The Most Successful Artist Didn’t Get Up Before 11 am

Is getting up early stifling your creativity?

Steve Johnson on Unsplash

They say we should get up early to be successful.

It’s an idea that works well for me.

I love getting up early to see the sunrise.

And my best ideas typically occur somewhere between 5 am and midday. It’s the time when I’m most likely to enter the flow state. And when I feel the most inspired and at ease.

I also love being up when the birds wake so I can feel connected to nature.

Just because it works for me, it doesn’t mean it’ll work for you.

You don’t need to join the 5 am club

Early rising might not be your key to success.

While proponents of early mornings will point to successful people who rise early, there are plenty of examples of people who don’t.

The truth is, that some of the world’s most successful people sleep late.

• CEO Mark Zuckerberg claims that he's not a morning person. Unlike many of his tech peers, he doesn’t rise until 8 am.
• Pharrell Williams stays in bed until 9 am.
• And Karl Lagerfeld often sleeps until 9 am or later.