Notes on Productivity

I'm often amused when people are surprised that my primary physical activities are yoga and pilates, keeping a strict schedule 7 days a week. I've maintained this routine for the past 3 years, with few exceptions.

Of course I didn't start out that way; change was incremental, beginning with three 30-minute workouts every week one year, increasing to four the next, five the following, wanting to challenge myself more as time went on and I found activities I loved.

I tell people I work out for my head as much as for my body, and this is true - I feel so much better after moving that stale energy around and releasing the bad shit. It became critically important during my cancer diagnosis, like a savings bond for my health.

My yoga teachers often speak of taking our practice "off the mat" - as in what we learn about ourselves in class may be relevant to other areas of our lives. When I first started practicing, I became easily fatigued and frustrated with myself, then with the teacher, sometimes huffing under my breath. I didn't understand that part of my practice involved learning compassion towards myself through the struggle, and after years of practicing, have developed so much more mental as well as physical strength.

This mindfulness is important in the creative space, as we're often struggling to produce on a schedule according to (real or imagined) demand, but quality work takes time, engagement, and inspiration that isn’t always driven by external factors. On the bottom line, it costs more. As a consumer, it matters where we spend our money - each purchase a little investment in the creator's stock.

While I’m packing my belongings preparing to move, I’m reminded that even though I try to keep a lean lifestyle, I still have a lot of things I don’t need, and the waste troubles me as I resell at a fraction of the price or give things away. Generosity aside, where I spend my money counts, evermore in an economy where prices are climbing and salaries have not been adjusted to the cost of living for generations.

Part of my role as a conscious consumer is to take only what I need, and leave the rest for someone else, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy the highest quality in the meantime. In my travels, this has usually been found locally, in any city I might visit. As I look towards developing the first line for MAVEN, it will come slowly, one piece thoughtfully curated and crafted at a time, but it will be unique, sustainable, with history, and with purpose.

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