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A Glass Blower’s Companion with Jason Michael -Helping Today's Glass Artist Think Like an Artistic Entrepreneur


Apr 10, 2019

WyzGuy Minute  Ep.5: The importance of taking care of your body and saving for Emergencies :

      You ever bend over to pick something up or turn to look at something quickly and suddenly  feel a sharp pain in your lower back? This is potentially a warning sign for a back injury.  According to TheGoodBody.com "About 80% of adults are estimated to experience a back injury in their lifetime… with roughly 10% suffering a re-injury."  This means its more than likely at some point in your life you will experience some form of back injury. The cause for anyone experiencing lower back injuries is  generally due to  NOT using the correct body posture and mechanics combined with over-use
     Currently as I am recording this I am experiencing a lower back injury caused by Long days behind the torch, sitting or standing in awkward, unnatural positions, while repetitively going through the same motions producing the same item over and over again. This led to a lower back strain that has become inflamed and debilitating to a point where I've had to take a few days off of work.  Fortunately I have the ability to take the time off knowing I'm still getting paid for the lost days but if you don’t what would you do?  If you don’t have the option to decide whether or not you are willing to lose the revenue and rest what decision are you going to make?   Do you heal up and recover or power thru the pain? How about if you had a little bit of money tucked away for such an emergency then what decision would you make? 

 This leads me to several different topics that have been discussed in previous podcast episodes but want to cover them briefly now.. 

 Topics you need to ask yourself ... 

  •  Have you put any money aside for an emergency/injury fund? 
  • Are you willing to take several days off and just relax so you can heal? 
  • Do you have any form of health insurance? 
  • Do you get a regular deep tissue massage for maintenance? 

     I'm asking you these questions because they are important to sustaining a lifelong career as a glass artist.  Yes these all cost money and can be quite expensive but if you set yourself up with a financial plan and budget your time and money you will be prepared for emergencies. Now is more important than ever to start taking these topics and implementing them into your life and routines. It's easier now than ever to start..Just do it  Setup an online account that you can put away even just a small amount per week or month and don’t touch it. How Fast can you set aside $1000.00?   break that down over 4-months. That’s $250.00 a month or $60.00 a week.  We all know how fast time flies by and just for a bit of transparency this is something I need to do as well. 

 

When it comes to your physical wellbeing if you're not already taking this serious you need to. Besides the negative impact an unhealthy body has on your mental wellbeing it also will lead you down the path of physical and physiological issues that can shorten your lifespan. You need to stop and really check yourself and find ways of starting some sort of physical routine outside of the studio.  Even if it's just going for a 30-minute walk in the morning while the studio is warming up. Try some yoga or jumping rope. Make sure you're getting adequate sleep and are staying hydrated from water, not sodas and beer and all the other crap that is being shoved down our throats from today's marketing geniuses.  We all need to understand for our community to thrive we all need to work on ourselves so that as a whole we can continue to grow and teach each other how to be the best version of us.  Be prepared for emergencies and maintain your physical well-being and you my friend will have a long lasting thriving career as a glass artist. 

 

 

And this has been your WyzGuy Radio Minute