Daily Rituals (Mason Currey), Book Talk by Brenda Leyland

 

TITLE: Daily Rituals, How Artists Work

EDITOR/AUTHOR: Mason Currey

PUBLISHER: Alfred A. Knopf, 2013

HARDCOVER: 278 pages, $34.60CAN on Amazon.ca

KINDLE: $15.99CAN on Amazon.ca

SUBJECT: rituals and routines, writing, art creativity, historical essays

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"A solid routine fosters a well-worn groove

for one's mental energy and helps

stave off the tyranny of moods."

Mason Currey

Today we wrap up September and our writing prompt on daily creative rituals. How fitting then to end the month with a closer look at Mason Currey's book Daily Rituals, How Artists Work. I got my own copy some years ago on my sister's recommendation, and it's one I like to keep handy for quick inspiration.

Currey has researched the routines and habits of 161 creative people from the past and present and from all walks of life: authors, musicians, filmmakers, painters, philosophers, scientists, cartoonists, and so on. It includes well-known individuals such as W.H. Auden . . . Mozart . . . Louis Armstrong . . . Søren Kierkegaard . . . Ben Franklin . . . Pablo Picasso . . . Joyce Carol Oates . . . Agatha Christie . . . Toni Morrison . . . Charles Schulz . . . to name a few.

Flip the book open, start at the beginning or anywhere, read a random few pages. You'll probably stop when you come across someone you recognize and admire, of which there will be more than a few. The entries are a mix of short anecdotes and direct quotes. They give an entertaining and illuminating insight into how these individuals used their sometimes brilliant, occasionally quirky, often mundane routines to push through their hurdles and stall-outs. To give you an idea of what to expect when you pick up this small book, here's a peek at two authors (since we're writers here) whose routines struck a chord with me:

1. TONI MORRISON. Having read her classic The Song of Solomon for the first time this past summer, I was most interested to know what this Nobel Prize Laureate in Literature had to say. Ms. Morrison worked fulltime as an editor at Random House, taught university literature courses, and raised two sons as a single parent. Yet, she made time to write bestselling books, Nobel Prize winning works. So, how did she achieve this level of success in these ultra-busy, less than ideal writing circumstances? Here's one thing she said:

"When I sit down to write I never brood. I have so many other things to do, with my children and teaching, that I can't afford it. I brood, thinking of ideas, in the automobile when I'm driving to work or in the subway or when I'm mowing the lawn. By the time I get to the paper something's there—I can produce." p. 61-62  What a great use of her time.

2. ANNE RICE. Now I won't seek out some novels she's written (gothic horror, for example, is not my cup of tea), but I did feel a kinship to what she said about her routines: "I certainly have a routine, but the most important thing, when I look back over my career, has been the ability to change routines." p. 216

According to Anne, the routines changed depending on what she was working on. For some novels, she wrote at night to escape distractions and interruptions. For others, it worked better for her to start late in the morning; first reading the newspaper, checking Facebook, and answering e-mails—there you go, readers—then writing into the afternoon with breaks to stretch legs, gaze out the window, and sip her Diet Coke. Ms. Rice said it was not about being strict; her routine would emerge naturally, without conscious planning, when she began a new book. According to online info, her books have sold over 100 million copies—obviously her varying routines worked for her.

Along with How Artists Work, Mason Currey has authored Daily Rituals: Women at Work. He is currently writing his next book scheduled to come out in 2023. Mr. Currey lives in Los Angeles.

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A SIDE NOTE: In our September prompt, Sandi Somers mentioned Karen Stiller's blog post in which Karen had reviewed Mason Currey's book. I didn't know about this when I first asked Wendy for a spot to review a book that was a great fit with the theme. It turned out to be the same book but since I had my blog post started weeks ago, I decided to go ahead and share my own thoughts. So, fellow InScribe writers, if this 'coincidence' isn't a spur to find the book and read it, I don't know what is!

Inspired by the beauty of God's world around her, Brenda Leyland happily writes from her home in northerly Alberta, Canada. She blogs at It's A Beautiful Life and posts on her Facebook page.

Why Have Daily Rituals? by Lorrie Orr

 

For the past ten days, the world has been captivated by the news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II, and by the ceremonies attached to her death. The processions, the lying-in-state, and the funeral itself were replete with pomp and circumstance on a scale never before witnessed by so many. I know that I spent a good deal of time watching Youtube, enthralled by the magnificence, and curiously bereft at the loss of someone I had never met, but who had always been in the background of the fabric of my life.

Throughout these days I've been thinking about the role of ceremony and ritual in life, be it large or small. In my reading and thinking, I came across these words:

"rituals and ceremonies are extremely important as they invite us into the present and provide fertile ground to better deal with the challenges at hand." *

Bingo! This very blog post topic, and a related question popped into my mind. Which rituals invite me into the moment of sitting down to write, and enable me to deal with the task of writing?

The answer to this question is different for everyone, as we've read throughout the month's postings. I think of myself as a most undisciplined writer, but then I realized that when I establish routines and rituals, I am focused and productive. The problem is that life often intervenes and I am pulled from my routine - by vacations, family affairs, illness, and a number of other events. Getting going again is a challenge for me. Here are some things I'm learning about my rituals for productive writing.

A place. I've tried writing in various places, and what works best for me is beside a window where I can look out on the world, preferably my garden. Just now I stopped to think, resting my face in my hands, elbows propped on the desk, while my gaze registered the colourful dahlias waving in the breeze. A dedicated desk means, too, that I can leave a current project out, which is more tempting to return to. 

A deadline, self-imposed or other-imposed. My project just now is a memoir of our family's time in Ecuador. I started it last fall and made good progress, but when I was asked to teach again in January, the writing stopped. However, I am now setting myself a goal of finishing the rough draft by December 1. Having that deadline pushes me to write. For daily deadlines, I often set myself a word count.

A walk. When I have a thorny problem to work out, a walk outside most often helps me discover a solution. I once read that we return home smarter than when we left when we go for a walk. Moving my body helps my brain.

Little delights. A cup of tea. Pretty notebooks. An interesting container for my pens and pencils. A comfortable cushion behind my back. A piece of dark chocolate. A cozy shawl around my shoulders on a cold morning. These small ceremonies contribute to a sense of well-being.

Grace. When I recognize that there will be days when I don't feel like writing and skip it, or when life's demands intervene, I must extend grace to myself. God knows my heart, and he knows my limitations. He, the ultimate grace-giver, whispers words of encouragement. There will be another morning to write.

*quote from: Why ceremonies and rituals are still important today — The Conscious Club

Lorrie Orr writes from Vancouver Island where she enjoys boating and hiking with her husband. Gardening, sewing, reading, and spending time with her five grandchildren fill her days with happiness and contentment. She is newly retired from teaching high school Spanish.