TOP DRAWER BOOK REVIEW
by
HL Carpenter

 

The Creative Habit
by Twyla Tharp
243 pages; hardcover; $25.00
Simon & Schuster, New York, 2003

Thomas Edison once said genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration. Twyla Tharp, choreographer and author, wrote an entire book that says essentially the same thing.

Creativity, it turns out, takes a lot of effort, and finds wings mainly in mundane ritual and routine. The Creative Habit is loaded with stories and examples of these, as applied by well-known creative types in their daily lives. Ms. Tharp also tucks in plenty of exercises so you can craft your own creative habits, while granting glimpses into what pleases her personal muse.

The Creative Habit is a work of art. Literally. Varied colors, type sizes and font styles, combined with art work, intermittent gray pages and plenty of white space, give the book a textural, handstitched quilt appeal.

It’s also engaging. You may feel you’re sitting down with a chatty friend. Spending a few hours being inspired by great artists is always pleasant, and potentially productive. And if you’re looking for new ideas to jumpstart creative flow in your work or play, you may find value in the exercises.

Yet however much you enjoy the book, the problem – and the blessing – of creativity is this: the spark that lights your fire must come from you.

Can you make creativity a habit? Sure - even if you think you’re not creative.

Will you?

That depends on what you do after you finish The Creative Habit – when it’s time to roll up your sleeves and sweat.

 

Review originally published January 2004.