In The Muppet Movie, Rowlf describes his nightly routine: “I finish work, I go home, read a book, have a couple of beers, take myself for a walk, and go to bed.” Many of us would describe our routines in a similar fashion. “Nice and simple,” is how Kermit classifies Rowlf’s evenings. There’s a lot to be said for a routine like that, but that kind of routine isn’t for everyone.
In Mason Currey’s book, Daily Rituals: How Artists Work, the author describes the daily habits of some of history’s most celebrated creative people. As you might expect, these daily routines often vary significantly from Rowlf’s routine, but even compared to the other creatives, they’re all pretty unique. Everyone values sleep, creative work, a day job, eating, and socializing a little differently. An online administration company called Podio developed a great visual representation of what this variation looks like among some of the more well-known figures in the book.
We like this study and thought it would be fun to build a Milwaukee edition. While we understand that no two days are exactly the same, we asked some great local minds to sum up what an average day is like for a creative person in (or from) the Milwaukee area. The information they supplied is very interesting—full of variation and a lot of smartass answers.
Here is a graphic representation of the group’s answers, followed by the details. Have a great day!
DeChazier Stokes-Johnson
Director of Social Media – Incendiary; Owner – CTD Records
(You might know his graphic work for a variety of great local album covers, as well.)
1-5 a.m.: Sleep
5-6 a.m.: Search the internet for inspiration / listen to music/ write
6-8 a.m.: Eat Breakfast/ shower / meditate / read or a little TV
8-8:30 a.m.: Drop son off at school and head into the office
8:30 a.m.-12 p.m.: Emails / meetings / design / social media management
12-1:15 p.m.: Lunch usually off-site from the office to get a break
1:15-6 p.m.: Email / meetings / design / phone calls / social media management
6-6:30 p.m.: Drive home
6:30-7 p.m.: Dinner
7-9 p.m.: Hang out with son / watch a little TV / play a video game or two
9 p.m.-1 a.m.: Working on freelance / working on record label / draw / paint / reading / getting inspired
BJ Seidel
Owner – Burnhearts; Co-Owner – Goodkind; Singer/Songwriter – Dramatic Lovers
(There wouldn’t be Mitten Fest without him.)
12-6:30 a.m.: Sleep
6:30-7:20 a.m.: Coffee, Get kids/self ready for day
7:20-7:45 a.m.: Ride bikes with kids to school
7:45-8:30 a.m.: Walk dog by the lake
8:30-9 a.m.: Pick up house
9-10:30 a.m.: Yoga or jog whenever possible (otherwise straight to work)
11-11:30 a.m.: Late breakfast or early lunch break
11:30 a.m.-1:15 p.m.: Change empty kegs and update menus at Burnhearts/Goodkind, clean bathrooms, mop, dust, etc.
1:15-2:30 p.m.: Organize events and play catch up on paperwork
2:30-3 p.m.: Pick up kids, playground time – ride bikes home (some days I need to stay at work and finish up)
3-5:30 p.m.: Run errands, finish paperwork, feed kids snacks
5:30-6:30 p.m.: Dinner prep, eat and clean up
6:30-7:30 p.m.: Free time to work on house, web research, attend beer event, etc.
7:30-8 p.m.: Put kids to bed (once a week head to band practice and skip next few steps)
8-9 p.m.: Make sure kids are actually asleep, drink a beer (work on music or read a book when possible)
9 p.m.-12 a.m.: Usually watching TV, writing music, reading, snacking, or snuggling with my wife
Kristopher Pollard (weekend schedule)
Membership Manager – Milwaukee Film; Artist and Illustrator – Kpolly
(Dangerously nice guy and author of Fake Ass Rappers.)
11 p.m.-7 a.m.: Sleep
7-9 a.m.: Breakfast, shower, general waking up
9-9:05 a.m.: Respond to flattering emails from fans
9:06-11 a.m.: Ignore unflattering emails and regain self-esteem
11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Errands and lunch
12:30-2 p.m.: Prep for drawing (cut paper, gather references, consider what to work on)
2-5 p.m.: Avoid actual drawing with movies, books, music, or daydreaming of wealth and respect
5-7 p.m.: Look at art books and have dinner
7-8 p.m.: Finally draw, but still mostly listening to podcasts or watching a movie
8-10:30 p.m.: Actual concentrated drawing
10:30-11 p.m.: Regret not drawing all day, as was the plan all along
Lucas Keller
President/Founder – Milk & Honey Music
(Milwaukee guy in L.A. Recently named to Billboard Magazine’s 40 Under 40. Good guitar player.)
