"You are right on time"

writer, artist, and movement practitioner Cody Cook-Parrott on starting a running practice, leaning into ritual, and taking life one day at a time ⚪

May 22, 2026

This is a Beginner’s Mind interview, a series that explores the intersection of creative practice and mindfulness. Zen master Shunryū Suzuki Roshi said, “In the beginner’s mind, there are many possibilities; in the expert’s mind, there are few.” This series shines a light on the practices that sustain people in their daily lives and open the door to new possibilities. Subscribe for free below to make sure you don’t miss any future interviews. ✨

Today, I’m very excited to share an interview with writer, artist, and movement practitioner, Cody Cook-Parrott. During my humbling, ongoing struggle to dismantle my workaholism, Cody’s book, How to Not Always Be Working, has been profoundly helpful. Over the past two years, I’ve been working from home for the first time, and Cody’s work has become even more instrumental in my life. At first, I flailed around trying to shape my work hours into a structure that maximized my productivity, but there was no rest or balance built in. I forgot I was a human and not a machine. I returned to Cody’s work and found a way forward. Cody shares their own struggles and strategies for making creative work in ways that honor our needs for movement, rest, connection, and service. Their rituals for organizing a day transformed my approach to time and productivity, so that now, I’m able to build in more space for balance, lightness, and grace.

Cody’s weekly newsletter, Monday Monday, is one of the few newsletters I read every week. Their podcast, Common Shapes, has introduced me to a number of creative humans I am now learning from (Amelia Hruby, Podge Thomas, Jacqueline Suskin). And, their Daily Writing Tracker (one of the free resources on this page) has become a vital part of my writing practice. Cody’s work always meets me where I am, helps me look at my habits with gentleness and humor (so I don’t run the other way), and energizes me to create change.

Cody is the author of six books, including The Practice of Attention, out now with St. Martin’s Essentials. I’m currently running a book club to read The Practice of Attention alongside others in this newsletter community and it’s helping me to make some changes I’ve needed to make for years. Whether you’re new to Cody’s work or have been following them for awhile, you’re in for a treat with this interview. Cody talks about starting a running practice, leaning into ritual, and taking life one day at a time. Read on, friends. ⚪

What’s your biggest struggle and/or triumph with your writing/creative practices these days?

My struggle and triumph are interwoven. A huge triumph is celebrating thirteen years of being self employed as an artist, writer, and creative business owner. I feel so lucky to work for myself and the freedom it gives me, especially as someone with chronic pain and chronic migraines I am so grateful for the flexibility I have.

At the same time, always having to figure out how to monetize an offering or practice is a struggle. It isn’t easy to decide how to price things, market them, and fill them. In the early days of social media I could make one post and sell out a class. It doesn’t really work like that anymore for me. It takes a lot more strategy and effort. And while generally I have fun with that, it can be exhausting when the numbers don’t add up.

What are the most important mindfulness/spiritual practices in your life?

My spiritual practices are all very simple. In the morning I like to read a daily reader and say a few prayers, usually dipping into my morning pages. I’ll light a candle and take whatever flower essence I’m working with. If I’m working on a long form writing project I might do this activity later in the day so I can get right to work on writing when I wake up.

I also just started running which feels exceptionally spiritual. It is taking great strength to do something that is so uncomfortable to me (I am brand new to running) so I feel like I am praying the entire time. Walking in the woods is also about as close as I can get to god :) Nothing like hitting the trusty dirt path to find a little spiritual awakening.

Do you have a mantra or motto related to your creative/spiritual/mindfulness practices/life?

It’s so cliche but the mantra I truly say the most is One Day At A Time. This mantra has kept me sober for fifteen years, has kept me in the arena of self work, has kept me from compulsive shopping and debiting when I wanted to be saving. In my darkest moments I have returned to this saying over and over. I just have to keep my focus on today and I will be safe.

What helps you when you get stuck?

