The Process of Art

In a Penske truck from Fort Myers to Atlanta, I listened to the audio version of I recently Mason Currey’s book, Daily Rituals: How Artists Work.

It goes through the daily rituals of 161 of the world’s most creative people. Thomas Wolfe, Jean-Paul Sarte, George Gershwin, Charles Dickens, Andy Warhol, Benjamin Franklin, and Igor Stravinsky to name a few. Currey’s concept actually started out as a blog before it became a book. 

One interesting excerpt from was about Mark Twain.

“He would go to the study in the morning after a hearty breakfast and stay there until dinner at about 5:00. Since he skipped lunch, and since his family would not venture near the study — they would blow a horn if they needed him — he could usually work uninterruptedly for several hours. … After dinner, Twain would read his day’s work to the assembled family. He liked to have an audience, and his evening performances almost always won their approval. On Sundays, Twain skipped work to relax with his wife and children, read, and daydream in some shady spot on the farm. Whether or not he was working, he smoked cigars constantly.”

So, artists have a process? Yes. They put themselves in environments and settings that enable creativity. There was an element of consistency in each of the rituals. Some stayed up all night and drank vodka, while others started their day with a mindfulness practice and tackled their most creatively challenging work early. No matter the strategy, they have a ritual or routine. One very interesting common theme between almost all of the 161 people was that at some point, they left their work and went on a walk. Getting away from your work actually helps it all come together. If you are stumped, leave it alone for a bit. You’ll be surprised at the results.