by Friedrich N. Jaeger
Thomas Edison’s aphorism, “Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration,” has rarely been refuted. Just once, I’ll beg to differ with our most famous winter resident, so I can bring you this balanced summer issue, with equal parts inspiration and perspiration.
July and August undeniably are the year’s hottest and most humid months. Not only do the scalding temperatures and stifling humidity drain our physical energy, they seemingly sap our creativity. Yet, for many locals, the summer months are their most prolific, dynamic, and creative. While we do tend to seek refuge in our air-conditioned art studios, offices, shops, and gyms, by no means do we forsake the great outdoors, whether we’re dining by the water or attending an alfresco event. This issue introduces you to some amazing people who, unfazed by heat and moisture, let their creative juices flow copiously as they step out—never mind the profuse sweating—and draw renewed inspiration from our splendid sights.
Editor Beth Luberecki, no stranger to inspiration and perspiration—brainstorming, editing, and penning many awesome features you read here, while raising a three-year-old, demand both smarts and stamina—looks at five prominent area authors whose vigorous pecking on their keyboards has long kept readers both riveted and enthralled.
Kris Brown, personal trainer extraordinaire, stimulates us to get off the couch, oxygenate the mind, and lubricate the joints with her no-nonsense tips on using our living-room furniture as makeshift gyms. Weekly, I grunt during our workout sessions in what I call “the torture chamber.” Later, perspiring through every pore and with endorphins fizzling from head to toe, my brain buzzes with new ideas—additional proof that perspiration and inspiration go hand in hand.
Two authors’ wanderlust has us journeying with them to New York and New Orleans, just so we know “what’s hot” this summer in those oh-so-cool cities. If the Bahamas’ azure waters and colorful flowers are what appeal to you, no sweat: your ticket to paradise can be found in this issue as well. I also believe that we don’t need to travel to faraway, iconic places to feel inspired. A trip to Lake Wales in Central Florida will have you drinking in its historic charm more than its famous orange juice.
And what to say of the myriad choices in our own backyard! Area shops send out a siren call to fashionistas, while our delectable restaurants scream every epicurean’s name. Downtown Fort Myers’s über-cool new look beckons us to its sleek galleries, theaters, and diverse businesses. And the allure of our lush environs compels us to put on our running shoes and work up a healthy sweat. Combined, they make summers in our sanctuary the perfect nourishment for mind, body, and soul—a languorous time when we don’t sweat the small stuff but do exert energy to feel truly awe-inspired. Were Thomas Edison to visit us now, I bet he’d agree that our genius comes from equal parts inspiration and perspiration.