Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1154384
42 The Costume Designer Summer 2019 Inspiration Healthcare Collaboration Workflow Your first collaborator is your supervisor. It is impera- tive to put what I expect and how I want to work on a show on paper to make my role clear. First being clear of my own working style. This is the most important relationship within a department. Being clear regarding what is expected of each other before heading into a project is important. Don't just talk job, talk working style and how they would like to interact with you. Decide who handles keeping the crew in check. Knowing the roles within the costume work environ- ment is important for the designer's well-being and will set a tone for the rest of the department. Mental, emotional, and physical health on the job is a necessity. Again you need to come first. Choose a place to live, if on location, that gives you the most in your off time. For me, the ideal place has to have a lot of light, be near a healthy grocery store, and walking distance to some cultural activities, with possibly a sauna or steam room in the build- ing. If I can only get one or two, then I determine where the missing elements are available. When working in a remote location, I look for green views. Make each location your own. Bring a few things from home that support your health. Being able to connect with home supports my creativity. As soon as we walk through the Costume Department doors, we are absorbed with questions, meetings, and fittings which at the end of day leaves very little time for us. Having a personal reminder will reconnect you to your foundation. Mental and emotional health is very important, so leave your personal baggage outside the Costume Department door and pick it up on the way out. Realize no one else will, and you have to be clear to navigate. If the show has its own chal- lenges, talk with friends outside of work, hire a therapist, or go get on a yoga mat. Find out what works for you in 15 minutes. Sleep's rewards are cumulative, so shut your eyes when possible. Physical health is vital for mental and emotional well-being. Establish an exercise practice before a show and show up healthy and fit. Showing up in shape is easier and can be the best medicine on a crazy schedule. Locate where there is a massage therapist, chiropractor, energy healer, holistic doctor, or whatever you need for support. Food matters. Stock your fridge or find restaurants that deliver the type food which you prefer. Don't forget water. Have lots of water and healthy snacks available for your crew. Being inspired leads one to be inspiring. As Costume Designers, we are wired to create. Be creative in the way you approach the job and how you walk into a room. Fostering an inspiring environment for yourself and your crew with books related to the show, art on walls, and music in the department. Inspiration is not limited to costumes and designing the show, eat and laugh together. Dance together when it becomes too stressful, or take walks and talk about something other than work. We are with our crew more than anyone else when we are working. Creating a respect- ful environment where everyone can be themselves can help get the job done while nurturing the individuals which make up the department. Change means being willing to flow. Be honest with yourself if you need to change, work on it. On every show, I meditate daily for clarity on how to handle challenges. If something or someone doesn't fit, address it immediately. It is necessary to have a supportive team. It is most important to accept yourself. Nothing and no one is perfect. If you see room for personal improvement, choose how you want to evolve and then embody that change. Practice paves the way to being mindful at all times. I believe being creative in all aspects of what is required of a Costume Designer makes for and promotes a healthier environment and gives more time to do what we love—designing a great show. "Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world." —Desmond Tutu I fell in love with Costume Design as a child when I went to see Peter Pan in London's West End. It was magical and so were the words, "If you can't teach me to fly, teach me to sing," but in my case, it was teach me to design. Truth be known, I still feel that way. I believe we in the Costume Designers Guild gener- ally have a great life. We get to immerse ourselves in other Nice is Not a Four-Letter Word By Catherine Adair worlds, create whole different universes, and live out our extraordinary imaginations. Our job is unreal in the best sense of the word, and every day provides us with a new possibility to create. But at the end of the day (or should I say, brutally long day), we also work in the real world. And right now, it seems a pretty troubled one. We can all deal with car chases, bar brawls, or a gazil- lion extras fighting out a fantastical battle on some alien planet, where nothing less than the triumph of good over evil for the entire universe is at stake. That's a piece of cake.