The choreographer who taught me about creativity
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I was re-reading one of my fav books about creativity over coffee the other morning: The Creative Habit by American choreographer Twyla Tharp. I’ve four game-changing insights from her book: 1 . Creativity loves routines​ She writes, “The ritual is not the stretching and weight training I put my body through each morning at the gym; the ritual is the cab.” I’m all for rituals. I don’t get up at five am like Tharp because, you know, sleep. But I keep the morning for deep work (think writing or vibe coding) and the afternoons for client work. 2. Don’t wait for inspiration​ She writes: “…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.” A lesson there for anyone who’s ever opened up a writing app and said, “I don’t feel like it today!” 3. Finish creating what you started​ “Better an imperfect dome in Florence than cathedrals in the clouds.” For a few years, I coached aspiring authors. Even now, when I talk about this service, people say to me, “I’ve got this great idea for a book.” EVERYONE has a great idea for a book inside of them. The reality is that only a few people will take that idea and turn it into something publishable. Writing a book is hard, and it won’t turn out like you imagined, but better to reach The End than to say “Someday…” 4. Embrace change (even if it’s hard)​ She writes: “You don’t get lucky without preparation, and there’s no sense in being prepared if you’re not open to the possibility of a glorious accident.” That last one got me thinking more about being open to using AI. Some creatives and business owners are using it to make a killing. Others hate and fear it. AI is helping me grow and scale my business in a way that wasn’t possible a few years ago. It’s the only game worth playing right now for any creator or business owner working online. I get why some people fear it. They’ve an emotional connection to their work, but use AI appropriately, and it’ll free you up to become more (not less) creative. If you need help thriving in the age of AI, I’ve opened up a few spots in Pro Creators Only. It’s my one-to-one coaching program. Read about it here. |