Alright there my mighty heroes, yesterday we worked out our health and wellness baseline. If you missed it- fear not! I happen to have this handy little link in my pocket. https://tipsytyper.com/2021/06/15/health-and-wellness-baseline-the-sea-of-distractions-creativity-quest/
To backtrack a little bit further: I started in on this Quest to Save the Muse some time ago (to be honest, I failed in my endeavors a year ago, and felt like I was finally ready to give it another shot). I’ve always felt like my most authentic self when I was creating, but I had lost my spark. So, like Bilbo and Frodo before me, I deemed it time to go off and find some infamous adventures. In this quest I discovered that the first monster I would need to battle would also be the biggest: a bit unfair, it’s like facing the boss in the first level of your game. Distractions rob us of the time and space we need to have creative and unique thought. So in an effort to cross the Sea of Distraction, I’ve been taking the time to take inventory of my skill set and work on smaller projects that will get me excited to tackle the rest of this journey.
Yesterday we went over the health and wellness (see the link above- I promise, I’ll stop recapping now). And we ended it with a Creativity Challenge. Now what kind of hero would I be if I threw all the challenges to you without completing them myself? So here we are- the fruits of my labor:
The Creativity Challenge #1: Favorite Character Workout
Think of a character from a favorite book or movie (preferably a ‘save the world’ kind- that will really get us the farthest) and create a workout routine inspired by them. Then (and here’s the really fun part) actually attempt it.
Now, I’m going to go a little bit obscure for this one and pick a character from an audiobook I am currently listening to- called ‘Bones of the Past’ by Drew Hayes, book #2 in the Villians’ Code series. It’s a pretty cute anti-hero kind of story full of humor that will not inspire those who prefer ‘high art’ forms of literature. If you are looking for the next classic- this isn’t it. If you are looking for a goofy take on heroes and villains, give it a shot. The main character is Tori/Hephaestus. a fiery tech-loving self-made villain who I absolutely adore. But truthfully, the workout here could fit for just about any Super- so feel free to imagine your own favorite.
Hephaestus Work Out (timed- as many as you can in the allotted time, will take 1 hour)
- 5 minutes of stretching
- 5 minutes of push ups
- 5 minute wall sits
- 5 minutes punching and kicking (punch, punch, kick; alternate legs)
- 5 minutes mountain climbers
- 5 minutes triceps dips
- 5 minutes donkey kicks
- 5 minutes plank
- 5 minutes jumping jacks
- 5 minutes hip thrusts
- 5 minutes jump rope
- 5 minutes – cool down, child’s pose
The Creativity Challenge #2: Sedentary Activity Plan
Pick a favorite book or movie and make a game out of it. For example: for every paragraph you read, walk x number of laps around your room. Every time (insert character name here) appears on the screen, jump up and down until they leave
Part A: Book Nerd Edition
The challenge I came up for with this one will work with literally any book, and can be easily modified. If you are listening to an audiobook, substitute the number of pages for a set number of minutes (if you want to really get technical, go to howlongtoread.com and figure out how long it would take you to read a single page in your story)
Warm up: stretch each body part for one full page.
The workout:
- Walk laps as you read for the remainder of challenge (be sure you are in a place where you can walk safely without bumping into thing, otherwise walk in place)
- Every time you hit a new paragraph stop and jump 5 times (those heavy dialog sections will get ya real quick)
- At the end of each page stop and do 10 jumping jacks (on even pages) or 10 push-ups (odd pages)
- At the end of a chapter: 10 burpees
- When a new character is introduced, do 5 lunges
- If a character dies: plank for as long as you can to help you grieve (or celebrate?)
- When a potential love interest is in the vicinity of the main character (or a character you ship them with) do a wall sit for their entire interaction — if you are reading something overly-saturated with these interactions, do a wall sit for as long as you can. You can be exempt from wall sits for the next five pages
- When a page starts off with dialog, do 15 pointed butt lifts (15 per leg)
- If two characters argue/fight: skip or do grapevine steps for the duration of the dialog (or go for 30 seconds-1 minutes without reading so you don’t trip yourself)
- When the main character meets up with his/her best friend: do 10 squats
- Cool down: lay down on your back and hold your book up over your head (so you can read)- hold this pose for as long a spossible
- If you are reading something nonfiction that won’t fit with these rules: make a list of all the different exercises you want to do and dedicate each page to one of them. Do as many of the chosen item as you can. At each chapter break take on the tasks you can’t do while actively reading, such as jumping jacks)
Part B: TV Time Edition
For this one, I picked a classic: Friends. Most people have seen it, and for me it’s a solid go-to when I need some background noise or I just want something cheerful on. The format here is simple. ‘Every time…you must do…’
- Theme song plays – stretch
- Joey says ‘How you doin?’ – 20 sit ups
- Chandler makes a joke – 25 jumping jacks
- Phoebe sings – plank
- You hear Smelly cat – wall sits
- Ross talks about dinosaurs – 10 squats
- They’re at Central Perk – 10 leg lifts
- Chandler and Joey sit in their chairs – 20 bicycles
- You see the duck and chick – 10 lunges
- Ross and Monica talk about their childhood – 20 calf raises
- Monica cleans sometimes – 15 russian twists
- Someone calls Rachel ‘Rach’ – 10 push ups
- Chandler says ‘be’ – 5 burpees
- Someone mentions Ugly Naked Guy – 20 high knees
- Gunther shows his love for Rachel – 15 mountain climbers
- Someone starts dating – 10 leg lifts
- Someone breaks up – 10 tricep dips
- Janice says ‘Oh my God’ – 20 pointed butt lifts
- Someone goes out on the balcony – 25 punches
- Ending credits – cool down, lay in child’s pose
Even if you don’t feel like making a challenge of your own, you can still find a huge selection or pre-made ones (primarily for tv shows and movies) that can get you out of your couch potato rut at any point. The point is to get moving and increase that blood flow to your brain. Trust me, it makes a big difference. Now I’m off to walk the dog and (gulp) try out my creations. Wish me luck.
Tipsy Typer 