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This is the perfect time of year to stop and reflect: Where have you been? Where are you going? How do you get there in one piece? One thing for certain, you will not make it on an “empty tank,” so we asked an eclectic and diverse group of creative professionals to share their tips and techniques for resting and recharging. My personal thanks go to the owners of Sagewater Spa (www.sagewaterspa.com), Rhoni Epstein and Cristina Pestana, for seeking out and providing me

with a number of creative professionals to be interviewed for this piece.

You can run “out of gas” trying to balance conflicting needs, especially personal and professional. You need to dedicate yourself to your work and you want to spend time for yourself or with your family. You need to relax and get some rest. Sound familiar? Michael Fleishman is a freelance illustra-tor, graphic artist, teacher and author in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and discusses the most important technique physical

exercise. He also has a great suggestion, plan some “buffer time” from when you walk in the door at work to when you start talking to clients. He explains, “Exercise is important. You have to fit it in. I teach, and I found a gym that is literally right on my way to work, so I have no excuse not to exercise. I arrange my schedule so that I can lift weights or swim before I start my day. Most of all, I usually schedule office hours first so I don’t have to be ‘on’ as soon as I walk through the door to work.”

It does not seem to matter what you choose for your recharging as long as you identify these two things: some activities that you can turn to and a retreat you can look forward to. Annie Consoletti, graphic designer, says, “Play is a key element to creativity. I don’t think one can be freely creative without having a sense of play. I put all of my energy into whichever project I am working on and am equally as passionate about my design work as I am in cooking, gardening and landscaping my yard, which at the moment includes cementing and staining a wall in my backyard.

Taking the time to rest is critical. Those of us that travel a lot in our work find this a real challenge. Tracy D. Taylor, fashion director at Marie Claire magazine says, “I forget that when most people travel, they are on vacation. When I travel, I am working...with early call times, inclement weather and brutal schedules with tight budgets. My schedule is pretty crazy as I travel all over the world for photo shoots. Work often gets confused with play as so much of my typically ‘off-the-business-clock’ hours are spent in the context of my professional life. I may be having drinks at the Ritz in Paris or sitting atop a camel in India, which all sound glamorous (and I am not complain-ing!), but at the end of the day, it is work despite the fact

that I have a wonderful time doing it. If I don’t take out time for me—which can mean anything from sitting in front of the television to meeting friends for brunch to an all-out vacation—I will get totally burnt out. I get busy like everyone else absolutely, but I do believe that time-out is an investment in yourself, your career, and your creative well-spring that pays off tenfold in the long run!”

Craig Wright, television writer for the current season of Six Feet Under and Lost, validates physical exercise and adds another technique—walk away! He says, “Not to be painfully obvious, but everything seems better when I’ve had some sort of strenuous exercise. Other than that, I tend to work in short spurts, with short rests in between, unless there’s a looming deadline. Whenever a creative problem seems unworkable, I give up and walk away. A few moments later, the freedom of having given up usually allows for a new answer to show itself. The key is actually giving up. You can’t pretend to give up.”

A “laundry list” of items to turn to is good to have in hand before you need it. The worst time to try to think of something to do to recharge is when you are burned out. Michael Fleishman shares his list, “Swearing can be fun and work miracles (I’m only half kidding here). Doing something you absolutely love to do. Being in the com-pany of someone you cherish, someone who listens, and who you want to listen to. Laughing. Laughing hard. Making music. Listening to music. Making art. Looking at art. Reading. Watching movies. Certain foods (in moderation, of course) can be medicinal,as are certain friends (sometimes also in moderation). Sleep is good, very, very good for you.”

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Creative BatteriesAuthor: Maria Piscopo

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