It’s the same for any creative individual, whether it’s a painter finding his way each morning to the easel, or a medical researcher returning daily to the laboratory. Over time, as the daily routines become second nature, discipline morphs into habit. They might set a goal for themselves-write fifteen hundred words, or stay at their desk until noon-but the real secret is that they do this every day. That’s why writers, for example, like to establish routines for themselves. “After so many years, I’ve learned that being creative is a full-time job with its own daily patterns. Here are just a few of the themes and excerpts from this amazing book: Creativity is not a talent but a discipline. She takes the act of creating art out of the mysterious magical realm and returns it to the practical sit-down-and-do-something world. Tharp provides us with some unique exercises to challenge our current perspective and creative limitations. She sees artistic success not as a gift from the gods, but the result of creative work habits that are developed from years of sacrifice and practice even when no one else is paying attention. She also talks about the value of having creative rituals, routines, and doing the necessary work even when you’re not in the mood to create. Even though most people see Mozart as this amazing child prodigy and natural talent, what she sees is an artist who developed deformed fingers before he was thirty years old from endless hours of practicing and composing. Throughout the book the author does her best to debunk this whole idea of “natural talent”.

It’s her belief that greatness is more the product of hard work, habit, and perseverance than it is about talent. “ The Creative Habit ” by Twyla TharpĪvailable at your local bookstore and at įollow Twyla Tharp on Twitter the book “Art & Fear” was intended to get your head on straight about creating your art, “The Creative Habit” will give you (or at least attempt to give you) the self-discipline you’ll need to have a long successful career as a working artist.Īs a professional dancer and choreographer for over forty years, Twyla Tharp has little illusions about what makes a particular dancer, writer, composer, or artist great. It is my hope that you will enjoy them as much as I have. I truly believe that any of the books in this series would be relevant for all types of artists including writers, musicians, visual artists, photographers, or anyone else who’s work is creatively inspired. These particular books were chosen because they have dramatically changed my perspective as both a writer and as a human being. This is the second book in an ongoing series where we’ll be talking about a small collection of amazing books that deal with art and the creative process.

The creative habit