Daily Rituals: How Artists Work

I'm ashamed to admit that prior to the last couple of years, I was not a reader. Now, I'm reading three books at once! This is one of them. As I've picked up the habit, I've started reading a lot about habits - the science behind them, how to maintain them, and how to get rid of them. This was such a nice treat! It really complements the other books I have been reading as it takes you through the daily habits of those whom many think wouldn't have any. Good or bad, the habits they had made them into some of the most recognized and admired artists of all time. You see many shared habits between them, which you could attribute some of their success to, and may even want to incorporate into your own life.I've also never had a huge interest in history (I know, I was a terrible student - math was more my thing), but I found myself intrigued with the simplicities of daily life in the 1700s, 1800s and early 1900s. It's such an easy read and hard to put down! It's informative, inspiring, and introduces you to new artists whose work you may fall in love with. I can't bear to part with it as it's definitely one to reread, so I will be purchasing more copies for my loved ones!

I read Daily Rituals: How Artists Work for a book study I am doing with the Emerge Arts Ministry group. It was a very interesting read. Basically the author/editor researched the work habits of about 150 artists, mostly from the fields of literature and visual arts, though artists from other disciplines were also included to a lesser degree. The book yielded some fascinating insights. Of course the artists sampled are anything but a monolithic group and their working habits ran the gamut. There were of course some destructive traits that showed up quite frequently including addictive behaviors and some of the random weirdness that is often associated with my fellow artists. On the other hand there were other artists with whom I really resonated, including something I am most passionate about. Many of the artists sampled derided the idea of sitting around waiting on inspiration. Rather they showed up every day and pursued inspiration by sitting down and doing the work. This is a trait that I believe all artistic people should aspire to. I really enjoyed this book and learned something from most every artist featured. Some showed me things I wanted to emulate, while others showed me the kind of artist I do not want to be. Both of those things can be helpful. This book is a worthwhile read. It is composed of very short essay style chapters, so the reader can digest the book in small bites if desired.

Mason Currey has gathered together from a variety of sources accounts of how artists work. Most of the artists are writers, but he includes a number of painters and a smattering of choreographers, architects, and others. The entries are quite short; none is longer than a few pages and some are only a paragraph or two.The artists' approach to their work varies, but most seem to work for just a few hours per day, typically first thing in the morning. Most seem to stick to a schedule, although some seem to work sporadically -- or erratically! -- and so don't appear to actually have "daily rituals."Currey makes no attempt to draw conclusions from the material he has gathered, so the reader is left to take what he will from the entries. Because there is no particular organizational theme and because there are so many entries, this is a book best read in short bursts rather than cover-to-cover in a single sitting.Although I enjoyed the book, I have a couple of minor criticisms: First, Currey doesn't always make clear that for a substantial number of these artists the work schedule described applied to just a brief period in his or her career. To take one of many examples, George Orwell is described as writing on a schedule determined by his hours as a clerk in a used bookstore, but Orwell only held that job for a brief period. Second, the order of the entries appears random or nearly so. In a few cases, the entries for similar artists appear together, but that's rarely the case. Here, for example, are the last four entries in the book: Maira Kalman, Georges Simenon, Stephen Jay Gould, Bernard Malamud -- quite a mixed group (and should a writer of non-fiction like Gould have been labeled an "artist"?). It might have been more helpful to have grouped the artists by type and then chronologically within type. Doing so might have made it easier for readers to detect common approaches and consider how the approaches may have varied over time.

An interesting book written to satisfy the curiosity of what the activity of daily living (ADL) of these famous people, artists in their own unique way, might have contributed to their greatness. Might the readers glean a hint so they may fashion their ADLs accordingly and achieve greatness for themselves. I stopped reading halfway through the book after I was properly disillusioned, having determined the sad realization that for most of these people, heavy use of mind-altering drugs and alcohol was a common denominator. This kind of inspiration I can do without and will most certainly not want to share with my children....There were a handful of great people written up in the book who did not indulge in drugs to produce great works. I think there should have been an equal number of them, if not more, but their stories, and possibly the book would not be rated highly.

