Do you have a morning art routine or art-making habit?
Would you like to start one?
When my kids were little, it seemed impossible to find time to make art and I learned to carve out time for drawing and painting with them. It was great! We played and created together.
As they got older, that time challenge was replaced with another: running a college dorm. Late-night events and middle of the night fire alarms don’t really lend themselves to a stable routine. 😜
The morning art routine
With some trial and error I’ve landed on early mornings as the most productive time to create and I love it. In hindsight, I bet this would have worked when my kids were little, too.
All said, establishing and keeping an art habit isn’t easy, but if you enjoy making art, I firmly believe it’s a goal worth pursuing!
The routine I’ve settled into since January starts with coffee, breakfast for our dog, a little reading, and art journaling.
My art journaling process has three parts:
- Make something each day
- Try something new
- Keep it short
1. Make something each day
I just have to show up and trust good things will come of it. The goal is never to make a finished product or make something beautiful. These would both be welcome outcomes, but if I held myself to that standard I’d feel stuck and never get started.
2. Try something new
Try something new: This piece doesn’t have to be a drastic shift and can sometimes be nuanced like using a different art material combination, experimental interplay of brush strokes, or a new order of layers. It keeps me trying and playing.
3. Keep it short
Keep it short. This is an intentional effort to move away from perfectionism. When it’s short, there’s only so much one can do. If I feel a piece needs more attention, I can come back to it later.
Art Supplies to Get you Started
If you’re new to art making or could use some ideas on materials to begin with, these are my favorite go-to supplies…
Download TinkerLab Essentials here.
If you already have supplies and need some inspiration, let’s move on to a couple ways to play…
Art Prompts to Spark New Ideas
If you’re new to making art or art journaling, this process is easy, rewarding, and fun. You just need washable markers and water.
Art Journal with Washable Markers and Water
This art process is more involved, but equally simple and rewarding. It includes seven steps: Try them all or choose the steps that inspire you.
Layered Art Journal with Pencil and Acrylic
Begin a piece of art or art journal page by gluing a magazine page down as a background. This makes getting started so much easier because you’re not daunted by a blank page.
