Daily Rituals

How Artists Work

By: Mason Currey

Narrated by: Adam Verner

Franz Kafka, frustrated with his living quarters and day job, wrote in a letter to Felice Bauer in 1912, "time is short, my strength is limited, the office is a horror, the apartment is noisy, and if a pleasant, straightforward life is not possible then one must try to wriggle through by subtle maneuvers."

Kafka is one of 161 inspired - and inspiring - minds, among them, novelists, poets, playwrights, painters, philosophers, scientists, and mathematicians, who describe how they subtly maneuver the many (self-inflicted) obstacles and (self-imposed) daily rituals to get done the work they love to do, whether by waking early or staying up late; whether by self-medicating with doughnuts or bathing, drinking vast quantities of coffee, or taking long daily walks.

Thomas Wolfe wrote standing up in the kitchen, the top of the refrigerator as his desk, dreamily fondling his "male configurations..."

Jean-Paul Sartre chewed on Corydrane tablets (a mix of amphetamine and aspirin), ingesting ten times the recommended dose each day...

Descartes liked to linger in bed, his mind wandering in sleep through woods, gardens, and enchanted palaces where he experienced "every pleasure imaginable."

Here are: Anthony Trollope, who demanded of himself that each morning he write three thousand words (250 words every fifteen minutes for three hours) before going off to his job at the postal service, which he kept for thirty-three years during the writing of more than two dozen books...Karl Marx...Woody Allen...Agatha Christie...George Balanchine, who did most of his work while ironing...Leo Tolstoy...Charles Dickens...Pablo Picasso...George Gershwin, who, said his brother Ira, worked for twelve hours a day from late morning to midnight, composing at the piano in pajamas, bathrobe, and slippers...

Here also are the daily rituals of Charles Darwin, Andy Warhol, John Updike, Twyla Tharp, Benjamin Franklin, William Faulkner, Jane Austen, Anne Rice, and Igor Stravinsky (he was never able to compose unless he was sure no one could hear him and, when blocked, stood on his head to "clear the brain").

Brilliantly compiled and edited, and filled with detail and anecdote, Daily Rituals is irresistible, addictive, and magically inspiring.

©2013 Mason Currey (P)2013 Timothy Ferriss

Motivating and Interesting

A simple concept, well executed. I found it very helpful and inspiring to listen to endless routines and rituals of some of the worlds greatest talents. The main thing I took from it is that there really is no ‘right way’, everyone does it different.

Nice Job!!!

Any additional comments?

Excellent job.... very impressive on the number of artists that were covered... wasn't sure what to expect, but really enjoyed it...

Terribly Interesting

As someone who enjoys pouring over my own routine and rituals, I found each of these little bite size chapters so encouraging and fascinating. As it turns out, they majority of the world's greatest artists were all addictive, impulsive, insomniacs.

Not what I initially expected but very enjoyable

Would you listen to Daily Rituals again? Why?

I will be listening to Daily Rituals again anytime I want a reminder that there is no one way to be a writer.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I listened to this book on my commute to and from work. It was easy to stop between artists and I looked forward to my commute so I could hear about the next artist.

Any additional comments?

I initially thought this book was going to be about how to create daily rituals but was not disappointed when I realized it was about the daily rituals of artists. I found it inspiring to hear some of the greats struggled to create the same way I do. It gives me hope that perhaps I really can become an artist in my own right even if I'm not as disciplined as I think I should be.

I had higher hopes

I guess I was expecting daily rituals that were noble enough to emulate. Most of the daily habits were that of alcoholism, pill abuse, depression, anxiety, and overall poor self-care.
On the bright side the book shows us that we tend to put people on artificial pedestals.

Tough to Get Into

I appreciate the research but it is a very dry book to listen to, it's more like a list than a narrative.

OUTSTANDING NARRATOR! Great content.

Very short chapters! Perfect when you only have a little bit of time. Very inspiring. So much diversity.

as regular as art.

necessary reading for any aspiring artist. a discreet look at how the sausage gets made.

A source of inspiration

This collection served as inspiration to show up to the page. To normalize struggles and resistance in the creative process and gather ideas from the most prolific artists of our time.

There is no one size fits all approach

Every self help book on the planet wants you to believe that you must go to bed early and rise at 4am like jocko willink to be successful. This book proves that everybody is different, find what works for you. Also shows the value drugs played.