Twyla Tharp (Source)
“In the end, there is no ideal condition for creativity. What works for one person is useless for another. The only criterion is this: Make it easy on yourself. Find a working environment where the prospect of wrestling with your muse doesn’t scare you, doesn’t shut you down. It should make you want to be there, and once you find it, stick with it. To get the creative habit, you need a working environment that’s habit-forming. All preferred working states, no matter how eccentric, have one thing in common: When you enter into them, they compel you to get started.”
― Twyla Tharp, The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life
I love when someone amazing — someone with true genius — breaks down something so that it makes so sense that there’s no way for it not to change me.
That’s what Twyla Tharp does in this quote.
It just leaves me kind of blinking at it as my head wraps around what she’s saying.
People always talk about the ‘why.’ But the ‘where’ matters a lot. Maybe it matters most.
A working environment that’s habit-forming. What would it take to make your working environment into a place where, when you enter into it, you feel compelled to get started?
I spent some time today setting up a group over on Goodreads for the Ninja Writers Club. I thought it would be amazingif we started a book club. Members will read The Creative Habit together — work through some of the exercises — and discuss over on Goodreads.
So that’s the plan for July and August. And then we’ll pick another book. Six writing craft or creativity books a year.
Want to join us? You can sign up here.
Ninja Writers Club
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