Photo by a.drian
I discovered a fantastic blog at the weekend — Daily Routines: How writers, artists, and other interesting people organize their days (via Undead Pixel). It contains what it says on the tin: first-hand accounts of how famous people optimise their daily routines for creative work.
For example, here’s Haruki Murakami‘s typical working day:
When I’m in writing mode for a novel, I get up at 4:00 am and work for five to six hours. In the afternoon, I run for 10km or swim for 1500m (or do both), then I read a bit and listen to some music. I go to bed at 9:00 pm. I keep to this routine every day without variation. The repetition itself becomes the important thing; it’s a form of mesmerism. I mesmerize myself to reach a deeper state of mind. But to hold to such repetition for so long — six months to a year — requires a good amount of mental and physical strength. In that sense, writing a long novel is like survival training. Physical strength is as necessary as artistic sensitivity.
With a collection including Vladimir Nabokov, Benjamin Franklin, Jasper Johns, Franz Kafka and Ingmar Bergman, the site is an Aladdin’s Cave for students of creativity and productivity. The entries are categorised both by occupations (Architects, Artists, Filmmakers, Musicians and Composers etc) and by habits. So you can browse to your hearts content through Drinkers, Drug Users, Early Risers, Exercisers, Nap Takers, Night Owls, Procrastinators and Smokers.
If you’re as fascinated as I am by creative rituals and routines, then you’ll know what a joy it is to discover this entry by Stephen King:
“There are certain things I do if I sit down to write,” he said. “I have a glass of water or a cup of tea. There’s a certain time I sit down, from 8:00 to 8:30, somewhere within that half hour every morning,” he explained. “I have my vitamin pill and my music, sit in the same seat, and the papers are all arranged in the same places. The cumulative purpose of doing these things the same way every day seems to be a way of saying to the mind, you’re going to be dreaming soon.
Or this one from fellow novelist Will Self:
Rituals. Smoking–pipes, cigars, special brands, accessories, the whole bollocks. Coffee, tea, strange infusions–I have a stove on my desk. Fetishising typewriters, pens, etc.
Part of the fun of Daily Routines is that you could use it as an excuse for all kinds of bad behaviour in the cause of creativity. How do you fancy a whisky at 11am, followed by a three-course lunch with Champagne, Port, brandy and cigars; then another whisky at 5 PM to set you up for a large dinner washed down with lashings of booze? If it worked for Winston Churchill, it could work for you! Can’t be bothered to mow your lawn? Tell your partner you’re only following in the footsteps of German artist Gerhard Richter. Don’t see why you should stop smoking in bed? Neither did Gustave Flaubert. Unwilling to interrupt your work just because it’s your wedding day? Willem de Kooning would have sympathised.
Immanuel Kant is famous for having a daily routine so regular that his neighbours set their watches by his morning walks, but it turns out even he bent the rules a bit:
Apparently, Kant had formulated the maxim for himself that he would smoke only one pipe, but it is reported that the bowls of his pipes increased considerably in size as the years went on.
The only major disappointment is the Drug Users category, which consists of a single entry — the mathematician Paul Erdös, who wrote mathematical formulae under the influence of ‘Benzedrine or Ritalin, strong espresso, and caffeine tablets’. No harm to him, but it’s not very rock ‘n’ roll is it? Where are the poets on absinthe and opium, the musicians on LSD? Or is that kind of thing not very conducive to a daily routine?
Plus there aren’t many women featured on the site — they mostly appear in the background, as the wives of blokes like de Kooning and Darwin, whose lives were evidently arranged around their husbands’ routines.
Reading through the collection and seeing so many recurrent themes, it’s tempting to draw generalisations about the importance of routine in creativity. But of course the nature of Daily Routines means that it attracts accounts of creators like Flaubert, whose ‘Days were as unvaried as the notes of the cuckoo’. If your creative ‘process’ is a chaotic round of accidents, binges, coincidences, arguments and crises, you’re not likely to be submitted to the site. But don’t let that hold you back from the pleasures of a cup of cold chocolate for breakfast and a lethal martini at 6 pm — if you’re serious about your creativity and productivity, you’ll want to subscribe to Daily Routines.
What’s Your Daily Routine?
Do you have a daily creative routine? If so, what is it?
What are your favourite examples of famous creators’ routines? The more eccentric or plain boring the better!
