The Creative Habit, guidance and inspiration

As photographers we are constantly searching for creative guidance and inspiration to produce ‘creative’ imagery. Sometimes ideas flow freely whilst at other times we hit a wall and not sure where to turn to next.

I recently had one such period when the creative juices just seemed to dry up, whilst looking for inspiration I came across a book entitled The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life by Twyla Tharp. Now I must admit that until that moment I had not heard of Twyla Tharp but after reading the book reviews I decided to purchased a copy. I am so glad that I did, it is a wonderful book to read, a book full of common sense and good practical advice on the creative mindset.

Twyla Tharp is a dancer and choreographer and whilst many of the examples in her book are drawn from her dance experience there is much to be had for photographers and indeed all varieties of aspiring artists. The principal is simple – the act of being creative is something that has to be nurtured and worked at constantly, Twyla discusses the power and merit of having a structured and disciplined approach to her creative efforts and eloquently conveys the message of consistency and dedication to the creative process in a very clear and engaging way. Personally, I rarely do “exercises” in books, but I am doing the exercises in this book and looking  to apply the results to my photography.

I found Twyla’s book has opened up a whole world of  creative opportunity and how to live in it, offering a deep insight into how to change your life into a more creative one. Overall a most enjoyable book to read, indeed it is probably the most practical and thoughtful book on the creative process that I have ever read. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking to stimulate their creativity.