I recently began reading Twyla Tharp's New York Times bestseller The Creative Habit to learn how to be more creative every day.
Tharp says that before you can be creative, you have to know how to prepare to be creative (Tharp 9). This preparation involves selecting an environment that works for you, developing a start-up ritual, facing down your fears and temporarily cutting out distractions.
I work well in public libraries and Starbucks. Selecting an environment? Check.
My new weekday start-up ritual will be to wake up before 8am, put on my gym shoes and go outside for roughly 20 minutes. Whether I use that time to take a brisk walk, chase a squirrel up a tree or repeatedly roll down a hill is irrelevant. My goal is to get my body up and moving and to force myself to begin thinking creatively early in the day. Developing a ritual? Check.
I'm often reluctant to speak up in class or at work out of fear that people will think less of me. Similarly, I'm reluctant to take on new projects or try new activities out of fear that I won't be good enough. According to Tharp, "Doing is better than not doing, and if you do something badly you'll learn to do it better" (32).
Wow. Write that down. Singing Karaoke is better than not singing Karaoke. Dancing is better than not dancing. Taking a class is better than not taking a class. Doing something badly is better than not doing it at all. I like that. Facing down my fears? Check.
Facebook is my biggest distraction. PerezHilton comes in at a close second. According to Tharp, cutting out distractions allows you to become more focused. Well, I'm not about to give up Facebook or Perez for a whole week, but I will compromise by attempting to live without Reality TV this week. Temporarily cutting out (some) distractions? Check.
Creativity, I'm ready for you to happen.
Tharp says that before you can be creative, you have to know how to prepare to be creative (Tharp 9). This preparation involves selecting an environment that works for you, developing a start-up ritual, facing down your fears and temporarily cutting out distractions.
I work well in public libraries and Starbucks. Selecting an environment? Check.
My new weekday start-up ritual will be to wake up before 8am, put on my gym shoes and go outside for roughly 20 minutes. Whether I use that time to take a brisk walk, chase a squirrel up a tree or repeatedly roll down a hill is irrelevant. My goal is to get my body up and moving and to force myself to begin thinking creatively early in the day. Developing a ritual? Check.
I'm often reluctant to speak up in class or at work out of fear that people will think less of me. Similarly, I'm reluctant to take on new projects or try new activities out of fear that I won't be good enough. According to Tharp, "Doing is better than not doing, and if you do something badly you'll learn to do it better" (32).
Wow. Write that down. Singing Karaoke is better than not singing Karaoke. Dancing is better than not dancing. Taking a class is better than not taking a class. Doing something badly is better than not doing it at all. I like that. Facing down my fears? Check.
Facebook is my biggest distraction. PerezHilton comes in at a close second. According to Tharp, cutting out distractions allows you to become more focused. Well, I'm not about to give up Facebook or Perez for a whole week, but I will compromise by attempting to live without Reality TV this week. Temporarily cutting out (some) distractions? Check.
Creativity, I'm ready for you to happen.
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