I don’t know about you, but the minute I drag myself out of bed in the morning, my brain acts like it’s been hosting an all-night party I wasn’t invited to. It hits me with random thoughts—bills to pay, home repairs, the meaning of life. Half the time, I don’t even notice what’s swirling around up there, and by the time I’m sipping my first cup of coffee, I’ve let stress run the show. And just like that, my creativity and any hope of a productive day have gone AWOL.
As an artist, I want my mornings to fuel me, not bury me. I’m sure you can relate—there are ideas to explore, projects to start, and magic to make! But when that first blurry thought is about something stressful, your brain is like, “Hey, let’s obsess over this instead of making art.” It’s not exactly the most inspiring start. It’s like allowing the mopey guest at your mental party to take over the music of your mind. Suddenly, your theme song looks like you crying in the shower.
The trick is to catch those first thoughts of the day before they hijack your creativity. You have to treat your morning routine like a little mindfulness ritual—taking those initial minutes to pause and ask yourself, “Am I really going to let this thought dictate my day?” Spoiler alert: most of the time, you shouldn’t.
Even just five minutes of breaking that stress pattern can work wonders. I know it sounds like a tiny sliver of time, but it’s powerful. You could use that time to remind yourself of what’s really important, like the project you’ve been itching to dive into or that new technique you’ve been wanting to try. I personally recommend 10 minutes (yes, I’m an overachiever), but do whatever works for you.
This morning, for example, I was feeling a bit lost and, of course, my brain wanted to throw a pity party about finances. I could feel my creative spark dimming. So I had to give myself a little pep talk: “Hey, Rafi, is this really what you want to focus on first thing?” Nope. I mentally shifted gears, gave myself some time to breathe, and now I’m here, sharing this with you, feeling more grounded.
The point is, don’t let a negative pattern take over your day. You are the master of your own thoughts (yes, even before coffee). So, decide how you feel about whatever pops into your head, make peace with it, and then choose where you want to put your attention. Maybe it’s a new painting, a song idea, or just a fresh perspective. Whatever it is, let it be something that makes you feel alive.
You’ve got this. Now, go catch that creativity train and ride it all the way to your happy place.
