Feeding The Soul

Eric C. Skiles
TETA BOD
VP C/U

The other day I was speaking to a friend whom I hadn’t seen in a while. The possibility of catching dinner together came up, so we both whipped out our smart phones to consult our calendars. That is when a problem arose. I had no time…my calendar was full.

Let’s face it, spring (more than any other time of year) seems to be the busiest time of year – spring makes that LONG run between Labor Day and Thanksgiving look like a walk in the park (and I can’t even speak to those of you lucky enough to have a day off around Columbus Day!). Spring is the constant march of on-campus productions/concerts/recitals, KC-ACTF Regional festival, TCCSTA Play festival, UIL OAP festivals and adjudicating. Let’s not forget sitting on hiring committees, planning next year’s season, and prepping for summer rep. Oh….and we still teach classes, too!


How do we fit it all in? How do we keep going? How do we keep giving more and more of ourselves? I believe it can be summed up in one word: PASSION. We do all these things because we are madly passionate about theatre. We couldn’t imagine living life any other way…and YET…

As I get older (and I won’t indicate that I’m getting wiser), I begin to realize that there is something to be said for BALANCE. There is a certain sweet enjoyment about doing a little less, and enjoying those fewer activities more. There is a certain joy in not waiting until summer to take one big vacation, but making a few smaller escapes throughout the year. We should take a little time to feed the soul.

We spend plenty of time feeding our bodies – they tend to remind us! As educators, we also spend a goodly amount of time feeding our minds – we study, analyze, describe, observe, explain, and expound (all those good Learning Objectives action words). In fact, too often I find myself over-analyzing a performance or creative project, when I should just be ENJOYING IT. I should be open to it, letting it move me in some emotional way, letting my soul soak up the experience.

Taking little moments to replenish the soul is so vital. These are the activities that fill our cups back to the brim, and allow us to keep on creating and giving to others. Have a meal with a long-time friend, spend the afternoon in a park, take an hour to walk through an art gallery, or plan an evening at the symphony, the ballet, or the latest Broadway touring show. As we experience these events, we get our own creative juices flowing again, and this prepares us to return to our own theatre programs and continue to create great theatre.

So, make a plan, set a date, and follow through. Most importantly, let your soul ENJOY the moment.