What’s your ritual?
19 Aug 2005
The first chapter of ‘The Creative Habit’ (see my earlier post) talks about the rituals that can trigger our creative habits, that is habit forming. What time, location, temperature, process sets you off? What’s your triggering ritual, like an athlete who takes certain steps, and movements before a race, golf swing, kick. Do you get up early, stay up late, go outdoors, stay in doors?
I have always been an early riser. Part of being an introvert, is that I have always, even as a teenager liked rising before everyone else, and having some time to myself. When I was bi-vocational commuting into London this came in helpful, beating the traffic, getting time to pray and read before arriving at work at 7 a.m. It was tiring but it was also the way I am wired.
I often get asked how I get time to do my job, do doctoral research and travel and speak etc. I have found that getting up at 4 a.m to 5 a.m gives me lots of time.
So my ritual, is an early rise (before sunrise), grinding coffee, and sitting down in my office (or at home), putting on the some choral music, and taking a deep breadth. The dark, the smell of the coffee, the heat of the mug in my hand, the sound of choral music, all draw me quickly to a place where I can read, think and write. Even in the daytime, when I need to think, a coffee, closing my blinds and putting on some music, can draw me back to that place. I have other rituals, but this is my daily one.
So what’s your ritual? We’re all wired so differently, I’d love to know what yours are?
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Comment by Henrik Holmgaard
7.35 pm on 19 Aug 2005
Hey Steve
I think your totally right – coffey, its a spiritual thing
- Im not that good 4 o´clock in the morning, my time is better spent late at night (That was a little easier back in the days with out family)
Comment by Henrik Holmgaard
7.37 pm on 19 Aug 2005
Sorry – not steve – jason
Comment by James Petticrew
8.56 pm on 19 Aug 2005
Hey Jason, up at 4-5am, they’ll be calling you Wesley soon! I have discovered here that seeing the kids off that bit earlier, they have to catch the school bus at 7am and then sitting down with coffee seems to set me up to face God and face the day. I don’t know if you were in the liturgical chapel at Asbury but it has a great feeling of sacred space and just entering it and soaking in the atmosphere puts me in an attitude of prayer. Kinda of weird because buildings have never really done it for me spiritually before.
Comment by jason
10.02 pm on 19 Aug 2005
coffee; my stainless steel meachanical pencil scrathing across a memo pad; fifteen minutes spent shooting baskets or playing my guitar; a vigorous, opinionated conversation wuith my wife…
Comment by Rose
11.33 pm on 19 Aug 2005
Jason, I think someone should write a book “Coffee with God” I know so many that have this ritual
Comment by Jason Clark
1.22 am on 20 Aug 2005
Great idea Rose :-)
Comment by Todd
2.44 am on 20 Aug 2005
Yeah…5am for me too. The only thing is, because of the morning fog I don’t really realize the time until I take a gulp of coffee, and then it’s too late to go back to bed. I find the few hours in the morning before the two young ‘uns get up to be invaluable. The other creative stimulus for me is a candle. (Sounds hokey…stay with me.) It signifies a special connection with the moment, and a kind of process-thing that sparks creativity. (Pun intended.)
Comment by Gary
8.47 am on 20 Aug 2005
I find it easier to read in the morning and do design work in the afternoon/evening. I’m not sure if that comes from the ritual of checking email first thing in the morning, then taking a break to ponder responses by reading literature.
This sounds a great book, my wife is a hibernating artist desparate to get back into painting again, she already draws hand made cards, I will have to get for her/us!
Useless healthy fact No1236: Eating an apple in the morning will give you as big a kick as drinking a cup of coffee (something to do with the natural sugars I believe)!
Comment by Homileo
9.52 am on 20 Aug 2005
An apple! Must be coffee but straight into the vein and of course a copy of The Knowledge to see what God is doing in the world.
Comment by ashley bunting
2.43 pm on 20 Aug 2005
Nighttime does it for me. I’m more emotional at night, and for some reason all of my unexpressed thoughts from the rest of my day come together at this time to create my best sermon-writing. My favorite music get me there. :)
Comment by Gary
3.59 pm on 22 Aug 2005
Apparently some of the best songs ever were written during the night. I do think there is some connection with creativeness/writing and the night but no idea what it is?! I would be interested to know if it’s an emotional thing or something else.
Comment by rob
5.19 pm on 22 Aug 2005
extrovert with an introvert side who likes the early slots. coffee essential. like a yoghurt too ;-) extreme living, baby!
Comment by Tim
10.41 pm on 25 Aug 2005
Want to try and write this in a gentle and respectful way – you introverts make life very difficult for us extroverts!
So often, spiritual growth and deepening relationship with God is presented as going hand in hand with the kind of discipline / ritual that you guys do naturally, and so well.
My book would be titled something along the lines of ‘Wanting to wake up and pray!’
Comment by Jason Clark
2.24 am on 26 Aug 2005
So Tim, you extroverts get to make us introverts feel exhausted :-)
Comment by Tim
2.51 pm on 26 Aug 2005
But if you didn’t get up so early in the morning and had proper lie-in’s like we do, you’d have more energy and not feel so exhausted by us!
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