By Charles Little II
It’s been said that the first law of nature is self-preservation. But as a busy creative professional also juggling the roles of head of household, soccer coach, and more, I often find my own self-care at the bottom of my priorities list, if it hasn’t fallen off completely.
In the wake of last year’s WGA/SAG-AFTRA strike and amidst the many stresses we navigate daily, ranging from politics and inflation to global conflict and domestic terrorism, it seems that we can all benefit from some extra support. With this in mind, I set out to explore the territory of self-care.
My goal was to find a few qualified professionals who could help me collect some opinions and informed advice that would be tailored to our profession and Guild membership. While attending MPEG’s “Reel Wellness for Creatives Workshop,” my research led me to a conversation with picture editor and licensed personal trainer Danielle Statuto.
Charles: Danielle, please tell me about this workshop and your goals with this event series.
Danielle Statuto: I am a member of the MPEG’s Women’s Steering Committee. Each year we put on different events that we feel Guild members can benefit from, and I know first-hand how badly editors need to keep moving.
We have tunnel vision when we work, and the schedules and expectations are as taxing physically as they are creatively. I want our members to know how to take care of their bodies and prioritize their health first. It is only then that we can be at our best creatively and perform at optimum level. My goal is to teach our members how to prevent issues before they arise. Because health issues will affect our work negatively and may even stop us from working completely.
Charles: What are the health risks to be aware of and that we might be trying to prevent or avoid?
Danielle Statuto: Conditions I’ve noticed while working are neck, shoulder and wrist pain. Implementing the correct ergonomic position at the edit bay is essential for maintaining good posture and a healthy back and spine. Not only do we need the correct ergonomics, we need to strengthen and stretch our body to prevent pain. I hear a lot of editors say, “It’s cool, I have a standing desk.” While that’s a great start, just getting a standing desk is not enough. We need to implement breaks and we need to stretch. I know what you are thinking: “But we can’t just take breaks! My editor’s cut is due!” I get it — I am that person, too. But to do this job for any length of time, you have to take care of your body. Your cut will be better after an hour of exercise. I promise. Have you ever walked away from a cut you can’t seem to figure out? When you come back with fresh eyes and a fresh body, you often easily see what you were missing before. Editor Scott Wallace taught me that.
‘Ergonomics in the edit bay are essential for good posture and a healthy back.’
As editors, when we sit for long hours, our shoulders naturally roll forward. Simple exercises like Wall Slides and working with resistance bands can help you earn back the mobility that your shoulders have lost. Myofascial release works wonders on your back, especially with a lacrosse ball. You put deep pressure on your tightened muscles and after a while, you’ll feel the muscles slowly release tension. The lacrosse ball is also great for the forearms. There are little knots that form there too. Myofascial release, baby. All day.
LET’S GET PHYSICAL
Staying fit in post doesn’t have to be a chore. In the photos on these pages, Danielle and Charles illustrate some basic fitness movements designed to get the blood moving.
On the left side of the photo, Danielle is doing a pushup with rotating handles, but you can get great results with hands alone, too.
A lacrosse or other fitness ball is perfect to find the trigger points in muscles, as Danielle demonstrates. (Search on YouTube under “lacrosse ball stretching” to get started.)
And at right, yoga movements, as Charles and Danielle demonstrate, are a great way to maintain flexibility, especially after sitting in an editing chair all day.
Nerd Fitness (www.nerdfitness. com) — Breaks fitness down into manageable, goal-oriented chunks. You can subscribe to the newsletter and also search for a personal trainer. Free articles are also available.
Bodybuilding.com — We get it, you’re not a professional body-builder. But you don’t have to be to find value on this site. You can find clear instructions on how to perform basic movements like stretches, all the way up to more complicated stuff like Olympic lifts.
American Council on Exercise (acefitness.org) — Here’s another ACE you need to know! A lot of the content here is geared toward trainers and other people planning a career in fitness, but there’s also a large library of exercise-related content and other resources.
MENTAL HEALTH, TOO
Barbara Deutsch and Belle Zwerdling are veteran career and life coaches to Hollywood professionals. They shared their observations and opinions on mental health within our industry. Barbara’s perception is that the topic of mental health has historically been kept secret in Hollywood, but that more recently, since the “Me Too” Movement, people have become more willing to consider and discuss their own mental health. Today, she says, “…the shame of mental health has lessened.”
Rick Rubin refers to creatives in his book, “The Creative Act — A Way of Being,” as “…the ones with the most sensitive antennae…They have to protect themselves because everything hurts more. They feel everything more deeply.” Belle Zwerdling echoed that sentiment when she said, “Creative people can be looked at as a commodity; and as such do not receive the nurturing or the care that they need as the highly sensitive and intuitive people that they are.”
Charles: What then are we to do as creatives to fare better mentally and emotionally in this business?
Belle Zwerdling: Have a balanced life. It’s important to constantly seek balance and to have activity outside of the business. This industry throws rejection and fear at you on a daily basis. When you try to compare yourself, or think you should be where one of your colleagues is and you’re not there yet, you’re toast.
Barbara Deutsch: I would tell editors that complaining is a very bad idea. Whatever job you’re working on, you’re lucky to have it and you have to KILL IT! She adds: “We live in a world where there’s not enough care for our mental health.”
You can learn more about Barbara Deustch’s book “Open Up or Shut Up” and her leadership methodologies, coined “The Barbara Deutsch Approach,” online at thebarbaradeutschapproach.com.
Belle Zwerdling, owner of Progressive Artists Agency in Los Angeles, is also a life coach and intuitive counselor. Learn more about Belle’s intuitive counseling sessions at bellezwerdling.com
– Follow Danielle Statuto on Instagram: @10statuto10.
– Charles Little II, ACE is a picture editor.
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