My Morning Routine
⇾ Lamar Johnson,
Actor and Artist
Waking up and getting motivated with the star of Showtime’s “Your Honor”
Lamar Johnson is an all-around artist. Creative to the core, he's got too many ideas and too much talent to stay in one lane. And he's got enough drive to pursue them all. If he looks familiar, that's because you've no doubt seen him before. The Canadian actor, classically trained dancer, photographer and model has recently been in cool indie movies (A24's Native Son) and film fest favorites (Kings) as well as the big franchises (X-Men: Dark Phoenix). Now, he's staring in the new Showtime limited series Your Honor, opposite Bryan Cranston. The compelling legal drama is about a New Orleans judge who's forced to confront his own deepest convictions when his son is involved in a hit and run that embroils an organized crime family. And while a pandemic has definitely postponed a few plans, that hasn't kept Johnson from working on himself and finding inspiration around every corner. Here's how he starts his day.
The Series
Those moments between turning off the alarm and getting into our work routine can be the most defining 60 minutes of our day. Benjamin Franklin set a day's worth of plans by 5 am and Steve Jobs asked a simple question: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" Our rituals are a reflection of us. So we've ventured out to discover how some of our most influential and fruitful peers get started.
My Routine
I’m a big believer in quality sleep.
And this year has been great for catching up on my sleep. I try to get a solid six to eight hours every night.
I’m usually waking up around eight.
I stretch, brush my teeth and wash my face. I'll make myself a cup of coffee and head to the gym. Maybe grab a piece of fruit.
Before I get out of bed, I might check my journal.
I keep my nightstand pretty clean, but I've usually got my journal there to jot down thoughts and ideas before going to sleep or after I wake up. The other thing I need on my nightstand is a candle. Right now, I have a lovely one by Tom Ford.
I give myself a few minutes of silence in the morning.
I like to sit in my thoughts, assess how I'm feeling, and what needs to be done for the day or the rest of the week. Could be in bed as I wake, could be in the shower.
That moment is important and quite grounding for me.
The few minutes of silence is that awareness moment for myself. Assessing how I feel and how I will step into my day.
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I’m definitely a coffee person.
Nothing too fancy, I usually drink my coffee with just a bit of cream. My go-to has been iced coffee for a while now—at home or on the road.
But I’m not big on breakfast.
I usually go with something light in the morning and then have a big lunch. That works well for me and my energy. But I enjoy a quick protein shake or some fresh fruit over yogurt and granola.
Fitness is pretty important to me. And I like working out before anything else.
I usually workout three times a week. Always in the mornings. I think working out early really gives you energy, gets your mind right and is a great way to step into your work day. Plus, there are no excuses later when things get busy.
I’ve spent a lot more time inside lately.
So I've learned to be resourceful and accomplish things remotely than to have to be right in front of it. Although I do love to be hands on with my work.
Lists are important, but so is spontaneity.
I make to-do lists for the work assignments and projects that I'm personally working on, and calendar important dates and deadlines. But a lot of the time I like to go with the flow of life. Spontaneity has its benefits!
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My grooming is a high-low mix.
But these are products that work for me at the moment.
I don’t shave often.
But when I do, I shave with electric shavers. I give myself a touch-up fade when needed. But I usually go to the barber for proper grooming.
With clothes and dressing, it’s about a feeling and the silhouette.
So in the mornings I usually feel out what I wear and put together. It can sometimes be quick, and other times ... not so much. But it's fun.
Before I leave the house, I grab my hard drive.
I do a lot of creative work on my laptop, so at times I have to transfer files over to someone, or pull something to work on later at home.
Clockwise, from top left
Castor hair oil,
$11 by Allpa Botanicals
Coconut oil shampoo,
$12.99 by Shea Moisture
C-Rush gel moisturizer,
$46 by Ole Henriksen
Glycerin hand cream,
$3.99 by Glysomed
Rosebud minted salve,
$5.82 by Smith's
Professional T-Outliner,
$60 by Andis
All-in-One shake,
$54.99 by Vega Protein
AnOther 13 cologne,
from $83 by Le Labo
Neroli Portofino candle,
$98 by Tom Ford
Castor hair oil,
$11 by Allpa Botanicals
Coconut oil shampoo,
$12.99 by Shea Moisture
C-Rush gel moisturizer,
$46 by Ole Henriksen
Rosebud minted salve,
$5.82 by Smith's
Glycerin hand cream,
$3.99 by Glysomed
Professional
T-Outliner,
$60 by Andis
All-in-One shake,
$54.99 by Vega Protein
Neroli
Portofino candle,
$98 by
Tom Ford
AnOther 13 cologne,
from $83 by Le Labo
“This heals hands fast and you don't need to reapply”
I don’t shave often.
But when I do, I shave with electric shavers. I give myself a touch-up fade when needed. But I usually go to the barber for proper grooming.
With clothes and dressing, it’s a feeling and about the silhouette.
So in the mornings I usually feel out what I wear and put together. It can sometimes be quick, and other times ... not so much. But it's fun.
Before I leave the house, I grab my hard drive.
I do a lot of creative work on my laptop, so at times I have to transfer files over to someone, or pull something to work on later at home.
See him in action ...
See him in action ...
Catch Lamar in Your Honor, airing Sundays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Showtime.
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