Later than usual this year, my first outdoor show in many months was early June in Iowa City.  After my 5+ hour drive, unloading and setting up my tent in the full sunny 98 degree day -- all by 5PM, I opened my heart and art to the dauntless art appreciators.(thanks Iowa City for showing up and making a great show happen!) By 8PM, I was exhausted. I felt that I was a bit out of shape -- time to lift those weights! And yes, given that heat, most everyone was beat, that is what we "street artists" are always working with this unpredictability! That made me realize how vital it is that  artists really need to take care of ourselves, We need to be fit and healthy, both to create our art, and to take it out into the world. It is an old, and oddly pervasive stereotype, of the artist as a crazy person, defying societal norms, totally immersed in work, erratic, quirky, possessed, unbalanced. So prevalent this idea, as I grew up, I equated being creative, with being crazy -- and tried my best..(that's another story..) While we know that is not literally true, the perception still remains. Expressions of originality, imagination do not require suffering. Do we mistake insight and intuition, imagination as a kind of aberrant behavior? In addition, studies show that people who create tend to be more open minded, curious, persistent, positive. It is a circle -- we stay healthy in body and mind to better create, and creating contributes to our well being.