Can you think of any counterexamples? i.e. creative people whose lives were ruled by chaos? You can include yourself if you like. 🙂
About the Author: Mark McGuinness is a Coach for Artists, Creatives and Entrepreneurs. For a free 25-week guide to success as a creative professional, sign up for Mark’s course The Creative Pathfinder.
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« Previous 1 2 3 Next »Thanks for sharing everyone, some great examples.
David - Great Flaubert quotation, I used it a while back when I wrote about Why You Need to Be Organised to Be Creative.
Modern Painter - I like your bridge metaphor. I'm not so sure I can go along with 'No rules. No Schedule. Just genius.' - I'm a bit sceptical about the idea of genius. Would be interested in your take on this post.
Mark, thank you, I hesitate to define genius. In my blog about the Secrets of A Modern Painter, besides technique and painting theory, I talk about my ideas about creativity and expanding the mind. To me, genius is an understanding and trust of the self and a unification of the conscious and unconscious into a willful flow of ideas. To move from one moment to the next in a state of mindful intelligent continuity, both focused and free, is the goal. It is usually the case with artists that we need to break free at first from the constraints of a conservative society and thus go to extremes to find transcendence, but to find our way back and hold on to the path will always lead to great strength. Typically though, after experiencing the purity of true individual freedom of consciousness, the artist is on the edge of mania during some of the heights of creation. To retain the power of creation and return to balance is the ultimate struggle. To me art and creativity are timeless; to create according to a schedule is for others.
Thank you again for inviting me to respond,
Gabriel
I think I'll have to browse the procrastinators just to make me feel better. In fact, I could even browse the procrastinators as a form of procrastination. I should be doing some writing now, after all. In fact, I should have been doing it at mid-day. It's now almost half past eight and I still haven't done it. I suppose I'm just not a morning person.
Gabriel - Personally I find the idea of 'genius' causes more problems than solutions, but sounds like it's an inspiring and enabling concept for you, which is great to hear.
Quentin - Why not follow Churchill's example and treat yourself to a weak whisky and soda as you browse the procrastinators?
In regards to genious and creativity, here is an very interesting point of view by Elizabeth Gilbert on youtube. I reccomend truelly. I never think the same about the meaning of word 'genious' since I've listen to her points. Very healing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86x-u-tz0MA Great discussion - love it!
Ole!
Thank you for the link, it was inspirational, amusing, and very pertinent.
Yes, that's a great video and a very interesting take on the idea of genius. I wrote about it here: Elizabeth Gilbert - Is Creativity Divinely Inspired?
Very good post. Routine is a form of discipline, and only disciplined and focused dedication towards our work can bring out our creativity.
We all are creative in one way or other...But we tend disregard many a time that. Lack of routine in our daily activities may be one of the reasons for that.
Hi friends,
Many people think that Inspiration is a little fairy that flutters wings at high speed while descending on their left or right shoulder, depending whether they are left or right handed, of course. In other words, creativity is at the mercy of the little inspirational fairy's flying route...what worries me is that if I subscribe to this belief and do not know the intent of the fairy, I can fall into the trap of accepting the landing of the mentioned being and wait... And wait... Not knowing that it came just to have a rest! So... let us get real about creativity and inspiration. It comes the moment we enter our creative space and set our intent and organize our tools. We sharpen our pencils, we stack our papers, we put on our ballet shoes, we sit at our piano or take the violin out of its case... We actually start with some ACTION that blows the cobwebs away. It is no point in having a studio, all set up but never entering that space unless we feel the calling. If you want to be a writer, write... If you want to be a better writer, write. Do not worry about quality, do the quantity, and the quality will shine through in time. Many of us are giving up too soon....
To your successes!
Gabriela
I connect with what Beth says regarding schedules and having children. It's extremely challenging to follow any kind of artistic immersion with these amazing critters around. All the examples above- are about men. Men who lived at a time they had someone else, usually a woman, to take care of all the "messy life" things. And to my knowledge, Ms Gilbert also does not have children.
Sooo, I love your ideas, and your writing, and I'd be grateful if the gender-race-economic reality issue will be included in the "organizing principle"...
Shira
Good points Shira. We had a great discussion about kids and creativity a while back, including the different ways it *often but by no means always* affects different genders. Have a look at the article and especially the comments:
Does having kids spell the end of your creativity?