Michelle Lang

@themichellelang
Tell us a bit about yourself

I'm an actress, producer, author, and recovering perfectionist who started a company about relaxing to help myself (and others) relax. (And by "relax" I don't necessarily mean change what you are doing, I mean change what's going on inside while you are doing it.) The company is called RBL ("Rebel") and stands for Relaxation Based Lifestyle. 

What makes you smile?

I recently broke out a coveted tiny bar of Jobaba olive oil soap I've been saving from a spa in Sedona. The smell is a mix of peppers, red clay, and meditation (if meditation had a scent!) It's heaven. If anyone goes to Enchanted Resort in Sedona please DM me and I'll pay you to smuggle me out some Jobaba soap!!! LOL. 

What can we do to support others during this time?

The hardest posts and comments for me to read are the ones that are judging and nasty and then signed off with things like, "Love, your neighbor." or "#We are in this together." Uhhhh...folks...you can't say a bunch of mean stuff and then sign it with "love" or #gratitude. I mean, you can, but it's not nice and it's not helping anyone. Everyone has a very different point of view about what is going on. Everyone is affected differently. Let's all offer each other the gift of grace free of judgement. In my book "A MERMAID'S GUIDE" I talk about it being okay to disagree, but if we can all just learn to disagree NICELY the world would be a better place. 

What have you been doing? (Any tips/ advice for isolation)

For me, "sitting still" is my biggest challenge. The only thing I find helpful is to remember the metaphor RBL is founded on: (RBL's foundation stemmed from my swim technique called Relaxation Based Swimming.) The idea is that if you swim tense, full of fear and panic, you will grow tired, struggle to get where you are going and hate every moment of it. However, if you take a deep breath and allow the water to hold you up, if you swim with peace and trust, you will go further and enjoy the process of getting where you want to be. So I try to float through things best I can...

I also launched my 2nd book called WHERE THE SANITY ENDS. It's a comedic parody of Shel Silverstein's book WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS about the crazy, beautiful, nature of having kids. It's been fun to connect with parents and spread laughter. The poems range from my deep seeded desire to smuggle my cold brew through the TSA, the sexy woes of re-useable diapers, to me bemoaning the dearth of lactating men. 

Shoutout to someone

Shoutout to someone who is always there to pick me up! (and she makes great leggings). My sister, Tessa Lang, makes the most AMAZING leggings. They are quarantine sheek and that waistband will let you eat that whole bag of pirates booty without judgment. Each pair has her original art on them and makes you feel unique and bold. Find them at https://www.tessalangpainter.com/.