Food has been on my mind a lot, lately. My relationship with food has never been a priority. Don’t get me wrong, I love to eat. I’ve tasted phenomenal dishes from all over the world. I just never saw food as much more than fuel for the tank. Sometimes it was better than others, but it all ended up in the same place.
My body got tired of that approach, and let me know that in the most unsettling ways as I’ve aged. So, I’ve revaluated how and what I eat. I’m taking portion size into consideration, reading the labels on the food I buy, and watching the carbs in the food I choose like my life depends on it. Which it turns out, is true.
That got me to thinking about other things I consume. As an author, I considered the inspirations I take in. Are they all from the same source? Do I have a bias for one thing over another, or am I reading too much into my comfort zone. There is a lot to examine.
It turns out, I have a pretty eclectic mental diet. I read in and out of my genre (the out parts come from critique groups). My visual stimuli come from movies, TV (not a whole lot of either lately), and the vast (and varied) pins I peruse on Pinterest. The music I listen to is varied too, but most of that comes from sharing space with my loving wife (we often disagree about what to listen to).
In all, I’m feeding my creative side a diverse diet that expands with time. I’m no renaissance man, but I feel comfortable that I’m not stuck in a rut either. Time will tell, but if a stray Beastie Boys lyric makes its way onto my page, at least I’ll know why. Staying mindful…