There is nothing like the smell of freshly cut grass. Yes, we’ve all heard that before, but take a moment to imagine yourself inhaling that scent, dragging it in with all the memories that come with it. It speaks of growth and change and fresh beginnings. Scientists have even found that the smell of freshly cut grass actually reduces stress – that a certain chemical that is released when the lawn is cut actually affects the brain and makes people feel happy and relaxed.
Whenever I encounter that smell, it makes me want to stop whatever I’m doing for a long moment and breathe deeply. I think of my dad cutting the lawn with the old Lawn Boy mower when I was a kid. I think of that same mower when I became the lawn boy as a teenager, pushing it back and forth across my parents’ acreage with my shirt off and my headphones on.
The smell of freshly cut grass makes me want to slow down – just a bit – and encounter life at pace that allows for growth and change and fresh beginnings – both in me and in other people.
Think of that scent now and associate it with the new Greenhouse Journal too. That’s what we’ve got going here – a place you can slow down a bit and contemplate what it means to be creative, what it means to be an artist, what it means to be in the creative industries as a professional. The truth is, in the arts & entertainment industries, it’s hard to find time to ease the pace, to stop and breathe deeply, to really enjoy why we became artists and creators in the first place.
We’re going to explore all of those things here. We’re going to not only meet the various people who make up The Greenhouse and talk about all the amazing things they’re doing, but we’re also going to explore what it means to be a creative person – from every angle: creative, intellectual, spiritual, physical, emotional, and relational. We’re going to explore what it means to be a creative professional and how we can always be growing deep in what we do.
That’s really what The Greenhouse is all about. So slow down. Breathe deeply. And join us in the conversation.
All my best,
Shun Lee
President & Creative Director
The Greenhouse 
Shun Lee is an actor, writer, producer, and a recovering lawyer. He is originally from Omaha, Nebraska, and swears up and down that good steaks can not be had from anywhere else. He is President & Creative Director of The Greenhouse and the founding member of Genuine Productions, LLC, a multi-media production company.
You can check ouThis blog at www.shunlee.com.