Morning Routine for Creatives
Most morning routines have some really good suggestions to start your day off right, to hopefully ensure good days in the week ahead. But as I sat down to write my suggestions for a morning routine, I started thinking about how different that can look depending on our current realities and where we want to go with our lives. For instance, maybe you work a 9-5 but are taking online classes in writing, photography, art, etc. You are doing what you have to do to pay the bills while working toward the day that you can make art more a part of your life or even work for yourself selling your art. Let’s look at suggestions for a morning routine for creatives. Obviously, if you work a 9-5 or are a busy mom, you’ll have to find ways to fit these things into your time in a way that works best for you. Even if you have to get up earlier or fit it in while your child is napping, it’s something worthwhile for yourself which is so important to your overall well being.
First things first...
Waking gently with a light alarm clock that simulates sunrise will first and foremost not jolt you out of bed feeling annoyed. You can get some clocks with sounds and adjustable brightness as well as a sunset function to help you fall asleep at night. It’s tough to feel creative when you just want to throw something at the clock right?
Awakenings
Yoga anyone? Or if your flexibility isn’t quite there, just some gentle stretching before you even get out of bed is really a great idea. If you’re like me and tend to sleep long periods of time in one spot, you can wake up needing a good stretch. Simple stretching can go a long way to your feeling more awake and ready to get out of bed in the morning. It doesn’t need to take long, just a few minutes to set things in motion.
Morning Pages
In Julia Cameron’s, “The Artists Way,” she suggests a daily practice she calls Morning Pages. In a journal, write three stream-of-consciousness pages first thing in the morning, without censoring, editing, or overthinking. This helps reduce mental clutter and start the day with clearer focus. Reading it back you might find you wrote some really mundane things but look for the gems, as they will surely be there. Who knows, a spark of an idea might be your next creative project.
Radio Silence
While you’re waking up and writing, try to silence your phone. You can set up exceptions for people who need to get through -otherwise, it's best to block out the world for a bit. For sure, stay away from news items that can take you down a rabbit hole of worry and concern. The stories in the news can be so upsetting today and it definitely can derail your thoughts away from a peaceful state. Carve out some tranquility before the world gets loud. This can be done anytime you set aside time to create.
Music
Setting the stage for creativity to flow always starts with music for me. Try tailoring the music to your current project to help open up the creative flow. As I’m writing this a scene from one of my favorite films came to mind where Diane Keaton, playing Erika Barry, a successful playwright is trying to get in the zone to write a play that takes place in Paris. As the scene starts we hear Eartha Kitt singing "C’est Si Bon" as we see Erika typing at her laptop. That’s the idea, if your text takes place in Paris, que the French songs! Working on an avant guarde painting? I don’t know, jazz, metal? Or maybe you’re a poet who just wants some beautiful classical music…you do you.
Get Yourself Outdoors
Getting outside in the fresh air is essential not only for our physical well being but also mental well being. Out for a walk you can sort through ideas, concerns and process them in a healthy way before heading back indoors to work on a project. If you’re like me and love photography, take your camera with you and let yourself photograph whatever moves you to capture it. One of those photographs may be useful in a blog post, inspiration for a painting, poem or story. Let yourself enjoy your time and approach it like a child out exploring purely for fun.
As your schedule allows, maybe that walk can take you to a cozy coffee shoppe where you can write or draw in a notebook or laptop. Most coffee shoppes have good background music and if you’re someone who doesn’t like working at a desk at home this is a great alternative.
Take-Aways...
If you’re looking to make a living as a creative or merely bring more of that artistic endeavor into your life, it’s essential to start your day in a way that will set yourself up to tap into the creative flow by adding in any or all of the suggestions above. I hope my ideas help or get your thinking of ways to incorporate a creative morning routine into your life. If you have any more suggestions, feel free to leave them for others in the comments section!
