The Creative Habit

The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It For Life (2003), a self-improvement book by legendary American dancer and choreographer Twyla Tharp, seeks to set out a blueprint to help readers turn creativity into not just a conscious act, but an unconscious habit.

Written at the age of sixty-five, Tharp draws on a lifetime of experiences to put forth handy tips to help readers foster creativity both in their work and in their everyday lives. In many instances, Tharp says it is best to rely on rituals for creativity to happen. For example, it is important to come to work every day with a "starting ritual." The use of rituals may seem counterproductive to the creative process, which relies in many ways on spontaneity. The problem, Tharp writes, is that there is no way for creative people to know exactly when inspiration will strike. It is important, she says, to be ready for this inspiration by making time to be at work and to be always creating while at work. One might create a lot that isn't any good, but this clearing out of the cobwebs, so-to-speak, is a necessary ritual for getting to the "good stuff" that comes when the creative juices start flowing.

Another of Tharp's rituals is "The Project Box." For each new project she embarks upon, Tharp grabs a simple cardboard box, and as she moves through the initial stages of the project, she puts everything she is going to need for that project in the box. This is important for a number of reasons. For example, the box is an important physical manifestation of the project, serving as both a reminder to the artist but also as physical proof that the project exists. When a project only exists in a creator's head, Tharp says, it can be difficult to make headway on it. Tharp also uses the box as a milestone marker during projects, as well as a motivator. For example, if she is stuck on a project, she can look inside the box and see all the work she has done so far. This both contextualizes the work for her, reminding her of how much work she has already put into it and why the project should not be abandoned. Lastly, the project box is a good organizational tool, plain and simple. Being organized and prepared, Tharp writes, are crucial if one wants to be creative every day.

In addition to starting rituals, Tharp also recommends ending rituals. Her ending ritual is something she picked up from Ernest Hemingway, she advises, always stop in the middle of a task so it's easy to pick up the next day. If you stop at the end of a task, it can be hard to know where to begin when you pick the work back up the following day. By stopping in the middle of a task, you know exactly where to start. In addition, the act of finishing one task can better help lead to a logical path to the next task. If you write books like Hemingway, this could mean stopping work in the middle of a sentence. For a choreographer like Tharp, it could mean stopping at step 5 of a dance move instead of step 8. There are endless ways to adapt this particular ritual to one’s own work, Tharp says.

While rituals are important, Tharp draws attention to a concept she calls "Creative DNA." Creative DNA is a combination of one's talent and experiences. To tap into this DNA, Tharp suggests writing one’s own "creative autobiography." This is done by asking oneself a number of questions and answering them. Some of these questions include: "What is the first creative moment you remember? Was anyone there to witness or appreciate it? Which artists do you admire most? What is your ideal creative activity? What is your greatest fear?"

Although Tharp is a dancer, throughout the book she is careful to show how her ideas and strategies can work regardless of one’s creative field. Furthermore, one doesn't need to have any knowledge or even interest in dancing to appreciate the lessons Tharp relays here.