1:30-7 a.m.: Sleep
7-7:15 a.m.: Walk the dogs
7:15-8 a.m.: Spa / get ready
8-9 a.m.: Phones with UK/Europe
9-10 a.m.: Breakfast meeting (daily)
10 a.m.-1 p.m.: Phones / meetings in office / emails
1-2 p.m.: Lunch meeting (daily)
2-7 p.m.: Phones / meetings in office / emails
7-9 p.m.: Dinner meeting / drinks (daily)
9 p.m.-1:30 a.m.: Emails, calls with Asia/Australia/NZ (daily), at home
Lexi Brunson
CEO/Editor-In-Chief – CopyWrite Magazine
(Read CopyWrite Magazine if you don’t already.)
1-7:30 a.m.: Sleep-like shallow unconsciousness
7:30-7:40 a.m.: Check emails and scan social media
7:40-8:55 a.m.: Daily makeover from crusted face four eyes to perfectly accessorized Chameleon faux “fashionista”
8:55-9:15 a.m.: The drive (usually includes “The Breakfast Club” morning show or my favorite Spotify playlist)
9:15-10 a.m.: Coffee in the office (CopyWrite updates, postings, more emails) or class (I’m getting my master’s degree!)
10 a.m.-12 p.m.: Teaching (currently Intro to Mass Media, because media is life) / Yes…I also teach lol
12-1 p.m.: Some type of lunch-like snack (maybe a mid-day pep talk from my muse)
1-2 p.m.: More teaching
2-4:15 p.m.: Office hours (reading, homework, business emails, saving undergrads from overthinking)
4-4:30 p.m.: Running out the office or running to class!
4:30-9 p.m.- HOMEEEEE! (More homework, scheduling, concepting, and possibly dinner-like multitasking)
9-10:30 p.m.: Creative concepting/writing for CopyWrite (and personal interest)
10:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m.: Vibing at the studio (painting) or staying in with Hulu (both include snacks)
12:30-1 a.m.: Attempting to force myself to do that thing normal humans call sleep
Abby Jeanne
Singer/Songwriter – Abby Jeanne
(Recently put on the amazing Cosmic Weekend at The Cooperage.)
1-8 a.m.: Sleep
8-10 a.m.: Meditation/yoga/walk outside/do dishes
10 a.m.-12 p.m.: Make coffee, have a cig, respond to emails, calls with manager, plot out immediate tasks for the day
12 p.m.: Drive to office, a.k.a. HI -Fi Cafe
12-3 p.m.: Work on art designs, lyric writing, mixing demos, editing photos, planning events, etc., more chain smoking
3-4 p.m.: Answer more emails, calls
4-5 p.m.: Eat something, drive home
5-8:30 p.m.: Work on songs, record demos, make art, more chain smoking
9-11 p.m.: Rehearsal with band
11 p.m.-1 a.m.: Finishing up last touches on the immediate project/wind down by smoking
Paul Kennedy
Bartender – The Stone
(If “getting a drink from PK” isn’t on your Milwaukee bucket list, add it immediately.)
8-8:04 a.m.: Awake, exercise
8:04-8:30 a.m.: Hit the couch, coffee and doughnuts.
8:30-9 a.m.: Watch local news, seriously contemplate moving out of state
9-10 a.m.: Read Washington Post, New York Times, take one Xanax
10-10:30 a.m.: Scroll Facebook feed, troll anti-vaxxers, flat earthers, parents with ugly children
10:30-11 a.m.: Unfriend vague-posters, uber-taggers, and grown-ass men taking bathroom selfies
11-11:10 a.m.: Read Trump’s Twitter, take second Xanax / first shot of vodka
11:10 a.m.-12 p.m.: Play with my dogs
12-9 p.m.: Errands, yard work, reading, emails, eating
9 p.m.-2 a.m.: Tend bar
Izzy Jaecks
Bootblack – Stag Barbershop
(She will bring your awful shoes back to life and tell you everything about Krampus.)
