_{^{Photos, from LEFT: Kandy G Lopez by ShootmeJade. Horacio Casillas courtesy of the artist. Hong Hong by Justin O’Brien, courtesy of the artist.}}

Consider the things you do to get ready for your day. Maybe you make a cup of coffee, take a shower, turn on music, and check your schedule. This routine might simply be habitual—so ingrained that you undertake each action unconsciously. It’s when actions are carried out mindfully, with purpose, that they become rituals.

To put yourself in a good mindset each morning, you might drink your tea from a handmade ceramic mug that reminds you of someone you love, wash your dishes with focused attention, then lay out the tools you plan to use in a pleasing pattern. These morning rituals help set the tone of your day.

We asked three artists working in various mediums—Kandy G Lopez, Horacio Casillas, and Hong Hong—to describe how ritual plays a role in their work. In the following pages, they talk about what they do to spark the inspiration to create, and about their deeply rooted patterns and cadences. Rituals open spaces where something meaningful can grow—and sometimes they are perfect expressions of originality.

—The Editors