For this edition of Robe Talk, we caught up with cofounder of Tip Top Proper Cocktails, Neal Cohen. Read the interview to find out how he stays creative and what forms of self care he practices.
Tell us a little bit about yourself: what do you do for a living? Or what has been your life journey so far?
I am a cofounder and chief brand officer for Tip Top Proper Cocktails. Previously, I have held jobs as Music Director of a small eclectic arts, radio station in Atlanta, a cheesemonger, and the marketing Director at Superfly, overseeing the branding and marketing of festivals such as Bonnaroo and Outside Lands.
What are ways you find inspiration when you’re not feeling creative?
I get a lot of creativity through collaboration and sharing in energized ideation with friends, family, coworkers, artists and others in my industry and beyond. I also find that exercise, meditation, and just giving yourself some space to breathe Generally helps with the creative process. My public library card that I got about a year ago has also opened up a wealth of inspiration via all the audiobooks I can consume with it.
What activities (indoor or outdoor) are most important to you?
I enjoy eating delicious meals and of course, drinking cocktails with good company. Over the last year I’ve also started playing music in a band for the first time in close to 15 years and that has been super rewarding and a great outlet for release. Other than that, I really enjoy spending time with my two kids who are seven and five. Allowing myself to get caught up in their world of building Lego creations or arts and craft projects or just messing around in the woods, exploring nature is really a rewarding way to see the world with fresh eyes, ears and all senses.
How do you interact with your home? What is your favorite room in your house and why?
We bought a house back in October 2020 and I feel like we’re just now really getting it together. There’s a room that we’ve got the makings of a bar and vinyl set up coming together that we’re calling the parlor which I suppose sounds a little snooty and fancy but when the rest of the house is so kid-oriented, it’s nice that me and my wife can create a space for us to just enjoy. Until that room is fully set up, I love our screen porch that is right off the kitchen and when it’s nice weather here in Atlanta, which it often is, I keep the doors open into the screen porch, allowing for a nice breeze and easy flow between spaces.
What are some self care practices you find helpful?
I try to do morning pages as often as I can. It’s an exercise where you sit down with a notebook first thing in the day and spend 15 to 20 minutes writing three pages without lifting the pen off the paper. Really an exercise in stream of consciousness writing that clears my head and gives me more clarity on the day, not to mention some creative insights that can be applied to any number of my daily efforts.
I’ve also been using the exercise app called Seven Minute Workout for a few years, and while it’s not a rigorous workout, it’s hard to justify skipping something that takes such a small amount of time, and it keeps my core in shape so that when I do go to do more rigorous exercise it doesn’t crush me completely. I’m currently on a 100 day streak so that’s good.
Have you ever considered yourself a robe person?
My earliest recollection of robe wearing goes back to eating cereal and watching Saturday morning cartoons, but I can’t say that I’ve worn robes regularly throughout my life. I think my mindset in general, being that I enjoy leisure and downtime, lends itself to the robe lifestyle, and I look forward to pursuing it with more rigor in the future.
What’s your favorite Great Indoors robe pattern?
Hard to choose but I’m going with that Alber Robe.
