My Morning Routine as a Freelancer

This blog post is written in partnership with Starbucks. All opinions expressed are my own.

I’m always adding new hyphenates to my job title. Perhaps it’s what happens when you give your child a double-barreled last name like Keenan-Bolger. When I moved to New York, I was certain I wanted to spend every single day acting in musicals and for a couple of years, I did. But as I got older, I found that the time in between jobs was painstaking and the cost of living in New York kept going up and up. I started finding little hobbies to fill my days, not realizing that these hobbies would eventually demand as much attention as my acting career. By the time I’d turned thirty, I’d gotten to act on Broadway, sure, but I’d also directed web series, music videos and short films, written three books and blogged and photographed my life daily as a New Yorker. It’s thrilling to have my hands in so many pots, but I’d be lying if I said creating structure in a freewheeling profession like mine is easy.

Currently, I’m donning the author hat, which is when my life has perhaps the least structure. It’s very different from the regular grind as an actor. There’s no one scheduling me for auditions or rehearsals and there’s no one breathing down my neck, forcing me to bang out chapters. If I want to work, I have to motivate myself. The best way that I’m able to do this, is to create morning rituals that will set me up for success.

I wake up at 8AM every morning with husband and I start the day just as if I’m heading to the office or rehearsal — I walk the dog, eat a quick breakfast and (sometimes) pack my husband a lunch, then I curl up on my couch with my dog Archie and get to work. I’m currently writing a Young Adult novel and one of the rituals I’ve implemented is to begin each day with “morning pages.” A lot of writers and artists do these. Essentially, they’re three pages of longhand, stream of consciousness writing about any and everything that crosses my mind. They don’t have to be good — they don’t even really have to be writing — they just have to get my hand moving.

One thing that makes this practice extra special is brewing a French press of coffee to sip as I do these pages. I’ve always loved the ritual of making a pot of coffee. It’s intentional work that requires no real effort, but is an instant act of love that I can give to myself every day. I’m a Starbucks guy for sure, but I don’t have the time to do a coffee run every morning. Luckily, Starbucks has some great at-home options that I can just pick up during my weekly grocery runs. These days, I’ve been bouncing between their Sunrise Blend and Caramel Crème coffees. The Sunrise Blend is a light roast that’s deliciously smooth with hints of chocolate. It’s the perfect addition to my morning routine. The Caramel Crème blend has rich layers of caramel and vanilla and I love pairing it with a pastry on days when I have a bit of a morning sweet tooth. Somehow, my final sip of coffee always seems to coincide with my final written word of morning pages. It might be a coincidence, but I take it as a sign that I’m now in the perfect headspace to begin the day.