The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life by Twlya Tharp.
I just finished reading this gold mine for creative inspiration and I really can’t say more positive things about it. While Tharp is a dancer, she has a wonderful, well-educated way of speaking about a number of different artistic mediums that transcend her craft. You can easily mold her tips, exercises, personal stories of growth, and the other featured artists’ stories to fit your own personal creative endeavors.
She has so many great ideas for pushing yourself as a creative professional from surrounding yourself with a “task force” of brutally honest friends to setting yourself up for success by building creativity into your everyday life with rituals and/or daily practices.
Beyond the general inspiration, it was incredibly refreshing to see another artist’s thought process in creating her own work. There’s a certain amount of research, judgment, and consideration that goes into every successful artist’s craft and Tharp really emphasizes the procedures by which an artist gets to a higher level of mastery.
If you’re looking for a book to inspire you in your creative pursuits or just need some help in developing and perfecting your ideas, The Creative Habit is a great place to go. I highly recommend it for every artist.
