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gimchi's review
2.0
"some people find this moment -- the moment before creativity begins -- so painful that they simply cannot deal with it. they get up and walk away from the computer, the canvas, the keyboard; they take a nap or go shopping or fix lunch or do chores around the house."
emphasis mine because that is me.
... overall, found it interesting and helpful, especially the exercises. they're oddly physical, which i liked. i'm very much mentally in the mood for the straighforward, and she tended to blather on a bit much about too much detail. may try to re-read at some point.
emphasis mine because that is me.
... overall, found it interesting and helpful, especially the exercises. they're oddly physical, which i liked. i'm very much mentally in the mood for the straighforward, and she tended to blather on a bit much about too much detail. may try to re-read at some point.
amid's review
3.0
I found "The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life" to be an interesting read with some valuable insights into developing creative habits. However, I was not a fan of the exercises included in the book. I felt that they were too prescriptive and didn't leave enough room for individual creativity and exploration. While some readers may find them helpful, I personally did not enjoy them and found myself skipping over them. That being said, the author's personal anecdotes and experiences were engaging and provided a unique perspective on the creative process.
backseatlink's review
inspiring
slow-paced
2.5
While I can appreciate some of the advice given in the book, it was often dull and dry in many spots. The first part of the book was good, but by the end book, I found myself skipping large chunks.
She incorporates exercises, but they were quite superficial. The book tried to be part memoir, part self help and I think that was the big downfall.
She incorporates exercises, but they were quite superficial. The book tried to be part memoir, part self help and I think that was the big downfall.
cdlindwall's review
2.0
Creativity is a muscle to be stretched, a skill to be improved, a habit to be developed.
Creativity is not a gift from our muses, sent to only the lucky ones.
This is the argument in Twyla Tharp's "The Creative Habit." I tend to agree with Tharp, and it's a reassuring idea that we can build creative success into our lives with enough hard work and consistency.
But while the tenet of Tharp's book is inspiring, I found the actual text to be dull and without much relevance to my creative projects. I didn't find her advice particularly powerful, and the "exercises" were a joke. (A typical one was to rearrange a few quarters on a table into unique patterns...) Maybe this book would've been more helpful for choreographers or dancers (Tharp's area of expertise, and where she has had enormous professional success), but I certainly wasn't moved as a writer.
I can appreciate Tharp's authority on following her own creative pursuits and having the world respond overwhelmingly well to them. But it doesn't make her an inspiring teacher, or apparently an inspiring writer, either.
Creativity is not a gift from our muses, sent to only the lucky ones.
This is the argument in Twyla Tharp's "The Creative Habit." I tend to agree with Tharp, and it's a reassuring idea that we can build creative success into our lives with enough hard work and consistency.
But while the tenet of Tharp's book is inspiring, I found the actual text to be dull and without much relevance to my creative projects. I didn't find her advice particularly powerful, and the "exercises" were a joke. (A typical one was to rearrange a few quarters on a table into unique patterns...) Maybe this book would've been more helpful for choreographers or dancers (Tharp's area of expertise, and where she has had enormous professional success), but I certainly wasn't moved as a writer.
I can appreciate Tharp's authority on following her own creative pursuits and having the world respond overwhelmingly well to them. But it doesn't make her an inspiring teacher, or apparently an inspiring writer, either.
jenn_stark's review
4.0
3.5 Stars. An essential book for creatives, as a guide on just how to get things done. Sometimes we as creatives wait for the lightning to strike, but this book shows how unsustainable that is over the long haul, and how to create a life that is ripe for creativity to flow from it on a daily basis. It took me a while to get through this book, mainly because it was so dense.... there were moments I was so absorbed in every sentence, others when I felt like skipping ahead. You can tell that she is an extremely highly disciplined and strict artist, much more so than most probably are. Not every part of this book spoke to me, but the nuggets that did were definitely worth the read.
tgbuck's review
3.0
3.5 stars, 5 stars for the first half. Great strategies and insights into establishing and maintaining a creative practice, if a bit pedantic and self-involved...