How I spend my mornings, analog.

I always wanted to be a morning person, a person who gets up early and roaring and ready to go. I am a slow riser, and once I realized that I fell in love with my morning and this allowed me to see myself with a new light. I realized that I  start my mornings analog (offline).

It feels like the softest luxury, 
vinyl crackling gently, 
french press rich and dark, 
watering my house plants while sipping on my coffee —
then simply being with the paintings on my walls. 
Letting the colors breathe, textures whisper, 
stories I’ve poured in wash over me in the soft morning light. 
No agenda, no rush, 
it’s a quiet communion. 

Maybe it's my generation X roots remembering a time of growing up in the 1980's before the internet, when things were done without the intrusion of the outside world, ads, pings, a barrage of notifications, texts, calls. We had snail mail, no email, no cell phones, just a phone plugged into the wall. Cable tv plugged into the wall and a wall filled with my dad's vinyl records. 

My best mornings are mornings spent in analog and as I sip my coffee, listening in to vinyl on a record player, I get lost in thought in conversations with my paintings on the wall. Then I see that even though the painting is finished, the conversation with the viewer never ends. A painting always has something new to say. 

This slow ritual sets a calm, intentional tone for my day. It grounds me to be able to handle the chaos of life. You see I am one of those painters that will not paint when upset. I've tried, it just ruins the paintings.

So I have to protect my peace and joy, I protect my work too and by doing so I protect the future spaces my paintings will hang in. And that's why my best days always starts off analog. 

It feels so grounding, nourishing, a space clear of the noise and the work speaks back to me, reminding me why I create. Then I get ready to head to the studio, never in a rush, unless I am excited. Then you will see me practically running down the block to my studio, but not with frantic energy of the white rabbit in Alison in Wonderland, clutching his clock. But from joy and excitement, the energy is inspired from my slow morning and ready to paint. 

Benefits I’ve felt (and that align with what many experience in analog/slow mornings + contemplative art time):

- Reduced stress & calmer nervous system (no digital barrage, just presence) 
- Sharper focus & mental clarity from unhurried thoughts 
- Boosted creativity & emotional balance (wandering mind + art’s gentle reward) 
- Enhanced sensory joy: vinyl pops, steam warmth, earthy soil, shifting light on canvas 
- Deeper self-connection & reflection—art as quiet inspiration & subtle art-therapy touch 
- More energy & readiness later (slow start builds momentum without overwhelm) 

For my collectors, imagine your own walls holding that same magic—original pieces evolving with the light, mood, season—becoming part of your daily rhythm, a source of quiet grounding and expression.

What do you want to express (or feel) in your space? 
What energy or story do you crave waking up to? 
I’d love to hear, and perhaps create something that meets it.

Let’s infuse more of that feeling into your world.

Xo,

Juanita

#AnalogLiving #SlowMornings #MorningWithArt #LivingWithArt #artcollector