Amazon.com: Customer reviews: The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life

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Creativity is a habit, and the best creativity is a result of good work habits.

Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2023

Synopsis: Sixteen years after publication, Twyla Tharp’s The Creative Habit holds up well. Tharp, a household name in the dance community, breaks down what it means to create. Creation is hard and an act of sheer will, but that sheer will must have the discipline to back it up. As Ryan Holiday said, you can’t be the noun if you don’t do the verb. The Creative Habit is about how to set up your life so doing the verb gets easier for you.

Likes & Notes: The first half of this book was full of great wisdom. As the book progressed, it leaned heavily on direct examples from Tharp’s life in choreography. This wasn’t a bad thing, but I found it a bit repetitive.

Quotes: Creativity is a habit, and the best creativity is a result of good work habits. That’s it in a nutshell.

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ShannonF

Not my favorite read...

Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2023

This was purchased for an artist group I am in. We have read several books (The Artist's Way, Big Magic). I had really looked forward to reading this one as well. The first two chapters really held my attention but after that, it seemed to fall flat for me. I read most of the book but just couldn't finish it out as it didn't appeal to me.

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From the United States

Enjoy the pleasure of her company and the magic of her mind

Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2012

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As is my custom when a new year begins, I recently re-read this book and The Collaborative Habit. The insights that Twyla Tharp shares in them are, if anything, more valuable now than when the books were first published.

It would be a mistake to ignore the reference to "habit" in their titles because almost three decades of research conducted by K. Anders Ericsson and his associates at Florida State University clearly indicate that, on average, at least 10,000 hours of must be invested in "deliberate," iterative practice under strict and expert supervision to achieve peak performance, be it playing a game such as chess or playing a musical instrument such as the violin. Natural talent is important, of course, as is luck. However, with rare exception, it takes about ten years of sustained, focused, supervised, and (yes) habitual practice to master the skills that peak performance requires.

Tharp characterizes this book as a ""practical guide" but she also frames much of its material within a spiritual context. The creative process can probably be traced back to the earliest humans and yet so much of it remains a mystery. When Henri Matisse was asked if he was always painting, he replied, "No but when the muse visits me, I better have a brush in my hand." Of course, he was also prepared to transform an in inspiration into a work of art...and did on countless occasions.

In the first chapter, Tharp acknowledges what she characterizes as "a philosophical tug of war...It is the perennial debate, born in the Romantic era, between the beliefs that all creative acts are born of (a) some transcendent, inexplicable Dionysian act of inspiration, a kiss from God on your brow that allows you to give the world The Magic Flute, or (b) hard work." She adds, "Creativity is a habit, and the best creativity is a result of good work habits. That's it in a nutshell."

Throughout the remainder of her book, Tharp draws heavily upon her own personal as well as professional experiences (she would probably not make that distinction) while citing countless examples of other real-world situations that indicate "There are no `natural' geniuses." However, there are immensely creative people in every domain of human initiative. Therein, I think, is her primary purpose: To convince everyone who reads this book that they can be creative if they are willing to work hard enough.

Here is a representative selection of what she affirms:

o "In order to be creative you have to know how to be creative."
o "Build up your tolerance for solitude."
o "Trust your muscle memory" when physically exercising.
o "If you're like me, reading is the first line of defense against an empty head."
o "You never want the planning to inhibit the natural evolution of your work."
o "Work with the best."
o "Never have a favorite weapon." (Miyamoto Musashi, A Book of the Five Rings, circa 1645)
o "Build a bridge to the next day."
o "Know when to stop tinkering."
o "Creating dance is the thing I know best. It is how I recognize myself."

There is so much of enduring (and endearing) value in this book. Perhaps (just perhaps) this brief commentary helps to explain why I read The Creative Habit and The Collaborative Habit at least once a year and consult passages in them more often. Oscar Wilde once advised, "Be yourself. Everyone else is taken." Those who require proof of that need look no further than Twyla Tharp whose career is her art...and whose art is her life.

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C. McNair Wilson

Inspiring, Practical, Essential

Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2014

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"Creativity is not a gift from the gods," says Twyla Tharp, "bestowed by some divine and mystical spark."
It is the product of preparation and effort, and it's within reach of everyone who wants to achieve it. All it takes is the willingness to make creativity a habit, an integral part of your life: In order to be creative, you have to know how to prepare to be creative. In The Creative Habit, Tharp takes the lessons she has learned in her remarkable thirty-five-year career and shares them with you, whatever creative impulses you follow--whether you are a painter, composer, writer, director, choreographer, or, for that matter, a businessperson working on a deal, a chef developing a new dish, a mother wanting her child to see the world anew.
When Tharp is at a creative dead end, she relies on a lifetime of exercises to help her get out of the rut, and The Creative Habit contains more than thirty of them to ease the fears of anyone facing a blank beginning and to open the mind to new possibilities.
Tharp's exercises are practical and immediately doable--for the novice or expert. In "Where's Your Pencil?" she reminds us to observe the world--and get it down on paper. Amen! In "Coins and Chaos," she provides the simplest of mental games to restore order and peace. In "Do a Verb," she turns your mind and body into coworkers. In "Build a Bridge to the Next Day," she shows how to clean your cluttered mind overnight.
To Tharp, sustained creativity begins with rituals, self-knowledge, harnessing your memories, and organizing your materials (so no insight is ever lost). Along the way she leads you by the hand through the painful first steps of scratching for ideas, finding the spine of your work, and getting out of ruts into productive grooves. In her creative realm, optimism rules. An empty room, a bare desk, a blank canvas can be energizing, not demoralizing. And in this inventive, encouraging book, Twyla Tharp shows us how to take a deep breath and begin!
Twyla Tharp's rich and remarkable The Creative Habit is a book I will keep close at hand for re-reading and re-inspiring ...f-f-f-frequently. It is one of the most highlighted, underlined, marginal thoughts notes books I have in a library chock full of creativity books. This one is one of the top five on my list.

