Get the right support.
Literally and figuratively.
In martial arts, no guy goes out on the sparring floor without a cup. And those of us women who are, er, heavily endowed on top need a sports bra for those more vigorous sports--jogging, kickboxing, etc.
And here's my hundred dollar tip for those women today: I used to spend big bucks and much time searching for the perfect sports bra, even by mail order. They either didn't work as promised or I felt like I was girding chest armour for battle.
Then I discovered you can simply wear TWO regular sports bras, even the cheapie brands. Together they work just as well as the much more expensive kind.
But the other kind of support that's vital is the support of your community.
On the first level, in your intimate community, someone who genuinely wants you to lose weight and get fit (and surprisingly, not everyone in your circle wishes that for you.)
On the second level, in your immediate community it's more fun to work out with others who are just as dedicated as you are to showing up.
And on the highest level, your greater community, it's a lot easier when you have the facilities of a local gym or Y. Or when your town provides safe places for you to run (good sidewalks, well-lit recreation areas, bike paths and bike lanes on roads, public-access basketball courts and ball fields, etc.) Sometimes we've lived in areas where even WALKING was not a safe activity, and pedestrian-access is limited.
I wish our country's public schools in supported the arts as vigorously as they support sports. and I wish they supported the kind of sports EVERYONE could do for the rest of their lives (swimming, jogging, biking, walking, martial arts, basketball) rather than focusing on team sports only the best athletes can try out for after a certain grade.
It's true with artists, too.
If your intimate circle is not supportive of the work you do--if they can't respect your work time, or don't value what you do--you need to keep your hopes and dreams to yourself til you find people who do. Write in a journal, or a blog instead. (No, that's not why I blog--I'm blessed with an INCREDIBLY supportive husband.) Find a family member who IS on your team and share with THEM. Or mentor another family member--maybe you're someone else's inspiration!
Find people in your community who share your dreams and visions for success. Some of them may not be in your medium, some of them may be further ahead or behind than you in their progress. Some of them may not even be in the arts. They could be other small business entrepeneurs, or people who have strong personal vision for other good causes. You'll find many of the same business strategies and exercises for staying focused and staying on your core vision are still similar.
And finally, find ways to make your greater community at large more supportive of the arts. Find ways to tell people about what you do--open studios, press releases to your local paper, demonstrations and presentations to professional groups and schools. SHOW UP when development proposals come to your city council, and advocate for the arts. Join local art organizations, and support them. Some of them are a time drag, and some are sorry things. But all of them work to increase the visibility of the arts, and may be the only way many people ever experience the arts. They at least deserve your money and word-of-mouth support. At their best, ones like the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen here in NH work tirelessly to promote their membership and the arts and crafts.
Support. We all need to get it and we all need to give it.
It's the, um, foundation garment for what we do.
