Apples, Baths, and Bestsellers: The Rituals of Creative Minds
Is there a secret ritual behind your creative flow?
Is there a secret ritual behind your creative flow?
This week, I began drafting a script for a short video I'm creating for a client. The topic? Setting up the perfect space for practicing yoga at home. They run an online platform, and together, we aim to motivate students to establish at-home rituals that make their yoga practice more enjoyable.
The idea stems from the transformative experience of entering a physical yoga studio, where every element—from the lighting and scents to the wall colors—is carefully curated to help you leave the day’s stress at the door. My ideal studio has warm wooden floors and rustic brick walls—it just feels welcoming, unlike trying to fit a yoga mat in a cramped bedroom, ignoring the sound of dishes being cleaned, the dog seeking attention, and that dust bunny I missed under the bed.
What’s the point, you ask?
How do we create a ritual that nurtures creative flow? We integrate such practices in various areas of our life, from our morning coffee routines to how we get ready for a workout. These non-spiritual rituals play a crucial role in our daily lives, giving structure, and meaning.
Let’s start with the basics, what is a ritual?
Simply put, a ritual is a set of actions performed regularly, with each step carrying special meaning. Though often linked to religious or spiritual contexts, rituals can also be secular, marking significant moments or daily routines that gain importance through their consistent performance. These rituals, whether simple or complex, help organize our time, bring stability, and connect us with our community or personal identity.
Why advocate for a creativity ritual?
To clarify, this isn’t about boosting productivity. It’s about valuing your relationship with your creative work and enjoying the process. A side effect is often better focus and results, at least in my experience.
Adopting a personal creative ritual means respecting your work, your ideas, and your ambitions.
It helps you set clear boundaries to protect the time you dedicate to being creative.
It also allows you to disconnect and leave your work behind when needed. As someone who lives and breathes creativity, I find inspiration everywhere, but having a ritual helps me switch off, feel more fulfilled, and avoid burning out.
Creating a personal creative ritual isn’t just about respecting your work; it’s about maintaining a healthy balance, allowing for inspiration and downtime alike.
I'm still in the process of shaping my ritual, but here's what I've found beneficial so far:
☕ I wake up early, which allows me the luxury of starting my day at a leisurely pace and enjoying my coffee.
🚶♀️ My morning begins with a walk, accompanied by my significant other and our dog, setting a calm tone for the day.
🕯️ In my office, I light a candle or get my diffuser going, tidy up my desk, and prepare my workspace.
📚 Reading is part of my morning ritual; it helps me transition into a creative mindset.
😌 I make time for meditation, even if it's brief. A guided session (I'm fond of OPEN) often sets the right tone.
✒️ I avoid opening emails during the first few hours. Instead, I journal or outline my focus for the day.
🎧 Silence is golden for me, achieved through earplugs or sometimes binaural beats to help concentrate.
👩🎨 Creative tasks take priority in the morning when my mind is most alert. Routine tasks wait until later.
🚶♀️ By 10 a.m., it's time for another walk with the dog, which refreshes me to tackle emails and less creative tasks.
This might not sound like a ritual, but it's what works for me. Meditation often happens at my desk, with a pleasant aroma and headphones in. I'm selective about what I listen to and read before diving into work. I'm not perfect; distractions happen, and urgent matters arise.
I'm working on ending my day with meditation, finding even 5-10 minutes beneficial in wrapping up my workday. Currently I fail more than succeed at this.
And for those thinking my routine sounds ideal because I work from home or do this for a living, remember, rituals can be simple. Yours could be a 5-minute walk without your phone, a few moments of focused breathing, or setting up a creative space by clearing a table and lighting a candle.
My message is this: We embrace rituals in other aspects of our lives because they're effective.
I encourage you to discover and establish a ritual for your creative practice that makes the process enjoyable.
Creating this routine has made me less rushed, less anxious about tasks, and more focused.
Get inspiration for your ritual
Meditation:
David Lynch explains Consciousness, Creativity and benefits of Transcendental Meditation (TM)
Brain Breaks:
Turns out you are not a robot and you need to plan for distraction. The good news is that a study has shown that short breaks every 50-minutes helped participants perform better than those that did not take breaks. I personally set timers to not only help me get started, but gives me permission to pause if I need the break or am struggling.
