Relax, kick off your shoes and stay awhile.

As I emerge from my food coma, the thing I am most thankful for now is that I am able to see through the haze of turkey, roast and all the trimmings to actually be able to write this. Oh, what a great feast day we had! When I wasn’t swimming in rivers of gravy, I was bathing in pools of chocolate. Come to think of it, that is probably what kept everyone else from eating the chocolate, but, oh well, more for me. The plates were piled high with munificent portions and the laughter and storytelling were in full swing. Yep, one thing the Carpenter Clan is capable of is a good time. You know that feeling you get when you are full and warm, surrounded by loved ones spinning tall tales as you kick off your shoes? Yeah … I thought you did. It is a pretty wonderful feeling.

That is what the holidays are for, reconnecting and recharging. Let’s face it, as writers and artists, we are storytellers who ply our craft on far more than holidays. Family members may tell stories to evoke warm memories and stir up embarrassing moments, but we tell them to build worlds and enrapture the senses. As it turns out, I have far more humiliating moments than I choose to remember, though my brothers seem to recall them all quite well.

That is a heavy task, telling good tales. We do it because we love it. We do it because our minds and souls call us to it. We do it because it is as natural and necessary for us as breathing.

That having been said, it is important to take some down time for ourselves, to pull away from the constant pull the stories have on us and just relax. We work hard, so we must rest well. There is nothing wrong with disconnecting from the all mighty “grid” and giving ourselves some down time.

So, do just that. Enjoy this Thanksgiving holiday and the weekend to follow. Use it to recharge and reconnect with your latent creativity. Your stories and characters will thank you for it. Here is a link to some great ideas you can use to relax in your day-to-day.

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2013/05/24/20-ways-to-relax-unwind/

Enjoy yourselves and chill out! I, for one, plan on taking a nice mellow stroll after this. By stroll, I mean I am going to role my turkey-stuffed butt into the kitchen and introduce myself to some leftover fixings. Ah, I love the holidays.

Rest well, recharge and get ready. Holidays are great, but our worlds are only built when we are working to do so. I am excited to get back to it. I hope you are too!

What do you do to relax? What kind of holiday plans bring a smile to your face?

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