Traces of habit

Routine and Ritual

Today, my husband called me to show me something in our backyard. He pointed out to a place on the grass and told me, "Anna, here's the place where the rabbits are used to sit. It has a different grass pattern and some exposed soil on it." In our region, rabbits run across homes and yards. Occasionally they make their burrows under the ground, secretly. There is one spot where two rabbits habitually sat down until they deformed the grass under them. As I watched these two rabbits, I recognized that their routine warped the grass and paved it with ample space to sit. 
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 Which tracing can be the result of my daily practice? 

Daily Rituals: How Artists Work, Mason Currey

​​In the book Daily Rituals: How Artists Work, Mason Currey investigates the rituals of successful people and how their effects on creativity. These daily routines include making your bed, getting ready for class, or taking a bath at a determined time. Simply speaking, routines are any minor activities in our lives that we repeat daily. An active person has good habits with suitable rituals to manage their time and stick to their long-term plans. Sometimes even simple actions help us get through the day and get motivated. Making our own rules, doing meditation such as Yoga and Pray, and planning a schedule are good examples of the good rituals. 
After I learned from nature, I looked back at my rituals. Every morning, after bringing my daughter to school, I usually walk with my husband for 30 minutes around town. I found that this is an excellent routine for staying healthy and energetic. After seven years of doing this, I realized that neighbors say "good morning" to us, and they are more friendly to us, although we don't recognize them. Not only did this habit improve my health, but it also helped me feel more included in my community. 
If you apply this to art, you find that the function of the routine is similar. For example, a word describes the boring routine in Korean: the squirrel wheel. If the squirrel can imagine by herself that he can put the meaning for the endless repeating, probably he doesn't feel some depression or boredom from the routines. So art is the same as a special ceremony that people can make their life unique and powerful. And also the same as a kind of rewards to give ourselves to endure our routines. 

Art helps us that boring routine change to an enlightened ritual, and it drives our destination to make a mission with great purpose. 

* References: "But is it Art?" by Cynthia Freeland. 

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