Waking Up
Minutes after waking up, we all usually do something that has become habitual, something that we have done repeatedly over time. Some people like to meditate, some like to read, some like to visualise, some like to express gratitude. I aim to do at least one of the above activities for at least a few minutes, before I put the kettle on.
This is the gratitude journal that I picked up in Florence, Italy in 2019, just after I attended an art workshop.
Keeping a gratitude journal helps remind you to appreciate the little things that you have. Many of us take things for granted, things which others around the world would only dream of having. I believe writing in a gratitude journal, also helps to take you away from a ‘scarcity’ mindset, and into an ‘abundance’ mindset.
Practicing daily gratitude can be simple, there’s no need to think too hard or deeply about this, and it doesn’t have to take a long time or lots of work. You can be grateful that you can think clearly, that you can write, and you can be grateful that you have something to write in, something to write on, and of course, your pen!
Sometimes people like to reach for their phones (I think we can all be guilty of this), check their emails or social media notifications, play games, and some like to watch the TV.
But why is it important to deliberately choose to start your mornings by doing what’s most important to your development and career as a creative professional?
As professional artists or art students, we should be choosing an activity first thing in the morning, which we know will help start our day in a positive manner, a task or activity which gets the ball rolling, and can help to put us in a more productive and focused state of mind for the remaining hours of the day.
Many visual artists or hobbyists, make the claim that they wish they could draw more, if only they had the time. This is a lame excuse, and transfers to all and anything an individual claims they wish they could practice, but can’t due to lack of time. Because, no matter how busy our schedule looks, we can all afford to invest and spend time on the things that matter the most to us, even if it is just for a few minutes, and create time for whatever is most meaningful for us every day.
Showing Up
The sketchbook that I leave on my kitchen table. Ready for me to show up.
For us visual artists, I think one of the most enjoyable and rewarding things we can do, is to begin the day by spending some time with our sketchbooks. Not long after waking up in the morning, we are still slightly connected to the dream world. We can use this state of mind to more easily tap into our imaginations, and compose rough sketches, and seemingly random ideas, as part of our warm up. And we can always return to these, later. All we have to do is to show up, pick up the pencil, and turn the page.
Warming Up
I like to start my mornings with a coffee and either directly into some drawing or painting.
By starting this process first thing, before I have even had breakfast, I feel more at ease, calmer, more confident, more ready to take on the other tasks, creative or otherwise throughout my day.
If you have been following my artwork @robbieallenart, you’ll know I’ve been on a snow leopard thing for a while. Today I finished a double page of snow leopard sketches as part of my warm up exercise.
By starting some simple drawing exercises early on, even if it is just simple warm ups, such as drawing ellipses, or straight lines freehand, you are exercising your hand to eye co-ordination, and literally warming yourself up for more creative work.
You can also warm up by starting to write, actually physically warming up your body through stretching and exercise, and by playing an instrument, or vocal exercises if you are a singer.
These are the rest of my snow leopard warm up sketches.
The full, double-page.
Momentum
When you begin the creative process early on, you begin to build up the very important force of momentum, which you can take into your other daily activities, routines, and work flows. Momentum, I find, enables me to more confidently move forwards in the direction of finishing my goals, and increasing my knowledge and skill level. And why does confidence matter?
My sketch of a snow leopard running.
Confidence
I think it is essential to work on building your confidence, or self-belief as an artist so that you can consistently show up, and deliver your best work on any given day. Have you tried to create art when you’re feeling down or really unsure of yourself, when you’re not feeling confident? Compare that to when you are feeling at your best. Which version of you is it that kicks arse, and which version of you sits back, makes excuses, and procrastinates? Which represents the confident version of you? Confidence matters.
Energy
If you are a creative person, you know that the very act of creating and practicing your art or your craft generates a kind of energy around you. It charges and nourishes, it puts you in a good mood. It makes you more formidable. Similar to consistently doing physical exercise, your increased energy levels can be taken and used to fuel the rest of your day, and you will be a better service to both yourself and others, as you literally radiate from the inside out.
Strength
By doing the practice, the hard work, by simply showing up as a professional every single day, you grow in toughness, resilience, and strength. As a consequence, you can more easily beat back any self-sabotaging habits, and silence creeping thoughts of self-doubt.
A photo of me about to start to draw in my sketchbook.
I might add that starting your day with your craft should not be an arduous task, it should be enjoyable, you are doing the thing you love and that is most meaningful to you. There is no need to put pressure on yourself to perform, only to commit to showing up. I would argue that by easing yourself into the task early on, you reduce pressure, and levels of stress or anxiety. After all, art calms and soothes us. It makes us happy.
If you feel you are short on time, start with just 5-10 minutes, or even 3 minutes if you must! I think we become our best when we practice our craft, consistently, first thing in the morning.
Thank you for reading.
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Robbie