Do you have a daily ritual or routine? I used to, and I’m slowly rebuilding one. As an artist—yes, I paint with words and ideas—I think it’s important to have some sort of process to give structure to the day. Not too much structure, though. Every day needs a loose outline to give direction and purpose; not a detailed, hour-by-hour breakdown that sniffles life and creativity.
Of course, my ideas on this subject might also have been influenced by an infographic we posted on this site a few years ago, an infographic inspired by a great book—Daily Rituals: How Artists Work.
The Good
What I like best about this book is the diversity of artists covered, diversity of art form musicians, philosophers, painters, photographers, and writers), nationality, and time period. Presented together, the daily rituals of this motley crew of creators helps to present a broad picture of the creative process. There isn’t a single path to creativity. Plus, several of my favorite thinkers and writers were profiled along with some very interesting selections, like Nicola Tesla, Sigmund Freud, Alexander Graham Bell, and Jonathan Edwards.
It was amazing to me how I could find small snippets of myself and my own creative process in the processes of others, which only served to confirm for me the idea that no one system will work for all of us. We must tailor our routines and rituals to suit our individuality, and therein, we’ll find a glimpse of the nature of God who expresses His infinity through human individuality.
The Bad
Some may not like the episodic nature of the book. Rather than a narrative or an obvert systematic structure, the book is merely a collection of vignettes or relatively equal length detailing the daily rituals of famous and infamous creatives. I found it refreshing, but you may not.
Wrapping Up
In the end, we all need to start well. Whether that means you get up early, abide by a stick routine, and hold yourself to exacting standards or you get up late, stay up late, and do what you feel like doing when you feel like doing it, you need to be who you are, be who you were created to be, and create as you were created to create.
– Readability (5.0)
– Breadth/Depth of Content (5.0)
– Helpfulness/Inspirational (5.0)
Recommended? – Yes, for any creative who wants to learn about others and, in the process, him or herself
Daily Rituals: How Artists Work is by Mason Currey
You can buy it from Amazon.
A copy of this book was provided to by my library in exchange for my property taxes.
Eric Dye says
This encourages me to do better about having my own daily rituals. But not just any. Those that help me grow, create, be healthy, etc…
Phil Schneider says
Same here! That’s part of my goal for the summer. 🙂