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Writer's pictureLelia

Creativity: A Commonplace Book

Updated: Feb 28, 2021



“... art is the bridge between what you see in your mind and what the world sees…” Twyla Tharp, The Creative Habit


“Everything is raw material. Everything is relevant. Everything is usable. Everything feeds into my creativity. But without proper preparation, I cannot see it, retain it, and use it. Without the time and effort invested in getting ready to create, you can be hit by the thunderbolt and it’ll just leave you stunned.” Twyla Tharp, The Creative Habit


“Even if you never go near the arts, you are creating away like mad every single day, working in the medium of experience itself. Actions, objects, words, gestures - literally anything you influence by your choices becomes part of your creation. Every time you voice your thoughts to a loved one, or cook a meal, or choose a new bar of soap for the dish by your bathtub, you are creating a modification in space or time that would never have existed without you. Whether consciously or unconsciously, you have more power to create your own life than anyone or anything else.” The Joy Diet, Martha Beck


“Life is an art, not a science.” Keep Going, Austin Kleon


“Creativity is about putting your imagination to work. It is applied imagination.” Finding Your Element, Ken Robinson



“Making art is making love with life.” Walking in the World, Julia Cameron


“Practicing our creativity is healing.” Walking in the World, Julia Cameron


“The creative urge can come out in any form: in embroidery, in the cooking of interesting dishes, in painting, drawing and sculpture, in composing music, as well as in writing books and stories. The only difference is that you can be a great deal more grand about some of these things than others.” Agatha Christie: An Autobiography


“The creative process, like a spiritual journey, is intuitive, non-linear, and experiential. It points us toward our essential nature, which is a reflection of the boundless creativity of the universe.” The Zen of Creativity, John Daido Loori


“... being creative is never an end; it is a means to something else. Creativity is just a tool. Creativity can be used to organize your living room, paint a masterpiece, or design a weapon of mass destruction.” Keep Going, Austin Kleon


“Creativity is more about taking the facts, fictions, and feelings we store away and finding new ways to connect them.” Twyla Tharp, The Creative Habit


““Every time we make a thing, it’s a tiny triumph” is a line somebody wrote me in a letter. It’s the truth.” Austin Kleon, https://austinkleon.com/2020/05/24/a-tiny-triumph/


Treasured drawing by my daughter many years ago.

“I call it scratching… That’s what I’m doing when I begin a piece. I’m digging through everything to find something… Scratching takes many shapes. A fashion designer is scratching when he visits vintage clothing stores… You can scratch through books… Scratching can look like borrowing or appropriating, but it’s an essential part of creativity. It’s primal and very private… When you’re in scratching mode, the tiniest microcell of an idea will get you going… Reading, conversation, environment, culture, heroes, mentors, nature - all are lottery tickets for creativity. Scratch away at them and you’ll find out how big a prize you’ve won.” The Creative Habit, Twyla Tharp


“Reclaim your wild creativity.” Wild Mercy, Mirabai Starr


“Creativity embeds knowledge so that it can become practice. We move what we’re learning from our heads to our hearts through our hands. We are born makers, and creativity is the ultimate act of integration - it is how we fold our experiences into our being.” Rising Strong, Brené Brown


“Creating is the act of paying attention to our experiences and connecting the dots so we can learn more about ourselves and the world around us.” Rising Strong, Brené Brown


“Steve Jobs believed that ‘creativity is just connecting things.’ He believed that creating was connecting the dots between the experiences we’ve had, to synthesize new things.” Rising Strong, Brené Brown


"Creativity is your birthright... Creativity is generous, life-changing, mind-altering and practical as hell." Creative Calling, Chase Jarvis


"That's the thing about creativity: You don't need to see the whole path. You just have to take the next step. And the next. The path of every creator takes many unforeseen twists and turns. That's its nature. The only way to 'fail' at creativity is to stop walking the path altogether." Creative Calling, Chase Jarvis


"When it comes to creativity, no effort is ever wasted. Ever... Once you understand that your entire creative journey - every clueless mistake, every stinging failure - is an essential part of your path, you will see that there is nothing to lose by taking the next step, no matter where it leads." Creative Calling, Chase Jarvis

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