Name of the Game: OR #creativepeopleproblems

It's weird that sometimes what starts as a conversation turns into a blog post.

 The other day I was talking with a friend of mine at work, and the topic of conversation was that as creative people, we have major issues.

Not bad major issues, just--#creativepeopleproblems. That's what they are. Things that make creative people what they are and things that people who aren't creative don't necessarily get. Like this:

Guys, there are two times I don't sleep.

One is when I'm sick--for some reason my body freaks out if I'm not perfectly healthy 24/7, which only makes the virus I happen to have really happy and bound to stick around for a while.

The other time--or times--I don't sleep is when my Muse is on a Creative Rampage. Which, let's be honest, is most of my life.

The one--ok the....nevermind how many--all nighters I have pulled in college? In my life? Yeah, all of those were for writing, or acting, or directing, or designing. I had to finish that one scene; that one conversation; that one blocking note; that one costume, lighting, make-up design; and oh look at that, it's 3am and I have work in three hours and have had no sleep!

I can't tell you the number of times I have been all ready for bed, and my head hits the pillow and my Muse goes "hey, write this down".

I tell him(yes, most of the time, my Muse is a "him") to shut up.

His response? "Write this down or you won't go to sleep."

My response "Shut up."

His response? "No sleep. MWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!"

So then of course I have to write it down. On my phone; on a 3x5 card, notebook, laptop, whatever's closest.  In every teeny tiny detail. And it doesn't stop until the scene or conversation is over. The upshot? I get no sleep, or very little, or whatever. And I still have to get up and go to work and school and everything else.

Cue adrenalin rush.

Wait, though, it gets worse.

When my body is running on adrenaline, it thinks it doesn't need food. 

Anytime I have anything to do with a show--writing, designing, directing, whatever--not only do I not sleep, I don't eat.

Opening Night? I don't eat. Until after curtain call.

 Script Revision? I don't eat.

Tech Week? I don't eat.

Night of a Reading(something of mine or someone else's)? Nope. No food. At all.

Not that I go anorexic or anything. I'm just--not hungry, so I don't eat. Meals, that is. I snack when I think I'm going to die--you know, the odd handful of granola, yogurt, couple of carrots, Zone Protein Bar, whatever--enough to get through work like a normal person. But take time to make a meal when I've got a scene to finish or a rehearsal/performance to get to? Who has time for that?!

 Which means by the time I type "the end" or hit opening night, I'm starving. And sleep deprived, and running on adrenaline.

This is a good thing, and a bad thing. It's great because while I'm on the adrenalin high I have all this energy and everything, but once it's over and the crash kicks in, all I can think about is food.

That is when I eat.

That is when I sleep.

For a day.

Maybe.

And then it starts all over again!

This week's Game: #creativepeopleproblems. It's a thing.