37 people found this helpful

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wiredweird

Don't just sit there.

Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2004

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Create something new. This book describes how Tharp, and the intent reader, can amplify their creative energies and direct them into creative output. It is so effective that, just a few pages in, I had to put the book down to go back to some writing that had languished.

When I got back to the book, I enjoyed it immensely. If anyone thought for a moment that creativity is some little light that flips on when it will, they are seriously mistaken. Occasional, random flashes do not support a livelihood. The good news is that, whatever your field, creativity can be cultivated. Someone working hard enough and working the right way really can generate what is needed, on a reliable basis.

The process she describes is grueling. It involves massive amounts of training and effort, every day, for years at a stretch. Like it or not, that's the way it has to be. Scientific creativity requires identical dedication and single-mindedness, as described by Santiago Ramon y Cajal in his Advice for a Young Investigator . The good news is that the training works. The process is the same for a mathematician as for a painter or dancer. It is certain and effective. This doesn't mean that every painter will become a Picasso or that every dancer can be a Tharp. It does mean that a sufficiently dedicated worker can generate new ideas, good ones, predictably.

Maybe, at this point, you can imagine some whiner mewling "I'm dedicated, but that's way too much work and it's boring." Such people have no idea what dedication means. Don't argue with them. It won't do them any good, and it will waste time you could have used productively.

I admit that I never learned to appreciate dance, let alone Tharp's oeuvre. I still respect her as an artist and innovator, even though I do not understand her art. This book was very well written - surprisingly well, since dancers I've known tend not to be verbally oriented. I enjoyed the way she opened her thoughts to the reader. It even felt voyeuristic at times, when she shared few words of her private vocabulary. I recommend this to anyone who creates new ideas of their own, or who wants an insider's word on the act of creation.

--wiredweird

32 people found this helpful

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Carol Vickery

Love this book

Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2023

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Very interesting. Have put the box idea into practice.

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Andy Orrock

More complex than the title and worth your time

Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2005

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The amazon-supplied blurb in this space opines that Twyla Tharp's "Creative Habit" is "more complex" than its self-help title suggests.

Exactly. This is America's foremost choreographer digging deep to dissect her life and her work practices, trying to distill what it is that has kept her productive and relevant throughout a professional career now at the 40-year mark. [Hint: Hard work. Ritual. Discipline. Hard work. Practice. Hard work...getting the picture?]

In addition, there are two other threads in the book well worth your while. The first is the invention of Twyla Tharp, a self-made, up-from-the-bootstraps talent from the foothills of San Bernadino, CA. Curious about the unique Twyla Tharp name? So was I. Tharp explains it here, and credits her Mom with wanting to pick out something striking for her daughter. Clearly, Mom had big plans for young Twyla, who did not disappoint.

The second in the invention of "Movin' Out," the dance story Tharp conceived and directed to the music of Billy Joel. This is briliant, spine-tingling stuff. In fact, I'd gladly pay $25 to read a book dedicated solely to the creation of "Movin' Out." It's fascinating to read how Tharp created the idea from scratch, presented it to the singer to get his approval and then drove it forward from there. You even get blow-by-blow details on how Tharp overhauled the Act One as the play worked out its off-Broadway preview kinks in Chicago. [And, as a Billy Joel fan, it's nice to see that he comes across as Tharp's perfect partner.]

8 people found this helpful

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Rachel Pierce

Good experience

Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2023

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Exactly as described--shipping was quick

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Lori S

Why Did I Wait?

Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2022

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My Kindle is always overflowing with books to be read. This one has been in the background for a long time. My son mentioned he was reading it for a class at school and it triggered me to want to read it too. The book is awesome for creativity in any form. The ideas presented to stimulate creativity, work through ruts, and just do your best work are great for anyone….in any profession. Simple, easy to read, yet so full of complex ideas honed over the years.

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Sparky

Written for Performing and Fine artists but useful for anyone laboring in a creative environment.

Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2021

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Read the book cover to cover; I could not put it down!
I am a dancer and I have been mostly unsuccessful in my attempts to do my own choreography.
The book teaches you how to lead a more creative life. It affirms what I have learned the hard way,
shares a lifetime of proven creative processes that you will want to instill in your own lifestyle.
It could very well save your job, reputation, current labor of love, sanity. While it probably won't save
your life it could have saved one artist's ear if he had read this book. (sorry about the anachronism)
Alas, I never met Twyla; but, if I did I would giver her a big hug!
Thanks,
Sparky-mark

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Carin Winkelman

Art is a practice

Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2011

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This is a very intriguing and inspiring book for anybody who is even remotely serious about their art.

Tharp is a succesful choreographer and uses examples out of her own life as well as those of other artists (in just about any field, so this is not a book about dance) to illustrate the importance of devotion and perseverance when it comes to living a creative life. Habits, discipline and simple hard work are the things she stresses again and again. This books gives a no nonsense approach to art that really speaks to me.

The fact that Tharp is a choreographer and sometimes goes beyond what I would be willing to sacrifice for art's sake does not diminish the power of her message, which is like being spoken to by a very strict but wise teacher. Art comes with devotion and keeping up a practice. Depending on inspiration won't get you anywhere in the long run.

In between the chapters Tharp offers a series of interesting exercises to keep the creative juices flowing. Some of them are dance oriented, but that does not mean they are any less interesting. This book is one I will read and reread time and again to keep me focused and motivated.

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Fabulous

Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2022

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This is an outstanding book on how to harness creativity. Tharp, a world-class artist herself, gives practical advice and offers exercises to help develop discipline in one's creative process. Highly recommended.

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