Movement:
Exercise isn't just good for your health; it also helps your brain work better. When we move, our bodies send more blood and oxygen to the brain, which makes it perform better. This is especially true for the hippocampus, a part of the brain that's important for memory and learning. Exercise can help improve memory, help us learn better, and even make our brains healthier as we get older.
Many famous people have used exercise to help them think and create better. For example, the artist Georgia O’Keeffe took long walks in the desert to get inspired for her paintings. Albert Einstein went on daily walks to help him solve difficult problems. Steve Jobs liked to have meetings while walking because he believed it made conversations more creative.
So, moving around isn't just good for your body; it can also make you more creative and help you think better.
Remove Distractions
Cutting out distractions, especially from your phone, is a no-brainer. I know how hard this can be, especially when your job ties you to social media, like mine. What works for me? I simply leave my phone in another room when it's crunch time. And when I can't do that, I turn to the Forest app on my phone. It's a fun tool that turns focus into a game—keep off your phone for 25 minutes or your virtual tree pays the price. It's a playful yet effective way to commit to undistracted work.
Maya Angelou, the legendary author and civil rights activist, had her own unique method for zeroing in on her writing. She'd retreat to hotel rooms, a space where she could isolate herself from the world, armed only with a dictionary, a Bible, a deck of cards, and a bottle of sherry. This was her sanctuary for creating, aiming for 12 pages of writing before stepping out into the rest of her day.
“Although I live in a huge house, I keep a hotel room and go there at about 6:30 in the morning. I have a Roget’s Thesaurus, a dictionary, a Bible, a yellow pad, and pens, and I go to work. I encourage housekeeping not to go in, since I leave at about one in the afternoon and never use the bed. After a couple of months the management will slip a note under my door saying, “Please, Dr. Angelou, let us change the bed. We think the sheets may be moldy.” And I leave a note saying it’s all right. When I go in there, I feel I’m going to my own place. It’s waiting for me. And I step away from the world somehow.” [source]
Yet, let's not forget, it's not just our phones that can pull us away from the task at hand. Our own wandering thoughts can be just as tricky to manage. That's where meditation comes in, as I mentioned before. It's about finding that sweet spot where external and internal distractions fade into the background, allowing creativity and focus to flourish.
Beverage Breaks
When my focus starts to fade I love to go through the ritual of a making a pour over. Making your coffee or tea break a little reset ritual can be not only simple, but delightful, especially in the afternoon when the urge to take a break from the screen becomes irresistible. For me, it’s an opportunity to stand up, stretch my legs, and engage in an activity that’s not tied to my screen. Selecting the beverage is part of the fun. We make it a point to explore fun brands and new beans, drawing a bit of inspiration from the creativity of others in the process. This small act of preparing a drink becomes a mini creative expedition in itself, a momentary mental vacation.
Speaking of… if you want a 1 minute mental break, watch this:
Ludwig van Beethoven, the legendary composer, also saw the value in such rituals. He had a precise morning routine that included counting out exactly 60 coffee beans for his morning brew. For Beethoven, this was more than just a part of his daily routine; it was a crucial ingredient in his creative process. Similarly, by choosing your beverage carefully and making its preparation a part of your routine, you tap into a tradition of creativity that spans centuries, giving yourself a moment of reprieve and perhaps, a spark of inspiration.
[Learn hot to make coffee like Beethoven]
Set up your space
Creating the right space for your creativity can make all the difference. Even if it's just a small desk that's yours to command, or lighting a candle, taking control over this space can transform it into you sanctuary. For me, it's about keeping that area tidy, lighting a candle for a touch of ambiance, and utilizing a standing desk to keep the energy flowing. This setup isn't just about physical comfort; it's a ritual that cues my brain into focus and creativity mode.
Consider Igor Stravinsky, the famed Russian composer, who embraced a similar philosophy but with his own twist. He preferred to stand at a podium while he conjured up his groundbreaking compositions, believing that this formal posture was key to unlocking his creative flow. Stravinsky's routine underscores the power of a personalized space and posture in the creative process. Whether you're commandeering a tiny desk or standing tall at your workstation, it's about crafting an environment that resonates with your creative spirit, inviting inspiration to flow freely.
