The Creative Habit

During our vacation in Chincoteague last week, I finished reading a book that I started a month ago. “The Creative Habit” was highly recommended by a creative blogger who inspires me, but I didn’t think it was all that great. Still, I gleaned some interesting quotes from the book that I wanted to share with you.

“Skill gives you the wherewithal to execute whatever occurs to you. Without it, you are just a font of unfulfilled ideas. Skill is how you close the gap between what you can see in your mind’s eye and what you can produce.”

“Too many people practice what they’re already good at and neglect the skills that need more work.”

“I cannot overstate how much a generous spirit contributes to good luck. Look at the luckiest people around you, the ones you envy, the ones who seem to have destiny falling habitually into their laps. What are they doing that singles them out? It isn’t dumb luck if it happens repeatedly. If they’re anything like the fortunate people I know, they’re prepared, they’re always working at their craft, they’re alert, they involve their friends in their work, and they tend to make others feel lucky to be around them.”

“A rut is the consequence of sticking to tried and tested methods that don’t take into account how you or the world has changed.”

“We get into ruts when we run with the first idea that pops into our head, not the last one.”

{all quotes are from “The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It For Life” by Twyla Tharp}

The Element: a few quotes on creativity

I usually use an index card as a bookmark so I can scribble down the page number and a few words that really stand out to me as I read so I can go back later and write down the whole sentence or paragraph. I recently read “The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything” by Ken Robinson, and these are some of the sections I wanted to remember and revisit.

“Imagination is not the same as creativity. Creativity takes the process of imagination to another level. My definition of creativity is ‘the process of having original ideas that have value.’ Imagination can be entirely internal. You could be imaginative all day long without anyone noticing. But you would never say that someone was creative if that person never did anything. To be creative you actually have to do something. It involves putting your imagination to work to make something new, to come up with new solutions to problems, even to think of new problems or questions. You can think of creativity as applied imagination.”

“Creativity involves several different processes that wind through each other. The first is generating new ideas, imagining different possibilities, considering alternative options. . . . The creative process also involves developing these ideas by judging which work best or feel right. . . . Overall, creative work is a delicate balance between generating ideas and sifting and refining them.”

“If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original.”

“What we think of ourselves and of the world makes us who we are and what we can be.”

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Perhaps these words captured my attention because I do more imagining than creating, even though I’m always more energized by creating than imagining. The internet provides endless inspiration and makes it easy for me to spend lots of time imagining, so I have lots of ideas swirling around in my head. But of course it’s only when I put those ideas into action that I actually create something. I think it’s fair to say that I’ve stockpiled plenty of inspiration and possibilities. Now it’s time to put my imagination to work.

What about you? Do you find yourself spending more time thinking rather than doing? What have you been imagining recently? I’d love to hear your ideas.

Just Checking

I know a book is a short, easy read when I start and finish the book in the same day AND reading is not the only thing I did that day. That day was today, and the book was “Just Checking: Scenes from the Life of an Obsessive-Compulsive” by Emily Colas.

Written by a woman with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, “Just Checking” is full of stories of how OCD manifested itself in her life and marriage. She has a wonderful sense of humor, and tells these short vignettes in an engaging, entertaining way. I bought the book last month at a used book sale at the Indian Valley Public Library, and since it was bag day and I bought 22 books for two bucks, it basically cost me about 10 cents. The book was enjoyable and even humorous, but given the topic, it was also kind of stressful, so I’m glad it didn’t take me long to read it!

Here are a few sentences that stood out to me that I jotted down as I read:

• “I possess an endless capacity to keep a worry alive.” (pg. 33)
• “When I can’t handle the world, I clean it.” (pg. 89)
• “But the startling realization I made as I was coming to my senses [via medication] was that life’s kind of a drag. There didn’t seem to be much to it. And my rituals had been a nice diversion.” (pg. 138)

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Last night at a half hour ’til midnight, I finished reading “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” by Mark Haddon. It was one of the most unusual books I’ve read, but it was a quick read and hard to put down.

