One of the tenets she spells out at the very beginning of the book is that real, productive artists don’t rely on visits from the muse to create their work. What they do is get down to work.
Not only that, but anyone who’s willing to do the work will be able to produce. One not need to have been born an artist to do valuable creative work (and by creative I mean anything that involves creating, not just artwork). Good work is the result of habit and discipline.
Tharp believes that successful creators construct environments and habits that serve them. She herself gets up at 5:30 every morning and goes to the gym. That sets her up for the day. She even calls it a ritual, an activity that is always the same and that triggers a certain mindset that it’s been associated with. For some, the ritual can be getting a cup of coffee. For a painter it may be priming a new canvas. At work, it can be a ten minute check-in meeting. What’s yours?
Claire I enjoyed this read and wondered where self-motivation for the work fits into your notion that "Good work is the result of habit and discipline."
Thoughts?
Posted by: Ellen Weber | April 1, 2006 7:16 PM | Permalink to Comment