Her Ritual: Erin Cox

This feature is first in a series of interviews with women we admire, giving a window into their everyday rituals.

I know Erin best as a tailor and fashion designer. Her studio is full of fabric and art and treasures collected over the years (she’s a vintage connoisseur.) Everything she touches becomes something else: fabric, food, a home, a handmade birthday card. All of it is art in her hands.

This feature feels so perfect to kick off this series.

This is a woman who lives into rituals not as rigid routines, but as a way of moving through a day to feel her best mentally, physically and creatively. We could all learn something from how Erin does it.

woman in white hat seated looking at camera. text overlay

MORNING

WHAT IS YOUR TYPICAL morning ritual?

I have a few rituals that I rotate through depending on the day but they all start with a coffee and going outside to tend to the garden. Sometimes it's quiet time at my desk where I will write; it's either thoughts or stories, a list for the day, or a letter to a friend. It's a good time for me to be reflective in the morning. But the best ritual for my mind and body is immediately going on a run and ending up at St. Augustine Cathedral to be quiet and still and give thanks that I can move my body. The ultimate daily ritual above all is to give thanks for waking up to a new day of life.

Is there an object, a scent, or a sound that anchors it?

The smell of the plants and desert around me, the chirping of birds, and sound of nature. But first, the stillness of my home before anyone is up. I cherish a feeling more than an object.

BODY

How do you take care of your body, not for how it looks, but for how it feels?

special elixirs I make in the morning
no processed food
exercise (even if it's 15 minutes a day)
98 oz. of water a day (a struggle but I try)
at least 8 hours of sleep

What does your body ask for that you don't always give it?

Attention to posture and water.

REST & WIND-DOWN

How do you end your day? Is there a ritual that signals to your body that it's over?

I end my work day around 5:30, I have for years. Even if I feel motivated to keep going, I don't so I wont get burned out. My ritual in thought is, "tomorrow is always a new day, and we can finish any job with a fresh and rested mind". I make sure my work space is cleaned and I close the door. I either find myself in the kitchen chopping vegetables for dinner or having a a glass of wine and catching up with friends on the phone (I still love to talk on the phone). And in-between the two is always hanging out with my husband and most likely doing some task that keeps my house clean and in order.

SEASONS & CYCLES

Do your rituals shift with the seasons, or with your cycle? What does that look like in practice?

playing solitaire by candlelight — Winter rituals are different.

I tend to wake up around 4:30am and immediately make a fire, sit on the floor and play solitaire by the firelight as I wake up with a coffee. I like to do a lot of baking and recipe experimenting after my fire is out (2 log minimum). But once the sun starts to rise, my cozy bubble is over and it's a good time to go on a run and get an early start in the studio.

Has there been a season of life where your rituals broke down completely?

I'm sure. We never stay the same, we are always evolving and devolving as we age, so it would almost be odd if we kept doing the same rituals everyday. I think it's important to be careful to not be so robotic in habits because you can shut out the unexpected mercies and passing blessings; but there is also a fine line of doing what works for you. It's all about balance.

LEGACY & ORIGINS

Did someone teach you any of this — a mother, A MENTOR, a woman who raised you?

People who come and go in our lives make impressions but we're all raising ourselves in this life.