Reading about the rituals and routines of famous artists can be fascinating and enlightening and inform us about the creative human psyche. For example, every morning, before he started to compose music, Ludwig van Beethoven would prepare his own coffee. It was important for him to use exactly 60 beans per cup that he often counted one by one for a precise dose. That says a lot about his personality. A tad obsessive – compulsive?
Perhaps, but one might also interpret it as a way to ignite the flow of musical rhythm.
Every creative person chooses a different path to follow their muse. They rely on habits and rituals to activate their senses, elevate their moods, and clear their minds. It may be as simple as waking up at sunrise, drinking three cups of coffee, taking a jog in the park, or reciting affirmations. Their actions impact their psyche and influence their creative productivity. By reading about artists’ rituals we learn another aspect of their creative process and what makes them tick.
This article includes rituals and routines practiced by Joan Miro, Dame Paula Rego, Pablo Picasso, Gerhard Richter, Henri Matisse, Louise Bourgeois, and comments by Joseph Campbell.
Joan Miro was challenged with bouts of depression his entire life, so in order to raise his serotonin level he would begin the day with rigorous exercise at 6:00. The artist would be found either running along the beach or exercising in the gym. Then, he would work in the studio until 12:00. He took a 5 minute afternoon nap which he referred to as “Mediterranean yoga”. Then, after tending to his business affairs, he would return to the studio and work until dinner at 8:00.
Dame Paula Rego, the renowned Portuguese-British visual artist stated, “I try to start at 10.30 in the morning and carry on until 6.30 in the evening. I always have a rest after lunch. I eat two rice-cake sandwiches for lunch, full of salad, and a bit of ham or cheese, and an apple. When I have finished work for the day I enjoy one glass of champagne… While I’m working, I like to listen to music. Opera in the morning, and Fado (melancholic and expressive form of Portuguese singing) in the afternoon. I also like Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, and the French singers Mouloudji and Jacqueline François.”
Pablo Picasso would often go to bed late and wake up late. He would arrive at his studio in the early afternoon and work until dusk, often standing for several hours in front of his canvas. The artist stated, “While I work I leave my body outside the door, the way Muslims take off their shoes before entering a mosque.”
Georgia O’Keeffe told an interviewer in 1966 “I like to get up when the dawn comes. The dogs start talking to me and I like to make a fire and maybe some tea and then sit in bed and watch the sun come up. The morning is the best time, there are no people around. My pleasant disposition likes the world with nobody in it.” After breakfast at 7:00 AM, O’Keeffe would then work in her studio for the rest of the day. Her last meal of the day was a light supper at 4:30 PM, followed by an evening drive through her beloved countryside.
Gerhard Richter
Famous German artist, Gerhard Richter, whose art sells for millions of dollars, has had the same basic routine he has for years. According to an article at onlinecollege.org, He wakes at 6:15 and makes breakfast for his family, then takes his daughter to school. By 8:00 he is in his studio, where he stays until lunch at 1:00. After lunch, he returns to this studio until the evening. He claims that his days are not usually filled with painting, but with the planning of his pieces. He puts off the actual painting until he has created a kind of crisis for himself, then pours himself into it.
Henri Matisse had a long and prolific career, never stopped working, even when he was forced to create his “cut-outs” from a wheelchair. With a pair of tailor scissors he cut sheets of paper that had been painted with gouache and often crayon, into various shapes and sizes. His daily routine consisted of three hours of morning work, breaking for lunch, followed by a nap, and then working from 2:00 until the evening. He even worked on Sundays.
Louise Bourgeois
According to her assistant Jerry Gorovay, Louise Bourgeois was “very habitual”. She started every morning with a cup of tea and jelly “straight out of the jar”. At 10 a.m. they would drive to her Brooklyn studio where the artist demanded silence and solitude. The artist generally spent the morning engaged in such physical activities as preparing for welders. After lunch, she would draw for several hours. This routine allowed her to recuperate before resuming to creating sculpture later in the day.
Joseph Campbell’s Thoughts About Rituals
You might wonder, are routines and rituals important? To answer this question I refer to Joseph Campbell, the famous American mythologist and writer who often spoke about the integral and essential nature of ritual in society. He explained, “A ritual is the enactment of a myth. And, by participating in the ritual, you are participating in the myth. And since myth is a projection of the depth wisdom of the psyche, by participating in a ritual, participating in the myth, you are being, as it were, put in accord with that wisdom, which is the wisdom that is inherent within you anyhow.”