Listen to Daily Rituals on Audible when you go walking for the next 2 weeks--it could change your life. Not many people write books and make millions with their intellectual properties. To accomplish that, you will not act like most people.I found it helpful to hear how very productive people structured their day: when did they eat, walk (most of them did), see patients, see family, make love, and sleep?Examine the daily rituals of people like Einstein, Sigmund Freud, Charles Dickens, Carl Jung, Steven King, Richard Feynman, Benjamin Franklin, Isaac Asimov, and many others.This book did two very important things for me: (1) It gave me ideas for how to structure my day to get things done, and (2) it made me feel less weird for living the way I do. Both of those are equally important, and you can do neither without the other.I have trouble reading this one, so I listen to it. Even though I keep the hard copy handy for reference, I have listened to it many times, several times a year, since I first bought it when it first came out.

I appreciate how many different artist the author includes here. It shows a wide range of talent at work and the vast amount of differences in what creative types do to get the work done. I enjoyed reading it, very short chapters, if you could even call them that, quick bio's that cut right to the routines. It was handy to have my iPad close as a few writers I was not familiar with and would have liked at least a mention of their most notable works. This info was included in some but not all of the essays. The artists included were also heavily stacked with writers, followed by composers. I would have preferred more visual artists but that is just a personal bias. I also would have liked to see more living artist included. The author relies mostly on diaries, biographers and oral second hand accounts for the information presented, interviews with living artists would be perhaps more relevant to our times. It's a bit discouraging how many prolific artist past had meals all prepared for them, maids and typists, etc. Maybe a sequel! Even with these wants I found the book enjoyable and fun to read.

This has easily become one of my favorite books. Through a series of vignettes, it outlines the daily routines and work habits of some of the greatest artists from history and in our time. One of the things I find so charming about this book is the way in which it depicts each artist's quirks and distinctive traits. It even shares many of their gastronomic habits. You will find a range of different personalities and temperaments in the 161 figures covered in this book, from the ordinary, conventional, and even-tempered, to the more volatile, mercurial, and eccentric. In my view, what Daily Rituals offers is a means of communion with the greatest writers, poets, playwrights, composers, painters, filmmakers, and thinkers, all in one neat little book. It humanizes them, makes them accessible, and allows us to inspired by their example in our own work and daily lives. It's also an excellent reference book for further research into creative personalities. In short, this book is a treasure trove for any artist working today. Thank you, Mr. Currey, for bringing this into the world.

I enjoyed this book and I wrote a complete review on my website. It's a bit lengthy to post here, but the following excerpt should be more enough to get my point across.Is your creativity driven by a looming deadline? Do you need four or five cups of Diet Pepsi or tea before you can even think of putting one word on the paper? Does the rest of the world need to be sleeping for you to hit your stride? Do you sometimes type the title of an article on the page just to see words on the page? Okay, well maybe I’m the only one that does those things. If not, join the ranks of many creatives that have rituals or behaviors that get their creative muscles warmed up and ready for the battle of the blank sheet or canvas.As a creative who grew up with other creatives, Daily Rituals piqued my interest and would hopefully feed my curious nature. Maybe this middle of the night creative could pick up a few tricks of the trade from some of the most successful artists in the world. Perhaps I could gain a little insight into how they became so successful and in some cases are still going strong. If nothing else, it would be fun to take a peek behind the curtain.And it was. I really enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick, informative, enjoyable read.

Daily Rituals: How Artists Work is a very insightful book that provides a glimpse into the daily routines and habits of various artists. It’s easy to read, making it a perfect daily read. I found it inspiring and motivational to see how different creators approach their work.Overall, a great book for anyone interested in creativity, productivity, or the lives of artists. Highly recommend it!

Me encantó el libro. Wonderful research, funny, delicioso

Bello

This quite unusual 275 page book includes brief, well-written accounts of the 'daily rituals' practiced by 161 inspired and inspiring minds, from Tolstoy to Woody Allen to Dickens to Warhol to Picasso to Jane Austen to Beethoven ... Each delightful entry runs from 1 to 3 pages in length and all are remarkably well-researched. Easy to read, fun, jammed with insider anecdotes. From the jacket (and entirely accurate): "Writers, composers, painters, choreographers, playwrights, poets, philosophers, sculptors, filmmakers and scientists on how they create (and avoid creating) their creations." The book is a joy. Dip into it anywhere, for however long. I happen to be a bibliomaniac and this is my find of the year. ... It's physically small, therefore easy to carry also.

Really comprehensive and fascinating book on daily routines of over 150 amazing people that have made their mark in the world. It was inspiring and I read it in 2 days!