Journal
Journaling is your chance to let your thoughts roam free, without the constraints of structure or expectations. It's not about sticking to a format or filling pages with perfect prose. My journal sits patiently on my desk, ready for whenever the urge strikes. I also have a large notepad always open that I jot on and toss when not needed.
Sometimes, it's a sketch or a few hastily scribbled sentences. Often, just posing a question to myself about what I aim to achieve opens the floodgates to more extensive reflection. I became more committed after I read 'Start Ugly,' which helped me become less precious about the journalling process.
The practice has been a staple for many creative across history. Leonardo da Vinci's journals were filled with sketches, ideas, and questions, blending art with science. Frida Kahlo expressed her intense, personal experiences and emotions through her diary, making it as vivid as her paintings. Benjamin Franklin's meticulous record-keeping and self-reflection paved the way for personal development and productivity strategies still admired today.
Quentin Tarantino adds a modern twist to this tradition. Known for his handwritten scripts, he believes in the tangible connection between pen and paper to bring his stories to life. His ritual of reading a chapter of a novel with his morning coffee before diving into writing underscores the value of absorbing other forms of storytelling, fueling his own creative process.
Journaling, in any form, is a practice of exploration and honesty. It's a sanctuary for your thoughts, a playground for your ideas, and a stepping stone for your creativity.
Make it personal
Embracing a ritual that resonates with you personally is key, even if it falls outside conventional wisdom. Your ritual should be a reflection of what genuinely works for you, no matter how unconventional it might seem. Remember, there's no one-size-fits-all formula here. If it fosters your creativity and brings you into the zone, then it's the right ritual for you.
Take Agatha Christie, for example, who found her muse while munching on apples in the bath. It's a vivid illustration of how personal and peculiar a productive ritual can be. Similarly, Albert Einstein didn't just rely on his daily walks for inspiration; he also turned to playing the violin. For Einstein, music wasn't just a pastime—it was a tool that helped clear his mind and solve complex problems.
These examples underscore the message: Be open to discovering and embracing the ritual that uniquely suits you.
Whether it's the simplicity of a morning coffee, the solitude of a walk, or something as distinctive as eating apples in the bath, the best ritual is the one that works for you.
I mean just look at this list about where writers write, you 100% can make your ritual what you want:
In the car: Gertrude Stein, Vladimir Nabokov
In the bath: Dalton Trumbo, Poet Rod McKuen, and Benjamin Franklin
Hotel: Angelou, Thomas Wolfe, Jack Kerouac, Arthur Miller and William Burroughs
Laying down: Truman Capote, James Joyce, Edith Wharton, Marcel Proust
In a shed: George Bernard Shaw, Roald Dahl, Dylan Thomas
While standing: Virginia Woolf, Ernest Hemingway, Wallace Stevens
On the move: Walter Scott (on horseback), Joseph Heller (bus), Tom Wolfe (bus)
We commit to rituals in our daily lives, from morning jogs to nightly skincare routines, because they work wonders. So, when it comes to sparking that creative flame, why not brew a little ritual magic of our own?
Two photo apps I’m exploring this week
foto
Chronological, ad-free, and uncropped.
First Impressions:
Feels like a gallery, not a social app (which I like)
I love that photogs are posting images in the crop they intended versus were forced to use
I’m excited to already have been exposed to new to me photogs I may not have seen on meta apps
The are currently in beta testing, but you can follow them here on substack also.
NOMO CAM
Designed to help casual photographers to focus on taking pictures, instead of all the post-production retouches
I was reminded of this app by @Davey_Gravey in his YouTube video:
First Impressions:
Very easy to use
Fun to try new cameras
7-day free trial, $24.99 year subscription
I took a walk around the block and played around, and honestly it was fun. If you want a film look but don’t want to dish out the money for a fancy camera or the cost of developing. I think this is a great solution.
Personal Work
remember last summer
Hey you made it to the end! I know this was a LONG one. Oops. I had so much fun finding the random things famous artists and writers did/do for to boost their creativity. I mean… I kind of want to try the apples in a bath things. Anyway.
I have a little secret for you! I currently have 23 loofah sprouts growing in my living room. I really didn’t expect this many to survive or get this far. Um, yeah, I already gave three away to someone, and I might surprise deliver some more to a neighbor who likes to garden. But basically, I will have a lifetime supply of loofahs if all of these survive.
