Routines

Hi y'all,

• This week you get a personal reminder to muck around a bit, even when things feel busy.
• Following that energy, I really enjoy this article by Bronwen Tate about taking better breaks. Her central thesis plays off Dani Shapiro's take that smoke breaks were good for creativity - that the internet is nothing like a cigarette break. As someone who's never been one to rip a dart, I've long been envious of the little slices those who do partake carve out for themselves - walking outside, fully and physically removing themselves from their task. Health discussion obviously set aside, a cigarette break represents a drastically better break than we often give ourselves. I think we should all ask ourselves how we can get more of that without a nicotine habit.
• I'm traveling to visit Macy's family out of state. I realize over the past several years I've been defaulting to nearly the exact same travel day outfit every time I go to the airport. It helps me have one less thing to manage when I'm getting out the door for a trip. I'll probably write a small post about what that actually is because I stand behind it as a great travel setup. But it's gotten me thinking about how taking some small decision-making off your plate can increase your capacity when spinning multiple plates. How adding in more routines can be a bit of a superpower for getting things done and feeling less stressed.
• Playing off of that, I also believe that routines can free up brain space for creativity. Henry Miller's daily creative routine - accompanied by his great commandments for writing in the linked post - shows that routines can be loose things. The most important part of accomplishing goals, creative or otherwise, is the ability to see where you're at and respond. Case in point: "MORNINGS: If groggy, type notes and allocate, as stimulus. If in fine fettle, write."
• After years of enjoying KEXP's live shows online, I'm on their mailing list. They send out a new music newsletter every Tuesday and it's a goldmine. Another deep well to draw from. Most recent find from them is Lime Garden (Apple Link).

'Til next week,

Joey