The Creative Habit: Our First Book Club Pick! AME 124

I’m diving deep into how to cultivate your creativity with daily practice and awareness by following the exercise in Twyla Tharp’s book The Creative Habit…our first book in the DSS book club!

This book isn’t what you think it is.

It’s not a quick checklist of creative activities to do so you feel like you accomplished something. This book goes deep into the psyche of how creatives think. Not just visual artists but musicians, writers and dancers. It stabs you with truths and realizations that really make you think. So much that reading this book didn’t happen quickly. I would stop at a sentence and allow the words to sink in.

It was hard to pick my favorite exercises and take-aways  but I managed to select my Top 5 Big A-Ha's from the book.

After the episode, join me over on the Deep Space Sparkle Facebook page for a discussion on what you thought of The Creative Habit.

Patty's 5 biggest takeaways from reading The Creative Habit: Learn it and use it for Life by Twyla Tharp:

 1. Twyla's 5 Big Creativity Fears

- people will laugh at me

- someone has done it before

- I have nothing to say

- I will upset someone

These are so universal, aren't they? I share my thoughts on these inside the episode.

 2. Muscle Memory

How copying and repetitive action leads to personal inspiration and mastery. I literally LOVE this one so much. It's an undervalued an underestimated practice.

 3. Start with a Box

The power of collecting ideas so they won't be forgotten is just so liberating. It helps creative folks "capture:" their ideas so they are free to move on with their day knowing their idea won't be lost.

Such a powerful exercise.

 4. Scratching

Permission to do research and the hunt for nibbles of ideas. Go with an intention of not stopping until something triggers inside you.

 5. Skill

The importance of building skills in order to develop creativity means that sometimes you just need to step outside your comfort zone.

"Success will happen by consistently doing the work of feeding creativity. Not judging the process. Not analyzing but just feeding, the sifting. Basically, experimenting without expectations." - Patty

What do you think?

Please join me over on the DSS Facebook page for a conversation about the book. Look for Book Club in the events.

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LINKS & RESOURCES

Cézanne Still Life Artwork

Henri Matisse Apples on a Table Artwork