A colleague asked me recently, “How do you choose what to write? Don’t you get paralyzed by all your potential ideas?” I get a lot of questions about the writing life, but this one gave me pause. I thought for a moment, then told him, “I get excited about a particular form, and then I […]
Creativity
Cross-Pollinating Creative Practice
“How would you practice this?” I asked my private flute student. She’s in ninth grade, very talented, and currently working through the Anderson Opus 24 Etude book. (Flutists will know the one.) “What would you do first?” She told me that she’d play through the first few lines very slowly. Then, once she’d gotten a […]
Disorganized Creativity
I don’t think of myself as a disorganized person, and I’m pretty sure no one who knows me would use that word to describe me. To the outside world, I’m the opposite of disorganized. I meet my deadlines; my paperwork is always in order; I have intense focus on a project and always see things […]
My Creative Autobiography, Part 3
Today’s post is the conclusion of my creative autobiography, based on Twyla Tharp’s 33 Questions. I hope you enjoyed this series, because answering these questions has been a true miracle for me. It has opened my eyes to the real sources and themes of my creative life, and that knowledge will have lasting impact on […]
My Creative Autobiography, Part 2
Welcome back to my 3-part series exploring creative autobiography! If you’re just jumping now, consider starting with part 1 or jumping back to the original 33 questions. Today’s questions probe deeper into creativity habits and sources. 12. What are your habits? What patterns do you repeat? I have a lot of healthy habits. I exercise […]
My Creative Autobiography, Part 1
In yesterday’s post, I introduced the 33 questions from Twyla Tharp’s The Creative Habit: Learn it and Use it for Life designed to guide the reader to write a creator’s autobiography. Today I’m going to answer the first eleven questions. I hope some of you will join me in pondering these questions and sharing the […]