My Absolute Banger of a September Routine!
There’s something about September that always feels magical to me. Maybe it’s the back-to-school spirit in the air, or the way the first signs of autumn whisper that it’s time to get organised again. Every year, September gives me a surge of motivation to reset, clarify my goals, and find a rhythm that feels good for both work and home life.
This year, it’s been especially powerful. I sat down at the start of the month and completely rethought my “ideal week.” Not just a schedule for illustration work, but a balanced plan that gives space for creativity, family, and all the little everyday things that make life feel grounded.
And let me tell you, it’s been working like a charm.
Before: My Old Morning Routine
If I’m honest, my mornings used to be a bit of a circus (and not the fun kind with candy floss). Here’s how it usually went:
Wake up around 7:30am-ish, already feeling like I’m two steps behind the day.
Straight into family chaos mode: school uniforms, breakfast negotiations, the school run.
Come back home with good intentions, but get hijacked by the laundry mountain and the dishwasher that apparently never empties itself.
Squeeze in a bit of cleaning so the house doesn’t implode.
Finally sit down at my desk, glance at the clock, and realise… it’s 10:15am. My creativity? Already sipping tea somewhere without me.
Spend the rest of the day bouncing between marketing tasks, social media, admin, emails, and whatever illustration scraps I could rescue in between.
By the end of it, I felt like I was working all the time, but somehow never doing much!
Now: My New Morning Routine (aka the Maxi Morning)
Getting up earlier has completely changed the shape of my days. By waking at 6am, I’ve gained an extra 1.5 hours of quiet, focused time before the family routine even begins. I call it my Maxi Morning, a bonus work session that’s completely separate from my “normal” workday.
Instead of my illustration hours being swallowed up by admin, emails, and marketing, I now give those tasks a dedicated space. Each day of the week has its own focus:
Mentoring Monday → Creating content for children’s book authors.
Trying Tuesday → Prospecting and reaching out to dream clients and brands.
Whimsy Wednesday → Crafting content around my art.
Thriving Thursday → Writing a blog post + planning my newsletters.
Free Friday → Working on a special project or scheduling next week’s content.
This simple routine has brought me consistency across all the different sides of my business — without eating into the hours I need for drawing and illustrating. It’s like I’ve built a little creative foundation at the start of every day, and it’s making all the difference.
A Final Thought
I always thought getting up early would be too hard to stick to. The first week was a little tiring, but it quickly became my natural rhythm.
It’s given me sharper focus and more space for creative work.
Our family mornings feel more peaceful and gathered.
I’ve found time not just to create, but to plan and follow through on ideas.