The curious incident at the heart of the story was laid out within the first six lines of the book:

“It was 7 minutes after midnight. The dog was lying on the grass in the middle of the lawn in front of Mrs. Shears’s house. Its eyes were closed. It looked as if it was running on its side, the way dogs run when they think they are chasing a cat in a dream. But the dog was not running or asleep. The dog was dead. There was a garden fork sticking out of the dog.”

Don’t worry — that’s as gory as it gets. The story of the dead dog, Wellington, is told by Christopher John Francis Boone, an autistic fifteen-year-old whose mind works in incredibly fascinating ways. Christopher leaves no details untold as he describes his quest to figure out who killed his neighbor’s dog… and discovers some surprises along the way.

When I read books, I often jot down some lines that stand out to me. Here are a few words that caught my attention.

• “I like it when it rains hard. It sounds like white noise everywhere, which is like silence but not empty.” (pg. 103)
• “And then I had to work out what to do. And I did this by thinking of all the things I could do and deciding whether they were the right decision or not.” (pg. 129)
• “So I started walking, but Siobhan said I didn’t have to describe everything that happens, I just have to describe the things that were interesting.” (pg. 189) {Of course, the next ten lines were a big run-on sentence with completely unnecessary and highly detailed information.}

“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” was one of the five bestsellers I happened to buy at a used book sale back in October, and so far, I’ve read four of the five books (as well as six other books during that time). But I’ve been buying books faster than I can read them, so I have plenty of other books on my shelf to choose from next. And… there’s another book sale today!

2 for 22

This morning I paid two dollars for twenty-two books.

Our local library often has used book sales, and today’s was a bag sale, which means that I could stuff a plastic shopping bag full of books and pay only two bucks for the whole thing. I came away with 22 books, and my bag wasn’t even completely full.

Ten of the books were children’s books, but the other twelve were not. Here is the stack I’m most excited about.

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom – The author shares life lessons he learned from his former professor who is dying. I feel like the only person who hasn’t read this.

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer – I read part of this at Barnes and Noble several years ago, and have been wanting to read the whole thing ever since. It’s the story of a well-to-do young man who hitchhiked to Alaska and died of starvation in the wilderness.

Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott – I’ve never read anything by Anne Lamott, but every time I read or hear a quote by her, I want to read her books.

Girl Meets God by Lauren F. Winner – I’ve actually already read this book, but I wanted to own it. I’ve heard her speak before, and also own another of her books, and she’s just as compelling in person as she is in writing. From the back cover: “The child of a Jewish father and a lapsed Southern Baptist mother, Lauren F. winner chose to become an Orthodox Jew. But even as she was observing Sabbath rituals and studying Jewish law, Lauren was increasingly drawn to Christianity. Courageously leaving what she loved, she eventually converted. In Girl Meets God, this appealing woman takes us through a year in her Christian life as she attempts to reconcile both sides of her religious identity.”

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows – I know absolutely nothing about this book except that someone recommended it to me once upon a time. (Katie, was it you?) So, from the back cover again: “January 1946: Writer Juliet Ashton receives a letter from a stranger, a founding member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. And so begins a remarkable tale of the island of Guernsey during the German Occupation, and of a society as extraordinary as its name.”

Perplexing Lateral Thinking Puzzles by Paul Sloane & Des MacHale – A short description of a scenario is provided, and you have to figure out how to explain the missing details.

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell – What’s worse than buying a book you’ve already read? Buying a book you already own! And I even knew that we already have it. I guess that shows just how much of a fan of Malcolm Gladwell I am. “The Tipping Point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.” You’re welcome to borrow it; we have a spare copy.

Just Checking: Scenes from the Life of an Obsessive-Compulsive by Emily Colas – I just thought the title sounded interesting. When you’re shoving books in a bag for two bucks, the books start to feel like they’re free.

