Routines
With even the best laid plan, so much of life is left to chance (or maybe that is just my life?). With that in mind, it is hard not to see the value in having some routine that is all your own. The little things that you do daily that help you feel your best. Every morning I sit with a cup of coffee, as I am sure many others do, and do nothing but sip. It is not the caffein that gets me moving (not that it doesn’t help) but, the 15 or 20 minutes of head clearing that accompanies it.
Everyone has their own rituals that, however trite they may seem, help them mentally prepare for what is ahead. I started this series of paintings with other ideas in mind but, it was my fascination with other peoples routines led me to keep creating them.
Life is mostly made up of routines and patterns. Every day we act them out and they are what make up the bulk of our lives. Many of us live according to a socially acceptable template, within the realm of safety, while living repetitively and dreaming of ways to escape.
I used to revolt against these routines. I saw them as the enemy of adventure and of living a spontaneous life. However, I’ve found that routines can be quite blissful. I’ve realized that every day events and what we would commonly classify as “normal”, is often extraordinary if you just take a closer look.
I’ve discovered that even if you’re not exactly where you’d like to be, that doesn’t mean that life right now can’t be beautiful or enjoyable. And the best part is, you don’t have to do anything to make it beautiful. It already is beautiful.
All you have to do is open your eyes.
The rest of this post is not necessarily related to what I am talking about (it is still an interesting read) but, that opening paragraph sent me running to my sketch book to create more studies of other peoples rituals. In retrospect, maybe that was where these paintings were taking me all along?