preparation rituals

Below is a photo of my morning attack - performed after going through half an hour or so of rituals that take me from bed to studio (with coffee in hand.)

Twyla Tharp has her own morning rituals and describes them in The Creative Habit-learn it and use it for life.  In the second chapter, titled: Rituals of Preparation, she writes about the key to living the artistic life.  By establishing your morning rituals, "you have begun to prepare to begin," according to Tharp. I especially love how she describes in detail exactly when she gets up, the items of clothing she first puts on and how she spends her next 2 hours.  It sets the tone not only for her book, but for her days, weeks, life and art.

Other artistic self-help books you may like:  Stephen King's On Writing - Art & Fear by David Bayles and Ted Orland - and Hawthorne on Painting.  Along with The Creative Habit, they occupy a special place on my rather small bookshelf  - they're ones I turn to again and again for inspiration and motivation.