The ritual of making coffee is important to me.

I think coffee is the most critical part of my morning. I usually don't want to start my day without it. It might also be the routine of making it that helps get the gears turning.

But I keep breakfast quick and simple.

My mom has gotten really into baking bread during the pandemic, so I've been super lucky to get a loaf from her every couple of weeks. So breakfast is usually a piece of toast or some eggs. That's perfect for me.

I like to plan first, and paint later on.

It's rare that I will hit the ground running once I get in, but occasionally I might start some underpaintings or put down a couple layers when I first get in. I like to settle in, have another coffee, and just plan my day. More often than not, I paint later in the afternoon, evenings and also weekends. I find there's a quieter pace on the weekends and nights. It feels better for creativity ... more relaxed. It allows me to focus and get into the work just a little bit more than during the regular working hours, where lots of other things may come up.

Technology is great for keeping me on track.

We use Google Drive and Google Docs and Calendar for the daily to-do list and studio calendar for events. We draw up plays every day and it keeps everything on track and organized.

The pandemic taught me to appreciate routine.

For a while, it was nice to have things slow down a bit. I felt a lot less urgency to get to work early, or be on the go so much. I would say overall I've learned to appreciate slowness or just being grateful for a very normal and predictable day. It's been a great time to make work, so that's all I've been trying to do.

But it’s shaken up my workouts.

Before COVID I was playing basketball every Friday morning with a group of friends. I really loved doing that. Now that it's a bit nicer out, I've been playing outside, at least once a week. Aside from that, I've been trying to do calisthenics in the studio during little breaks to give myself energy. We have a little chin-up bar and that's how I've been working out lately.