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Dr. Sketchy in Northampton

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Dr Sketchy Noho

I heard there was a Drink and Draw at Hugos or was it the Elevens in Northampton.  Sooooooo, I went out searching last Friday and didn’t find a Drink and Draw.  I did find Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School which was started by Molly Crabapple, who in 2005 dropped out of art school and started the Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School as an alternative drawing movement.  There are now Dr. Sketchy’s in over 100 cities world wide.  Not bad for an art college drop out.

Oh and it turns out The Elevens, in Northampton, have Dr. Sketchy’s night every first Friday of each month starting @ 7pm.  Get your paper and drawing tools……

Rocky Neck State Park

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Beach UmbrellasFinally got to the beach over the weekend.  Traveling south then slightly east for about 1 hour and 40 minutes to Rocky Neck State Park, in Lyme, CT.

panorama of beach

What a lovely spot, looking out into the Long Island Sound.  The water was clear and the beach a nice sandy white.

Beach Map

I highly recommend this area for either a day on the beach or to go camping.  While we pretty much parked ourselves directly on the beach, hiking and camping were very nearby as well as an estuary and marsh lands.

Now, I just need to finish that book I was reading beach side, before summer is over…..

The Gig Economy

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Gig_Economy

Richard Greenwald says we are now, “living at the dawn of the freelance world, as more and more people find themselves working as consultants, contract workers or freelancers. This change in the way we work is as profound as the shift that occurred during the Industrial Revolution.”

Having been an on and off freelancer, since 1985….I of course, side with the freelancers and have to say….this is not just the dawn of the freelancers….it IS the Dawning of the Age of the Freelancers.

Savasana = Nap

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SavasanaI practice Bikram Yoga which is done in 104 degree temperatures and between 40 and 60% humidity. 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises.  Roughly the first 45 minutes are warm up to what Bikram calls ‘The real yoga!’

During the second half of class we do postures and in between we have savasana, which literally means: corpse pose.  I’m told we have 20 second savasanas in order for our blood to circulate once throughout our bodies.  Seems plausible.

It’s like a tiny nap…..and naps are the real reason for this post.  I LOVE naps.  Naps are highly under rated in the United States.  When I moved to China, in 1990 [and first visited in 1987] daily between 11 and 2 the entire country took a rest time.  European nations know this ritual as well and it is based on sound logic.  Our bodies do better with   some rest.

And after going full on, usually from 4:45 am….by mid-day I am ready for a savasana.  I usually can pump out more productive activity after just 20 minutes of rest.  On the weekends I attempt to push that time out to 45 or 60 minutes of nap time.

Try it yourself and let me know how it works for you.  I’m willing to bet you’ll be more productive, rested and happier….and you’ll be more inspired.