My planning and goal setting rituals really help me when I get stuck. I set nested goals for myself on different time horizons: Yearly, Quarterly, Monthly, Weekly, and then those translate into Daily tasks. When I get stuck I just go into my little Notion dashboard I’ve created and tend to the task list. It helps to look at the yearly goals to see if I am living my life day by day that matches that energy.

I also make a beverage when I’m stuck. Like if I’m writing or working and get stuck I’ll make a fresh pot of tea or grab a seltzer.

What does the phrase “beginner’s mind” mean to you? Does it connect to your creative/or spiritual practices?

I am really connected to beginner’s mind in my running practice right now. I am only at 90 second intervals of running at a time so I am not even running three minutes in a row yet. It is incredibly humbling to attempt this. I am training for a 5k in July and using the Couch to 5k app. It’s really helpful to have the built in structure of going out 3 times a week to run and knowing that each week builds on itself. The only person I’m trying to impress is me!

I don’t have a sitting meditation practice at the moment and have been thinking of trying to integrate that again. And that really requires a beginner’s mind and being ready to be uncomfortable.

I feel like that is what all of my spiritual and mindfulness practices lead me to: preparing for discomfort, embracing the groundlessness, inviting in hopelessness. Becoming an empty vessel free of expectations and open to the outcome.

How do you see your creative/mindfulness/spiritual practices connected to/shaped by other practices or work in your life?

My mindfulness practices absolutely ripple into my writing. I find that my writing is much more grounded than it used to be. I have five planets in Gemini so I am a very airy individual and tend to float and bop around in everything I do. In many ways this is a gift and I love that about myself, but it also requires a spiritual life that can bring me back down to Earth. I think this is also why I am enjoying running because it gets me outside more.

I also feel like quilting is its own spiritual practice. Quilting falls into almost every category of my life. It is my job to teach it, sometimes I make them to sell, usually I make them as a hobby as gifts, it is a meditation every time I sew.

What advice would you give someone who is trying to start or restart a creative or mindfulness/spiritual practice?

Do not beat yourself up for needing to start over. Do not feel like you are too late to begin a spiritual practice. You are right on time!

And just because you didn’t stay consistent before doesn’t mean you can’t try again. I also find consuming media about the thing I am getting into helpful. I’ve been watching running documentaries, listening to podcasts with runners, texting friends who run. Immersing yourself in the practice from multiple angles can help tether you.

**Order your copy of** **The Practice of Attention**!

Cody Cook-Parrott is a writer, artist, and movement practitioner who builds simple structures to support daily creative practice. Their work centers attention, devotion, and creative ecosystems—so practice becomes a steady scaffolding for making a life, online and off.

Cody is the author of six books, including The Practice of Attention and the daily prayer book Look About You. They write the weekly newsletter Monday Monday and host the podcast Common Shapes. Cody holds a BFA in Dance from the University of Michigan and is an MFA candidate in Creative Writing at Naropa University.

Their work has appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, Dance Magazine, The Huffington Post, and beyond. They live on the Leelanau Peninsula in Northern Michigan.

Your turn: Do you have any other questions or thoughts to share with Cody?

Catching up with Beginner’s Mind Alums ✨

We’re a little ways into our low-key book club for The Practice of Attention and it’s really life-giving. Paid subscribers can still join anytime and in any way! Details in here. ALSO! Cody is going to join us for part of the time on Wed, July 22nd (our final meet-up) from 12pm-1:30 pm EST to chat about the book. Save the date to join us! 🎉
Maria Bowler started a new podcast called Make Human!! Run don’t walk to listen 🎧
Nancy Reddy published this excellent piece about remembering what works in your writing life— and this one about building buzz for your book—highly recommend both!

Before you go, will you take a moment to hit the heart button or leave a quick comment about what strikes you here? This one simple action is incredibly effective at helping to spread the word about Cody’s work! Or, send it to a friend that you think would love what they shared. ✨

✨Be Where You Are is a newsletter for anyone who hears the humming underneath it all and wants to create spacious time on this planet right now.✨ To reply to this newsletter, just hit reply. I’d love to hear from you! You can also find me on Instagram/Facebook/Bluesky or find more info at my website.