June marks a natural transition—a season change, a shift in light, a nudge to check in. As creatives, we often move forward without pausing to consider how we are feeling. How are we functioning? Or we do not do it often enough. Now that we are halfway through the year, it is a good time to pay attention to what is actually sustaining us and take a reset.

In my mind, the best place to start is with your health, not just in a physical sense, instead as a state of alignment across three dimensions. You are not just a mind. Not just a body. Not just a spirit. You are all three, and they are always in conversation.

Health Is Not a Checklist.

Most people approach health like a list of tasks: eat better, move more, sleep enough. That is surface-level support. True health, especially as a creative, is more nuanced.

Health is not about optimization. It is about listening—consciously, consistently, without judgment.

For many of us, the signs of imbalance begin to show well before burnout. They appear as lost momentum, stale ideas, short tempers, or an odd disconnection from the work that once inspired you.

These are not just mood swings. They are creative signals. Your inner system is flagging a need for something different.

Invitation: When you feel creatively blocked or emotionally flat, do not push harder. Ask: What part of me is not being heard right now?

You Are the Environment You Keep

Your body is not separate from your surroundings. The places you enter, the conversations you have, the digital noise you absorb—all of it influences your energy.

The science of epigenetics shows that your genes respond to your environment. So does your creative capacity.

Think of your nervous system like your internal production team. If it is constantly flooded with stress—newsfeeds, urgency, and comparison—you will eventually start reacting instead of creating.

This is more than a comment about stress management. It is an invitation to create space for clarity.

Invitation: Take a media break before working on a script or pitch. Notice how your ideas flow differently. Ask yourself: Am I working from inspiration or reactivity?

The Most Overlooked Form of Health

You can do all the right things—eat clean, meditate, journal—and still feel off. Why? Because no habit can make up for a life that is out of alignment.

Misalignment often shows up as saying “yes” to projects that drain you, working with people who do not respect your process, or ignoring your own boundaries in service of someone else’s vision.

Living out of sync with your own values eventually becomes exhausting, no matter how much kale you eat.

Invitation: Ask yourself: Where am I choosing comfort over truth? Where am I quiet when I actually want to redirect the scene? Where do I want to say “no” instead of “yes”?

This level of honesty is not just personal growth. It is professional longevity.

Presence Is the Habit That Ties It All Together

Presence is not just mindfulness. It is the hidden framework that supports a creative life with endurance and clarity. It slows your “not fully thought out” reactions. It gives your ideas room to emerge, rather than being forced. It gives you the moment to take a breath. When you are present, you notice your own needs. You hear the idea under the noise.

Most of the creatives I have worked with do not always need more information or another unrealistic deadline. They need more space. Space to work out their ideas, to write their shitty first drafts, to process notes, to wordsmith, to refine. Presence gives you that.

Invitation: Before jumping into your next scene or revision, take just two minutes to check in. How does your body feel? What is your mind doing? What is your spirit asking for?

Creativity rarely thrives on demand. It thrives in roominess and awareness.

Personal Reflection

In the last couple of blog posts, I started offering a way for you to explore what you have just read more deeply. These exercises are inspired by my book, Take a Shot at Happiness: How to Write, Direct, and Produce the Life You Want, where I blend camera photography and reflective journaling to encourage you to understand yourself even better.

Photo Op

Take a photo that captures a moment of stillness or grounded awareness. Maybe it is your desk before the day begins. A quiet street. A break between takes on a set. Choose a moment where something subtle clicked into place.

Action Opportunity

Reflect on that image.– What does it teach you about what you need more of right now?– What does it say about the kind of creative rhythm that supports your health?

Write a few sentences that capture your insight. Let it become a reference point when you feel scattered or unsure.

As you move into summer, go beyond asking how you want to spend your time. How do you want to feel while doing it? Connect to what matters and live in alignment with it.

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

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