9-9:30 a.m.: Wake up to alarm, have cats dance on face until I get out of bed
9:30-9:40 a.m.: Actually get out of bed, scoop the litter box whilst singing “Scoop The Cat Box” to the tune of “Rock The Casbah,” feed cats
9:40-9:50 a.m.: Take pills, brush teeth, shower, in a specific order or else I will forget to do one of those three things
9:50-10:15 a.m.: Eat breakfast of cold oatmeal and dried fruit, read emails and Facebook whilst eating
10:15-10:40 a.m.: Pain over which boots to wear, decide outfit based on choice
10:40-11 a.m.: Leave for work
11 a.m.-3 p.m.: Coffee, and set up workstation. Look over the client list for the day. Shoe shining, sweeping for the barbers, helping with laundry.
3-7 p.m.: Lunch of (currently) a PB sandwich and an apple (my lunches go in phases…weeks on end of eating the same thing)
7-7:15 p.m.: Tally my work day, clean my station, leave
7:15-9 p.m.: Gym at Bay View Fitness, about 4 miles on the treadmill
9 p.m.: Home to hug the cats, open FB and emails, work on leather projects, turn on some PBS or BBC programming like Time Team, hosted by Blackadder’s Tony “Baldrick” Robinson
11 p.m.: Contemplate existential dread while laying in bed. Cats dance on my face again for a bit, before curling up on my feet to sleep.
12 a.m.: Hopefully fall asleep
Ricky Ramirez
Bartender – Vanguard; Vocals – Population Control
(He played our Milwaukee Record Halftime Show on almost no sleep and he sells Durty Burgers. Gold.)
3-6 a.m.: Dissect every conversation I had with a guest at the restaurant, panic about it, fall asleep
9-10 a.m.: Wake up with a third tier pop song in my head. Blast it in my living room. Let the dogs play outside and feed them. Brush teeth, take vitamins, allergy medicine, any random medicine I’m on.
10:45 a.m.: Sit at my kitchen counter and try to remember if I took all my pills or not, Google what would happen if I overdose on my pills.
11 a.m.-12 p.m.: Go to Anodyne in Bay View. Try to steer towards less caffeine under doctor’s orders but get that cold brew anyway. Run into a handful of people like Evan Barnes or Steve Landish and talk about cocktails or drinks or business in general or business ideas.
12:05 p.m.: Drive past Vanguard to make sure it’s still standing
1-3:30 p.m.: Crunch time before going to work. I have to do something to activate my imagination. Meditate, read, write, go check out a business I haven’t been to yet, walk the dogs, shop for home goods.
3:30-4 p.m.: FINALLY EAT SOMETHING
4-4:30 p.m.: Stretch
4:30-5:30 p.m.: Workout. This is where I catch up on music. Specifically the dark stuff and the new rap. Lately a lot of Travis Scott, Aura Noir, Kanye West (unfortunately), Darkthrone.
6 p.m.: Freshly showered at work behind the bar. On site for any and everything that goes on at the restaurant. Usually have a thousand things on my mind the second I walk behind the bar regarding the building, staffing, future staffing issues, the next bar menu, my band’s schedule, my dog’s epilepsy, whether I’m good enough at what I’m doing.
6:30 p.m.: Breathe
9 p.m.: Have dinner, go home and feed the dogs and beat myself up that I can’t be with them more often.
9:30 p.m.: Back to work
2 a.m.: Close the bar. Surprise myself that I still have the energy to deep clean with 4-5 hours of sleep in me.
3 a.m.: Get home. Repeat.
Johanna Rose
Singer/Songwriter/Bass – Nickel&Rose, Ruth B8r Ginsburg, more
(Roughly everyone who attended her GuthrieUNCOVERED show cried in a good way.)
10 a.m.-12 p.m.: Listen to records / drink coffee / read the news / answer emails
12 p.m.-2 p.m.: More coffee / meetings / hang out with friends / run errands
2-5 p.m.: Computer work / emails / work on songs
5 p.m.-11 p.m.: Shows / rehearsals / work on songs
11 p.m.-1 a.m.: Chill / hang out with friends
1-3 a.m.: Work on songs / read books / watch The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
3-10 a.m.: Sleep