By stufflovely
“My life pie includes—I’m just going to draw it while I’m talking—family and friends. Body: somatic experiencing, trauma recovery. Spirit: It’s really silence. With three children under 11, I’ve been known to go into my closet a lot. I’ve written songs in my closet on the ground in the dark. If I’m going to a television studio anywhere in the world, my first question is usually, ‘Is there a room with a door that I can close? Where I can go for a few minutes just to catch my breath, recharge my batteries.’
“Then there’s being expressed. So much of my depression comes from my not expressing sadness, grief, and anger. Usually, a grief or a loneliness, or some false thought that got into my mind really, really young and I just kept believing it, even though it was never true. Feeling that I’ve processed enough is important, and that can include venting with friends, feeling expressed artistically, designing something.
“Marriage is a big one. It’s tough with three kids, but my husband, Souleye, and I try to sneak away as much as possible.
“Being on top of my business and finances: I feel like [the] patriarchy just pats women on the head— especially artists. I have been shamed for looking after my money and shamed for not looking after my money. You can’t win! So I just keep showing up.
“Brain rest: binge-watching TV. Floating, wandering time. Mind wandering. As an artist and someone who loves to philosophize, I can’t get those ‘messages,’ for lack of a better term, if everything is jam-packed, including my mind and environment. So just time to sit. Easier said than done last year with three kids schooling at home—my eyes are crossed!
“Another one is to make sure that I am in the public eye being of service. I also have each child in one of the life pies.
“Grooming: That’s a big one for me. And God bless, having a newborn and breastfeeding, taking a shower once in a while is a massive luxury.
“I’m a bit of an essential oil apothecary alchemist. Breath work is really powerful for me too, because shallow breath just keeps sending a message to my brain that I’m in a constant fight-or-flight state of emergency. I line up five bottles of delicious essential oils and then do deep breaths with each one. Sometimes I feel like passing out, but that breath work is life-giving. Penny Frances Apothecary makes truly beautiful products, [like] the Rose Geranium and Hibiscus Botanical Mist. Living Libations by Nadine Artemis: She rules. And balms! I’m a balm queen. One I love is by Monastery—the Attar Floral Repair Concentrate.