Creatives & Coffee: How John Donohue’s Daily Drawing Exercise Helps Him Bust Through Creative Blocks
Artist John Donohue draws the same thing every day. Here, he shares what it does for his creativity. Images: Naomi Piercey and Madeleine Magill.
When we arrived at Round K coffee shop for Creatives & Coffee on Thursday morning, the downtown vibe was decidedly different from our previous one. Gone were the comfy blue lounge chairs and granite tables. Unknowingly to us, the furniture had been replaced with coffee tables and crates covered in burlap sacks. We — and it was a packed house of New Yorkers — could do the only thing one can: ride the vibe.
Someone might have said it felt like an MLM meeting. Another expected psychedelics to be passed out. Thankfully, the event was just what was promised: Artist John Donohue sharing the art of his daily ritual and how the rest of us could adopt a morning routine to jumpstart our creative workdays.
Sponsored by Adobe, Creatives & Coffee is an intimate monthly gathering that helps curious humans kickstart their day with a creative exercise (and caffeine). It was born out of frustration with seeing so much content online and not feeling like we carve out the time to actually do the things that stretch our creative muscles.
For John that means drawing. His specialty is restaurant facades in cities like New York, Paris, London, and beyond aka “All the Restaurants.” Before he commutes to his Brooklyn studio, John does a quick 10-minute drawing of a duck. Why? “It's about how we focus our attention,” he said. “Taking 10 minutes in the morning to draw strengthens this muscle of what we choose to pay attention to because drawing is essentially about paying attention.”
By following his routine, John begins his workday feeling a sense of calm and purpose, rather than urgent-email stressed. As attendees took their seats on the surprisingly comfortable crates, John shared these four techniques for how to make the most of a daybreak ritual.
Watch this video recap to take a 30-secoud tour of everything that happened at the event.
1. Do your exercise every workday — no phone, no exceptions.
So, why every workday? Because nothing good ever comes from a haphazard approach. Think about an Olympian who warms up before each practice or a musician who regularly practices their scales. Consistency is key, and they never compromise on the foundational parts of their overall routines. A daily practice also forces you to hold yourself accountable, and the scorecard is pretty clear: You either did or didn’t do the thing. And prioritizing this in the morning is just a smart way to make time for it before your schedule can easily goes sideways in the afternoon.
John and Matt believe strongly in the art of the morning ritual. Just look how happy they were this morning!
2. Take 10 minutes. It’s manageable but impactful.
This ritual should be one of the easiest parts of your day – intentionally so. “If you want to have a successful morning routine, you have to reduce the obstacles,” said John. “Ten minutes is small, but still consequential if you do it every day.”
3. Find an exercise that keeps you coming back to it.
The goal is to fill the time with a non-verbal exercise, and John draws a duck or his dishrack (“The mundane will never be the same.”). Find something convenient so the ritual is easily repeatable. And it doesn’t have to necessarily be drawing — it can be stretching, writing, even something unorthodox like making sculptures out of paper clips. Land on something that keeps you coming back.
At the event, we were served hot coffee and a cool exercise.
4. Don’t do too much — this isn’t meant to be your masterpiece.
As creatives, it’s difficult not to push yourself to greatness. But that’s not the point of this daily ritual. The idea is about progress, not perfection. And if you’re a perfectionist, then reframe it. Maybe the “perfect thing to do” is to show up and do it without fail. For John, the beauty of the ink is that he’s already made a mistake when he puts something down on paper. The point of a daily ritual is to create something entirely for you — something that can help you clear your head, clarify your purpose, and set the right tone for the rest of your workday.
After the event, guests were put to work, channeling John’s guidance.
But wait, there’s more!
After John finished sharing his techniques, we put all attendees to work. The assignment? Take John’s techniques and use them in a creative exercise: Attendees had five minutes to doodle some object in the room on a Post-It note. To the soundtrack of Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On (that’s what the shop owner played when we requested calm music), attendees drew a range of items, including the antique telephone on the wall, the chandelier, a flower vase, cups of coffee obviously, and two people even drew the sign on the bathroom door. They all channeled John’s guidance – and the results were impressive. (See above.)
As a final endorsement of John’s wonderful talk, our team publicly thanked him for letting us tour his brain for the last hour. To which he replied, “It’s a testament to the efficacy of the practice of drawing that my brain at this moment is a nice place to be.”
Save the Date: Our next Creatives & Coffee featuring Planned Parenthood’s creative director, Ande Campbell will take place on April 3rd. Subscribe to our newsletter below for invite details.