Marry Me! Courtships and Proposals of Legendary Couples by Wendy Goldberg and Betty Goodwin – The book tells the stories of 35 couples, including Martha Bernays & Sigmund Freud, Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz, Coretta Scott & Martin Luther King, Jr., Lisa Halaby & King Hussein I of Jordan, Hillary Rodham & Bill Clinton, and many others.

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin – I followed the author’s blog for a short time several years ago while she was writing the book. Happiness seemed to be so unnatural for her, and she had to work so hard at being happy that she seemed stressed out by the pursuit of simple happiness. I didn’t find it inspiring at all, and stopped reading her blog. But recently I’ve happened to see a surprising number of positive responses to the book on the internet, so I thought I’d read at least some of it. Maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Food Made Fast: Weeknight by Williams-Sonoma – I don’t really need another cookbook, but I collect them like some people collect new music or whatever else inspires them. Lime shrimp with coconut rice? Yes, please.

Real Simple Solutions from the editors of Real Simple – Eye candy plus good ideas.

All that plus ten children’s books (including the pop-up book Dinner Time by Jan Pienkowski) for TWO BUCKS!

Children’s Book Week

This is my final post about Children’s Book Week 2011. Click here to read the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth posts.

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Today is the last day of Children’s Book Week 2011, and I’ve had a very hard time deciding which children’s book to write about. It’s not because I can’t think of any more favorites — I’m struggling because there are so MANY!

Should I feature Curious George? Peter Rabbit? The Little Engine That Could?

Should I write about Caps for Sale? Henry’s Awful Mistake? Millions of Cats?

Should I honor Richard Scarry? Stan & Jan Berenstain? Shel Silverstein?

I couldn’t decide. So instead of reading another one of my favorite children’s books, I’ve decided to read YOURS.

What’s your favorite children’s book? Leave a comment on this post with up to three book titles, and I’ll read the first 50 books you recommend. Go!

Spectacles

This is the sixth in a series of posts about Children’s Book Week. Click here to read the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth posts.

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Although I enjoyed reading the book “Spectacles” by Ellen Raskin long before I needed glasses, this is a delightful book for any child who has glasses, needs glasses, or hopes they never need glasses. In other words — anyone.

“Spectacles” is about a girl named Iris Fogel who had trouble seeing clearly.

One day a fire-breathing dragon knocked on her door.

Scary, huh?

Turns out the fire-breathing dragon was actually Great-aunt Fanny!

See the fire-breathing dragon?

Iris was sure she saw a horse in her house…

… but it was actually her baby-sitter.

After many instances of being confused about what she saw, Iris’ mother took her to a blue elephant.

Er, an eye doctor.

The blue elephant / eye doctor determined that Iris needed glasses. She resisted, but then realized she got to choose between glasses that made her look younger or older, sweeter or smarter, like a scholar or a movie star, adorable or intelligent. (This picture of Iris wearing six different pairs of glasses was always my favorite page.)

So Iris’ vision problems were solved… until she took off her glasses and thought her family Christmas celebration was a red rhinoceros with a tulip in its ear.

The book is from 1968, so the illustrations seem a bit dated, but in a charming sort of way. And don’t you just love that the girl with vision problems is named IRIS? Me too.

Dr. Seuss’s ABC

This is the fifth in a series of posts about Children’s Book Week. Click here to read the first, second, third, and fourth posts.

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If you sat down and wrote a list of your favorite children’s books, chances are good that you would include at least one title by the beloved Dr. Seuss. But as charming as his fanciful, rhyming stories are, one of my favorite books is actually his book of ABCs that features alliteration more prominently than rhymes.

BIG A, little a, What begins with A?

Aunt Annie’s alligator, A a A…

BIG B, little b, What begins with B?

Barber
baby
bubbles
and a
bumblebee.

After a camel on the ceiling, a duck-dog, and an ear/egg/elephant, we arrive at F.

