It’s not often that I fall head over heels in love with an object, but recently I have a new love in my life…
my bento box.
Why?
Well, as we have been discussing this autumn, how you manage your finances is a huge contributor to your ability to be creative. Manage your money well, and create space in which to be creative. Blow your cash and it’s going to be tough to create with any regularity – the stress of unpaid bills is a huge impediment to creative practice.
I am currently touring in a musical. The easiest thing is to eat all of our meals out. Often we need something quick, hot and cheap – criteria that often lead one to fast food or poor nutritional choices.
Trying to eat healthily without spending a lot of money, especially when on the road takes some planning.
But like all things that require a bit of planning, the pay off is worth it.
In comes the Bento Box.
Not only is it a thing of beauty (I am sucker for beautiful design) but it allows me to go to the grocery store, buy some fresh salad, produce, meat & cheese (which I can story in the fridge of where I am staying). In the morning, I pack my bento box for the day – some green salad, some fresh cherry tomatoes, a few slices of turkey breast, and a wedge or two of cheese. I use the little container to put some salad dressing into and I snap the lid onto it all. It’s now sealed up and ready to go into my bag.
The theatres we are playing are all in the city centre which affords another cost cutting measure: visiting the city centre grocery stores at the end of the day (around 5pm) when they start seriously discounting all of the food that is near its best before date. I swoop in and fill up a basket with some knocked down fresh food and save doubly! Not only am I saving by not eating out, but am saving by buying the food at a discounted rate (oddly enough it’s the higher end stores – Marks & Spencers and Waitrose that do the best discounts….)
My bento box has not only saved me a small fortune but has also contributed to a weight loss through consuming better, healthier food. Plus the size of the box limits my portion size (without portion control I can eat and eat and eat – my bento box contains me to a sensible limit).
To me, the bento box summarises what it is to be a Thriving Creative – beautiful to look at, highly functional, it brings structure and pace to my life – helping me to avoid excess spending and excess calories. By managing the excess, I am better able to focus on my creative work of being an actor.
We are often at our best creatively when we are working within reasonable boundaries. A little discipline goes a long way when handling the creative flame. The Bento Box does this for me.
What brings order and discipline into your life? How does it help you thrive as a creative?
Leave a Reply