Thursday, June 23, 2011

Ritual

Ok, I'm just going to quote here, because maybe I'll remember it more if I write it:

"In order to be creative you have to know how to prepare to be creative... ...there's a process that generates creativity--and you can learn it. And you can make it habitual. There's a paradox in the notion that creativity should be a habit. We think of creativity as a way of keeping everything fresh and new, while habit implies routine and repetition. That paradox intrigues me because it occupies the place where creativity and skill rub up against each other.
Turning something into a ritual eliminates the question, Why am I doing this?... The ritual erases the question of whether or not I like it. It's also a friendly reminder that I'm doing the right thing, (I've done it before. It was good. I'll do it again.)"

I just started reading this book again, well, actually I never finished reading it before, hmmm guess I didn't get into the ritual of reading it!! It seems pretty good though. 

I know it's easy to make a habit of anything. I could easily get in the habit of eating potato chips every night, but it's just as easy to get into the habit of doing something healthy or beneficial. I used to go to bed and read. One night, I had an apple while I was reading, and started having an apple each night I would read. After about a week, I couldn't start reading unless I had an apple with me. I started to crave apples in bed while reading. 

So I guess the idea is to create some ritual that becomes a habit and keeps you moving and working. Sometimes I freeze up... I don't know what I want to work on, I can't decide which is more important, I can't think of anything... So if I can create that ritual which leads to habit, I will go in and work on anything, it doesn't matter what it is, as long as I'm working on something. It doesn't have to be the most creative thing I've ever done. It doesn't have to be the Nobel prize winning piece. Actually, most of the nice pieces that I've done, came from an ordinary idea that I just kept working on and developed. It's hard for me to remember that.

TADA is a ritual as is RAW

Do you have any rituals that get you into the studio to work?

2 comments:

  1. I've been renting alot of movies from the library and playing them while I make something at the bench. It keeps me from getting up and then getting distracted.

    My ritual is 10am-2pm, 4 days a week is at the bench. Unless big things happen. If I don't know what to make, I try to just pick up a how-to book and make a project from there.

    I miss RAD though. It felt more like ritual where sometimes inspiration visited. I'd like to do something every single day again..maybe earrings.

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  2. This is a very interesting book. I like the thought that creativity is a habit. I have developed many rituals in my working habits but I admit that sometimes it feels refreshing when you escape from the ritual and try to do things differently.

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