A few years ago, when I mentioned to someone that I cook, they were shocked. “I never imagined you were domestic!” As if being athletic couldn’t co-exist with the culinary arts. On the contrary: As our very brand name indicates, we are all 3D individuals who shine in many different arenas. 

Two of our Train Like a Mother coaches showcase this multi-faceted existence perfectly: Coaches Liz Waterstraat and Jess Hofheimer are strong, accomplished athletes; talented coaches; moms; and artists (among other things!). I adore their artistic endeavors (Liz paints garden rocks; Jess draws and paints images of rabbits), and I was curious what fuels them so I had a virtual sit-down with these creative athletes. 

How do you feel your creative side meshes with, or complements, your sporty side? 

LIZ: There is a definite intersection with sport and art/creative pursuits.  Creativity is all about recognizing possibilities—and the best sport performances come from a place where you recognize the possibility in the race and in yourself. Both are also expressions of your inner self—in a sense both require vulnerability in sharing your vision, then going for it. Both require flexibility in thinking, unique approaches to solving problems. Both require commitment, patience, and the ability to go off script while keeping the end goal in mind. 

JESS: For me, running and creativity are intimately connected. They both require you to start where you are with what you have and to trust the unfolding and evolution of the process. Every step we take in running leads to the next one and before you know it, you have run miles and miles, which is similar to every stroke of the brush. Little things adding up to something bigger and more beautiful than you might imagine in a single moment. 

Jess, I’m fascinated by your monthly rabbits. How long have you been doing them, and what do they signify to you? 

JESS: When I was a little girl, my mother had a small collection of rabbit figurines that I admired (and still do!), and I think this is when my love for rabbits began. Years later I met and fell in love with my husband and the first time I went to visit his parents, I discovered that his mother also loved rabbits and has a similar collection! Around this same time I learned that there is a British tradition to say “rabbit rabbit rabbit” on the first day of the month for good luck. You are supposed to say it before you say anything else upon waking in the morning! My husband and I started doing this together, and we have raised our kids to do it, too—it’s a fun tradition and always makes me smile. 

When I think of rabbits I think of the magic of new beginnings, of self trust and intuition, of taking leaps and bravely being who you are! I am a journal-keeper and love to draw and paint, and nine years ago I started making a rabbit in my journal on the first of each month. This began expanding outside the pages of my journal and onto other types of paper and in different mediums—graphitel, colored pencils, ink, markers, watercolors, acrylics and more. I have so many rabbits now—more than a hundred! Some I have framed in my kitchen and around the house, some I have given away as gifts, some are propped up in my office/studio, and many are just in piles!

Jess, what does drawing do for your mind/spirit? 

JESS: Since I was a little girl, drawing has been a practice of self expression, acceptance and inquiry. It’s meditative and freeing, calming and exciting all at once. 

Liz, how long have you been painting rocks, and what does that practice do for your mind/spirit? 

LIZ: Painting rocks was my pandemic project. My kids and I would go to the DuPage River, collect the rocks, wash the rocks, then paint them. I try not to overthink it or plan it—I sit down with a rock and just start creating patterns. I just let the entire process flow.

I know both of you are also into houseplants/gardening. What does this endeavor do for your soul? 

LIZ: Gardening (or planting) is just another creative expression. We live on a corner, and I wanted to create a space on our patio that felt like our own private woodland.

JESS: I used to be so intimidated by gardening and plant care, not ever seeing myself as someone who was equipped to be “good” at it, but always admiring plants and flowers. This is actually not all that different from what I used to think about running and my ability to do something that seemed as daunting as a marathon. I would get so frustrated every time I bought a plant and it died, but over time and with keeping at it and being curious to learn more and try things, I realized those “failures” are also part of the process and how we learn and grow and help our plants grow. 

My favorite thing with gardening is planting perennials and seeing how they grow each summer. We have been in our current home for eight years, and I absolutely love seeing how things we planted over the years have thrived and bloomed. Not much brings me more joy than cutting blossoms from the garden for a vase in our kitchen!

Any advice for folks who want to find an artistic outlet, yet feel they aren’t “creative” enough?! 

LIZ: Creativity is a mindset—it’s opening yourself up to see the world differently. Creativity can be expressed everywhere—it’s in how you arrange the furniture in your house, how you put flowers into containers, it’s in cooking, or how you set a table for dinner guests. Creativity doesn’t have to be expressed with paints or pencils—start anywhere!  

If you’re looking to do something like drawing, painting—just start! One of the biggest barriers is being an adult: We try to “adult” everything up like we need a book or a class to learn to do something.  Watch a kid—they just start painting. They play, they get messy, they learn.  My first rocks were basic and unremarkable. Just start painting. 

JESS: It sounds so basic (because it is!) but just begin! If you are thinking about drawing, writing, or painting, you could do a 30-day challenge or something like that: Grab the supplies and pieces of paper, then every day for 30 days set a timer for something even as short as 5 or 10 minutes. Turn some music on! Draw freely and don’t have a specific “goal” in mind other than to create something for that period of time. You may feel stuck at times and that is okay—it’s part of the process and the point! You’ll make discoveries along the way and be surprised by what comes up and how you grow. You’ll also begin cultivating a habit that could sustain you for years and years!