On Thursday, I was in Palm Beach, making one of those stubborn I’m a New Yorker so I’ll walk everywhere even if I’m in a non-walking city coffee runs. I was breaking a light sweat as midday temps hit 93 degrees, but I’m obligated to say the walk was worth it even if it wasn’t really pleasant. At least the coffee was pretty good (cc Pumphouse)!
I’ve since returned to my Brooklyn bedroom and the northeastern climate. In my absence, the tree outside my window has started to finally bud. I wonder (melodramatically) if we’ll ever have a week of consistent blue skies instead of this overcast hell. Temperamental weather aside, it’s always nice to be home. My “returning from a trip” routine is straightforward: wash my hands, wipe down my suitcase and wheels (learned behavior from my dad), order food, find the motivation to empty out my suitcase.
Routines are perpetually on my mind (they are, after all, a core feature of Hearth). And I’m generally obsessed with understanding processes. So I’ve been asking about my friends’ routines recently out of general curiosity. Morning routines, or lack thereof, feel so revealing. Are you a gym person? Do you read or scroll? Coffee and/or breakfast?
Personally, I incessantly flip between my need for routine and an aversion to structure. Science says our brains seek out familiarity in patterns, so figuring out what amount of order vs. chaos works for your brain is deeply personal! Order matters even in the smallest things: think about the age-old cereal vs. milk debate. And how offended the “cereal first” side becomes when faced with a “milk first” defender… (To be clear, I’m a cereal first gal.)
I dutifully unpacked this weekend while listening to Maggie Rogers’ latest Zane Lowe interview. I already knew she wrote the new album in just five days, but was fascinated to learn she also wrote it chronologically – in tracklist order. One collaborator, and seemingly no late nights spent toiling away in the studio. It’s as if she showed up for a normal 9-5 for a full week! Knowing now that each song was written as a natural follow up to the previous one totally changed how I listen to the album (Don’t Forget Me being the last song just makes sense).
Here’s the interview in question for my fellow music nerds:
Figuring out the order of things is hard to get right until you’ve mastered the art of it. I think about the basic essay formula I used for structuring my papers in English class, or your typical movie narrative arc. Intro, key points, conclusion. Beginning, middle, end. The art is in the nuance of it all.
To me, a tracklist is successful if it sets the album’s tone, carries you through a story, and leaves you with a specific feeling. Another recent and masterclass example of why excellent sequencing is so important is Cowboy Carter! From AMERIICAN REQUIEM to AMEN and every spoken interlude in between, Beyoncé takes us on a full musical journey. But in contrast to Maggie, she formed this album over five years and alongside many more collaborators. The track order (specifically the tone-shift in the last third of the album) is even more interesting when you learn she had also originally planned to release the album before Renaissance.
“My process is that I typically have to experiment,” says Beyoncé. “I enjoy being open to have the freedom to get all aspects of things I love out and so I worked on many songs. I recorded probably 100 songs. Once that is done, I am able to put the puzzle together and realize the consistencies and the common themes, and then create a solid body of work.”
Both artists decided on beginning-to-end finality through very different processes. Don’t Forget Me is 35 minutes and 10 tracks, Cowboy Carter is 78 minutes and 27 tracks. I wonder if they both experienced a clear moment of satisfaction when the tracklist and production clicked perfectly into place.
Something I accepted early on in my design career (and remind myself whenever I toil over pixels or words) is that nothing is ever quite “done” until you’ve submitted it. In other words: there are infinite ways to refine or change something, so a deadline is typically the only thing that really qualifies it as “done”. Maybe finding that finality comes with mastery of skill, or maybe these are simply the woes of being a perfectionist.
Setlists are higher pressure for this reason, because instead of an album you can stream on repeat, there’s only really one chance to make an impression. (Did anyone else tune into the Coachella livestream? The Jungle set was amazing and made me wish I was there.) Sequencing songs for a live audience and knowing when to experiment is what distinguishes just-okay performances from ones that leave you with that concert high. And I’ll say it…I’m sick of fake encores! There’s something to be said about being able to say everything you want to say in one go.
Meta thoughts on order aside, it’s spring, so there are many things to get! in! order!! Now is the next best opportunity (post-January 1st) for a personal reset. What do you keep, and what do you cut out? What’s new and worth incorporating?
In general, I prefer to periodically edit down instead of purging all at once. (Something reinforced from my photography days, methinks. I really love to delete in-camera as I go, which internet forums will tell you is a big no-no.) So I haven’t done a big spring closet cleanout, but I have been documenting what I’ve worn every day so far this year (I’m sure I’ve missed a few days). Nothing terribly inspiring on the fashion front given a month abroad and the gloomiest spring, but it’s been very useful in learning which basics I gravitate towards. I’ll do a proper writeup one day on my style journey.
My mini reading goal right now is to clear my shelf, aka finish all the paperbacks I’ve acquired and never gotten to reading. I’ve taken it as an opportunity to drop off old books in our neighborhood book swap (just found their IG! so cute).
I’m also the type who’s always itching to try new products in my skincare routine. Before flying out, I collected a decent box of my empties to review these trials ahead of making any repurchases for the spring. I think I’ll leave most of these behind to go back to other faves, aside from these two toners which have been sensitive skin staples: Good Light’s moon glow and the Moon Juice exfoliator. (But DM me if you want thoughts on why not the others!)
On the note of morning routines…I’ve rotated through a few bags of coffee this last month! It’s a crucial step, although I like think of myself as more of a slow burn coffee enthusiast rather than a true coffee snob. Mostly because I’m still figuring out exactly what I like for my at-home setup. But outside of coffee, I’ve also started drinking this noncaffeinated tea in the evenings, specifically this kettl soba cha blend gifted from my friend Steph.
As for pantry staples, I’m not usually the friend who branches out in the snack category because grocery shopping feels quite perfunctory for me. So another silly mini-goal lately: I’ve been making it a point to dilly dally in the store for snack discovery! As a result, I’ve become addicted to those Kettle brand jalapeño chips. They’re not a new snack, but I feel very strongly now that they’re better than the Deep River ones. (Also an important discovery because I’m generally not a jalapeño person outside of a spicy marg.) Also, if you’re looking to elevate your next charcuterie board, the Rustic Bakery Artisan Crisps are my current Whole Foods splurge.
One final reset…my wallet! I finally signed up for a Bilt card to have my rent dollars go towards travel. TY Ivy for the strong recommendation – it was genuinely easier to get set up than I expected. You get a full routing/account number to avoid those dumb credit card fees (crucial). I’ve also been revisiting my paid subscriptions as a whole, so I’d be curious to hear which ones y’all find absolutely worth it!
On repeat If you’re not listening to Chappell…genuinely, what are you doing. Her debut reminds me of early Gaga and I can’t wait to see her at Hinterland.
Last watched Love Lies Bleeding, a few episodes of Shogun and Palm Beach.
Last read Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng (received during a holiday white elephant party and was the perfect plane binge read). Moving onto The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters next, recently gifted from a friend. TBH a little skeptical that it won’t just reiterate things I already know, but I’m prepared to be informed!!
In my mental drafts missed connections, critiquing brand evolutions, the current visual landscape, being anti-niche, the discourse on gatekeeping
Thank you for reading! I switched over this month to reading within the Substack app (instead of mostly desktop/email-based subscriptions) and it’s so much fun for discovery…and has me excited to start publishing more frequently. Inspiration comes and goes, but building a discipline is an ongoing craft! In between my publishing droughts, you can always find me over on IG. x