What I Think About Tharp

After reading the first three chapters of “The Creative Habit” my initial thoughts were that it really was an interesting, fun, and easy read. The actual set up of the book with different fonts and sizes makes it hard to get bored or drift off and the actual content is interesting to read as well. I found this book to be interesting because a lot of what she mentions is very conflicting with what I have grown to believe. Her idea that creativity is a habit and is trained through a routine was a very different idea to me. Like Tharp mentions most of us do believe that creativity means on the spot and spontaneous, and that it just comes naturally. I am not a dancer but I do draw and paint, and now that I have been introduced to this idea, I really started thinking of what I do and how I create my artwork. For me, I realized that everything is very much planned. I sit there and I think of what color I want to put where and from there I have to think of all the other colors that I am going to use and where I want to put them so that they go together, your basically trying to think three steps ahead. I never realized I did that, I always just imagined that I had that picture in my subconscious and it all just flowed unto the canvas in a strike of creativity. I also realized that I do have a routine when I am trying to create art. First off I always do everything on the floor, so I set all my materials in front of me and I blast my music. From there it’s easy to see all my materials and visualized what would go together and what I can create. Another idea that I think Tharp was right about it, is that we fear creativity. I feel that fear all the time when I first start off. The first line is always the hardest because you’re so afraid of ruining the canvas or of not creating something good enough that you do become paralyzed by that fear and a couple of time I did end up just putting everything away because I just didn't “feel’ creative at that moment. I am interested in learning more about Tharp’s ideas and suggestions of how to be creative in the readings up ahead, I can tell that this book is not only fun to read but it really does make you think out of the box and or out of the normal for you, and I am excited to read more.