The Artist Routine

My father’s painting routine was similar to many artists, meaning he would paint “whenever there’s time.”

During the week, when my dad came home from work, we would eat dinner and afterward my dad would go into the other room, light up his cigar, and play solitaire while looking at the canvas in front of him. Sometimes the vision for a painting would come to him, sometimes not. On one occasion, I noticed that he seemed disgusted and so I asked, “What’s wrong dad?” He would simply reply, “Picture isn’t working out.” So then he would take a break from it for a while.

My dad was also an early riser and enjoyed his alone time. Since he was up before most stores opened – he found himself waiting in his car a lot of the time. So he started to keep a sketchpad and some pens in his car so that he could sketch while waiting.  At times, he would draw what was in front of him such as a tree or bench. Other times, he would sketch out a rough idea that would later turn into a painting.

His creative mind was always working. On our family vacations to Long Island, my dad was sure to bring some paper and pens to the beach. When the sun got too hot, he would head up to the car to sketch. It was his favorite vacation spot, so there are a good number of drawings of the surrounding area. His black portfolio case was always a reach away and his creative ideas were endless.

I imagine this is the same process for anyone who has a real passion for what they do. The athlete who wakes up at 4:30 am to train. The writer who always has a notebook on hand in case an idea strikes. The chef who researches new recipes on a lunch break. When you love what you do, you find a way to do it.