Each week, The Residents asks a Wellington local to describe their typical, capital day.
5:00 - The night before I was way too enthusiastic with my alarm. I end up snoozing for an entire hour. I have this goal of going for walks around the botanical gardens near by house at this time, to get some exercise in. So far this has never happened.
6:00 - I look at my phone. I usually have a few things I like to look at - Man Repeller for instance. I stalk people I admire (Emily Weiss is one example). I scroll through articles I want to read on Stuff but recently it has not been full of much.
6:15 - I get up and make myself chilli scrambled eggs which I have been copying after eating them at Aro Cafe. Obsessed! I was having breakfast there every day but this was not good for my wallet. I have that with avocado on toast.My day to day routines are really different - I am working at eating at set times. Breakfast I am nailing. But I know now I have to take control of those aspects of my life if I want to avoid burn out.
7:00 - Shower time! I've been stalking the brand 'Frank Body'. I love the way they write for their brand, so I bought all of their products which I have been testing out. This involves a coffee scrub - so I cover myself in coffee every morning.
7:30 - This is the time I fluff around a bit. I've been wearing a bit of a uniform - black jeans and a random top. Then I leave the house. This is where my morning G-Up starts.
7:45 - I play music such as Fetty Whap - seriously nasty gangster rap in the morning, or serious dance music you would only hear at places on Courtenay Place on a Sunday morning. I do a massive sign-along and this gets me prepared for the day. If I don't listen to music in the morning, it's like skipping coffee.
8:00 - I start work at my Studio on Torrens Terrace. I work for myself at my own creative studio, Martin Intl. This means I have to motivate myself because I can't rely on other people telling me what to do. I don't let myself have coffee until I have done the tasks I set myself the night before. I walk over to Rich at Supreme on Hopper Street. It's Supreme's flagship store.
8:30 - I grab a latte and I come back. I knuckle down, look at everything I set myself the day before. I try and do my most creative work, like writing, in the morning. Same for creating a strategy for a brand. My brain is fresh and ideas are ripe for the picking.
10:00 - I get a bit antsy. I put music on again and do a mid-morning G-Up. I get through the next bit with a bit of help from this.
Midday - I do see family a lot. I love that my job lets me do this. I will normally get a call from one of my sisters, so I meet with them and go to either Pre-Fab or Loretta. The food is great, and the service is excellent. I really love what those people do and I admire their efficiency. I proscrastinate over lunch and knock it back to 1:30. But I always find I have ideas over lunch.
1:30 - 2:30 - I get back to the studio and digest my food. I will think about products (I want to go into product development).
2:30 - 3:30 - Now is the time I answer emails and deal with the random stuff that comes up during the day. Throughout the day, more music is playing.
3:30 - 4:30 - I would probably be looking at what needs to happen over the next week, scoping clients and potential jobs as well as working on more creative work - briefing designers for example. I also might have a Skype call, say with my writer, Cass, who is in New York - because it's her night time. I find my international contractors through friends, mutual introductions or Instagram. I am always trying to match make clients and briefs with creatives.
4:30 - 5:30 - I get a call from family or a client. I start wrapping up the work day for other peoples work day. At this time, if I need to prepare something for someone else, I put this together.
5:30 - 8:30/9 - The studio is closed but this is my creative time. At night my brain comes alive and I have this solid time to bust out strategies and ideas. I really allow myself to do this - at the expense of exercise, unfortunately. I start thinking about dinner around 8pm. I pop into the supermarket, or go out for drink with someone. I would rather have a drink than dinner, and pop through Maccas on the way home.
9:00 - At home, I put music on in the house (a priority). I use this to wind down. I might do some washing, do the dishes from the night before. I talk on the phone to someone - a friend, a sister.
10:00 - Getting off my phone can be a challenge but I am trying to use my kindle to relax. It doesn't have a back light, which stops me being wired. Sometimes I find myself reading the same page over and over again.
10:30 - 11 - I try to get to sleep around this time. I do push it to 1am most nights. When I close my eyes to go to sleep. 10pm is the magical hour where every life changing idea comes into my mind. I used to allow myself to get up and keep writing. Now I only allow 15 minutes or I would be up until 3am. My notes in my phone is crowded, but when I come back to it the next day it doesn't make sense. I get anxiety if I feel like I am going to forget things. Sometimes I watch silly TV like Modern Family. When I am at home, I am the biggest idiot. Keeping up with the Kardashians for example. It helps me switch off my brain from such a crazy day.
Get in touch with Martinique at Martin by emailing her on collaborate@martinintl.net
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