The Creative Habit

Learn It and Use It for Life

By: Twyla Tharp

Narrated by: Lauren Fortgang

Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

All it takes to make creativity a part of your life is the willingness to make it a habit. It is the product of preparation and effort, and is within reach of everyone. Whether you are a painter, musician, businessperson, or simply an individual yearning to put your creativity to use, The Creative Habit provides you with 32 practical exercises based on the lessons Twyla Tharp has learned in her remarkable 35-year career.

In "Where's Your Pencil?" Tharp reminds you to observe the world - and get it down on paper. In "Coins and Chaos", she gives you an easy way 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 you how to clean the clutter from your mind overnight.

Tharp leads you through the painful first steps of scratching for ideas, finding the spine of your work, and getting out of ruts and into productive grooves. The wide-open realm of possibilities can be energizing, and Twyla Tharp explains how to take a deep breath and begin....

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2003 W.A.T. Ltd. (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Inspirational and Informative

I love the way that Twyla Tharp brings creativity from the ethereal space around us and into the physical space we occupy. Creativity is something we do every day. Creativity is an action. This book made that idea more real for me than any others have done. I highly recommend it.

Loved every minute of it

Filled with rich stories and amazing insights Ms Tharp shares so much wisdom for dancers and anyone else who needs to think creatively in their life or career. Can't wait to read her other books.

Love the book, not the narrator

The book is great, but I really dislike the way that the narrator reads it. She enunciates in such an unnatural way - nobody actually talks like that. I can't stand to listen to it and I'm going to get the Kindle version.

A much-needed shout-out to good habits

Any additional comments?

If you have any creative component to your work-life, you should listen to this book by Twyla Tharp. It's about facing the blank canvas of creativity and overcoming all of the distractions, fears, and roadblocks to getting creative work done.

And a terrific narrator, too.

Highly recommended!

Overall an inspiring listen

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I'd recommend it to friends looking for inspiration, motivation and ideas on how to keep up their creativity and work in it as a profession. Why? I found the stories and such promote all the necessities to successful creativity in a really nice and clear way.

What did you like best about this story?

She uses a variety of examples and explains things really well. It's a good book on reflecting and learning from a fellow creative's experiences as she explains her own mistakes, pitfalls and areas of success. I liked the examples of other creatives she also researched and read about.

Which scene was your favorite?

I enjoyed the stories on classical composers and their working habits the most.

What insight do you think you’ll apply from The Creative Habit?

I'm seriously considering her idea of putting each project into its own box/boxes to keep a log of everything associated to it. That was a neat idea.

Any additional comments?

The narrator did a really good job too, it was one of those cases she sounded like she truly did author the book. Loved it.

Creative Habits contain

Inspiration, concentration, perspiration, generosity, and dedication in varying amounts that are determined by talent, skill, choice, personality, and often, chance. Twyla describes many of these factors along with examples and commentary that I’ve already found worthwhile.

Great for master creators

I am a creative and this book helped me strategize and realize how I can manage my creativity and let go of perfection

Too much name dropping and dancing references

We get that you met Billy Joel. This book is padded with her personal experiences that get too specific to be helpful. A good biography of her life maybe but not a great read for artistic productivity

Nice but could have been more

The book is really nice. Valuable ideas for fostering the creative habit. I just think it's a little too one dimensional since it's very specifically framed around the authors experience with dancing choreography. It would've been nice to have perhaps some interviews with different creative people and their thoughts on how to foster their creative habits.

great book

I believe this book is very relatable, easy to understand and useful. thank you! I will read it again