I always liked Lola Lopp.

I don’t know why, but N was always my favorite page when I was a kid.

Although most pages follow the pattern of “BIG X, little x, What begins with X?”, at just the right intervals, Dr. Seuss introduces some letters in a totally different way. It’s a refreshing break from the pattern, and yet it soon feels comforting to get back to the familiar rhythm.

W… w… W… Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.

Are you wondering how he handled X? No worries.

BIG T, little t, What begins with T? THANK YOU, Dr. Seuss!

Me Too Iguana

This is the fourth in a series of posts about Children’s Book Week. Click here to read the first, second, and third posts.

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I’m not sure why I only remember one of the 26 books in the Sweet Pickles series, but “Me Too Iguana” made a lasting impression on me when I was a child. (Maybe it was the only one we owned?)

“Me Too Iguana” is the story of an iguana who wasn’t content with who she was. She wanted to look like everyone else and be able to do the special things that only certain other animals could do.

Iguana wanted a trunk like Elephant, a mane like Lion’s, stripes like Zebra’s stripes, and feathers like the ones Goose had that were flapping in the breeze.

So she took the DIY route and made her own trunk, mane, stripes, and feathers.

When Iguana began to envy Stork’s ability to fly, her friends became worried for her safety. They realized that she was trying to be like them because she thought all of those features were better.

So Iguana’s friends invited her to a costume party — with strict instructions not to talk about the costumes in advance. Of course, Iguana wanted to wear what everyone else was wearing, but she couldn’t figure out what to wear. When she got to the park, she was confused, because all she saw were little flashes of green.

When Iguana realized that nobody was wearing a trunk, a mane, stripes, or feathers, she took hers off to fit in. And then she realized that all of her friends had come in an iguana costume — and she wasn’t wearing ANY costume.

After assuring Iguana that she was dressed perfectly, Stork presented the prize for the best iguana, and of course Iguana was the winner.

“You have the loveliest, greenest color,” smiled Stork. “You have the longest, bumpiest tail. Congratulations! We all think you’re wonderful just the way you are!”

“Yes,” said Iguana, very surprised, “I do too!”

Amelia Bedelia

This is the third in a series of posts about Children’s Book Week. You can read earlier posts here and here.

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In spite of all the problems she causes, it’s hard not to love Amelia Bedelia. Her antics have been amusing children (and their parents) since 1963, when Peggy Parish wrote the original story of the well-meaning maid who often misunderstood what other people meant and created all kinds of problems.

When I opened the cover of the book to find the copyright date, I got such a kick out of the incredibly succinct Library of Congress summary: “A literal-minded housekeeper causes a ruckus in the household when she attempts to make sense of some instructions.”

Ruckus indeed.

On her first day of work as the housekeeper for Mr. and Mrs. Rogers, Amelia Bedelia diligently worked her way through the to-do list they left for her, but unfortunately, she took everything literally.

She changed the towels.

She dusted the living room (with dusting powder).

When she finished drawing the drapes, she followed instructions to “put the lights out when you finish in the living room.” So she unscrewed the light bulbs and aired them out. “Just like pillows and babies,” she concluded.

Not surprisingly, Mrs. Rogers was angry when she got home and discovered all the problems that her new housekeeper had caused. She had even dressed the chicken! (Aren’t those overalls funny?)

But before Mrs. Rogers could fire her for incompetence, Mr. Rogers stuffed a bite of Amelia Bedelia’s fresh lemon meringue pie into Mrs. Rogers’ mouth.

The pie was so good that they decided Amelia Bedelia could continue to work as their housekeeper.

I think it’s somewhat unfortunate that it’s a woman in a service role who is portrayed as lacking intelligence, but of course this story is about so many other themes — double meanings in the English language; communication and misunderstandings; grace, forgiveness, and second chances; compensating for skills you lack; and maybe even about food’s ability to short-circuit rational thinking. 🙂