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I love this topic. I change it up a bit. I need variety with my consistency. I rise at 6am. Some form of meditation, energy work. prayer, spoken or written affirmations. Sometimes journaling and scripting. I am an initiated Yoruba priest so that sometimes involves attending to my altars. I have tea when I’m detoxing from coffee. I go on what I call “power walks” or I ride my bike. I’m usually always working in my mind. I get started in the studio around 8am or 10am the latest. I paint into the night. Stopping at 9pm or later like 11pm or midnight. I take breaks in between for meals and bathroom and some admin like emails. I sometimes use pomodoros in 52/17 ratio or 112/26 ratio to help me be laser focused.
Thank you Leonardo for reading the article and sharing fascinating aspects about your daily routine with us. Wishing you continued creative bliss!
What a wonderful topic. I enjoyed reading about the different artists’ rituals. It is comforting to know. Love art history.
This is awesome!!!! Well I rise between 6:30 and 7am and always observe the early mourning light and extraordinary coloration from my home studio overlooking the South Saskatchewan River!!!! However, for three months of every year, my Peruvian wife and I spend time in Lima. My work changes there as my apartment is surrounded by buildings. My spatial consideration move from expansive to more compressed.. I have been drawing/painting as long as I can remember and although I grew up on a isolated farm/ranch in southern Alberta, I was surrounded by Danish academic paintings as my grandmother had been trained as a painter at the Royal Academy of Art in Copenhagen in the early part of the Twentieth century.
Hi Poul, Thank you for sharing your routine! I love your comment! Best wishes for a joyful 2024, Renee
Renee, this has been enjoyable to read and ponder.
My day starts with a balcony door open and deep breaths while stretching. It’s a greeting to the mornin g with appreciation. With water, devotions and poetry, my quiet time sets the tone. A brisk walk, day dreaming steadily about elements to work on back at studio. I arrive mid morning and music is critical. I’ve set up the night prior. Thumbnails I enjoy and the day has started. The zone is a place of lost time. It’s wonderful.
Ah, Vicki, what a wonderful morning routine. I agree with you about greeting the dawn with appreciation.
I paint in my home and I dont do well with distractions, so everything must be neat and in order. Thank goodness I have a retired husband who cleans! Truthfully that is all I need. However, I do believe some of my ideas develop from my inability to sleep 7 hours. I am lucky if I get five! Lack of sleep initiates ideas during the middle of the night, and many still make sense as dawn arrives😂
Lisa, as always, your comments are eye popping and amusing. How and where did you find a husband who cleans? Clone him now! Seriously, I’m the same as you about dreams and inspiration. Now I know where you get your ideas for your imaginative works of art. Thank you for sharing.
The day always begins with an inspection of each of my roses in the garden. I then have a cup of the very delicate Madame Flavour White (Peony Leaf) Tea with Rose Petals. I only ever listen to one CD when I paint and that is Rivals by countertenor David Hansen. This glorious Baroque music and the sublime high countertenor voice transports me to the place where divine roses grow and it is only then that I can enter into and capture the inner world of the rose.
Thank you Michelle! I love your ritual so much that I added it to this article what-is-your-important-creative-ritual
My most important ritual, after a full night’s sleep, is to meditate until my mind and body are relaxed and “empty.” By being empty, I am able to let the floodgates open to creativity. All the crap and the stress from life has been released, and all the beauty, healing, and meaning of the arts takes its place. Best feeling in the world. It’s like prayer.
When I’m at my studio in the country I wake with the sun rise and put on music depending on my mood. I have two eggs for breakfast and am in the studio by 8:00. I work till noon, eat lunch and often take a nap. Then back in the studio till 5:00, then I cook dinner, my down time. I often am back in the studio till 8:30. It’s about the same in New Orleans studio but I’m more social and go out to hear music often. The two studios balance solitude with social time, it works well for me.
My ritual begins with a cup of coffee along with nuts and berries. Then I do a vigorous flow style yoga followed by a meditation practice.
I’m almost always painting in my mind during my yoga practice and can’t wait to get into my studio to start painting. Once I set to it, I can paint for hours and time is irrelevant! The painting is a moving meditation..
Thank you Caroline, you’re clearly very centered and balanced! Your artwork also reflects that same sense of peace and harmony.
I find rituals very affirming . I’m awake by 6 and spend the first 30 minutes in affirmations and gratitude. The mindset can affect the entire day.
Thank you Sandra, it’s nice to know we have that ritual in common saying affirmations and expressing gratitude every morning. I also keep a gratitude journal and write in it every night. I’m grateful that we are connected and thank you for the honor and privilege of featuring your art on Manhattan Arts International https://manhattanarts.com/sandra-duran-wilson/. 🙂