A Morning Ritual
Since joining the Morning Writing Club, my weekday mornings have looked pretty much the same:
Arrive home from school dropoff
Light the same candle
Play the same song
Log onto the MWC Zoom
Get lost in the novel
Realize I have five minutes until work starts, quickly log my progress in the shared spreadsheet, and quit the Zoom
There is something about the candle and song ritual that is pretty magical. It reminds me of these door bells and house jewelry by the artist Crystalle Lacouture.
Here’s what she says about them on her website:
I was once given a shopkeeper’s bell on a leather strap to hang on my studio door handle. To me it became a sonic marker at the start of my work time. The jingle upon entering and closing the door represents "a room of my own" separate from family labor and the overwhelming tasks of 21st century life.
I don’t have another room or a door that I can close, but as soon as I hear the opening notes of the song, I no longer need to work so hard to ignore the dishes. Whenever I smell the candle, it reminds me of writing, because I have only ever burned it while writing.
I was afraid that sharing this ritual a month ago would break the spell, but it didn’t. I’m sure at some point it will cease to feel so transporting and I’ll go looking for a new song or a new ritual, but I’m holding onto this one as long as it works.
How do you mark the beginning of your work time? What are your rituals?