Creativity and the Grey Flannel Suit

Twyla Tharp is right. Creativity isn't just for artists. She believes that, "It's for businesspeople looking for a new way to close a sale; it's for engineers trying to solve a problem; it's for parents who want their children to see the world in more than one way."

Twyla Tharp is best known as the choreographer for the stage productions of "Movin' Out" and "Singin' in the Rain". What Tharp shares in her book is universal to businesspeople, artists and everyone in between; she explains how to make creativity a habit.

The Creative Habit: Learn it and Use it for Life
By Twyla Tharp with Mark Reiter, Simon & Schuster, $15.00 paperback, 256 pages, January 2006, ISBN 0743235274

Here's what Jack Covert of 800-CEO-read blog says about this fascinating book and Twyla Tharp:

She's right. Creativity is at the core of every business. While it's used at every step of the way, when faced with a new "blank page", project or whatever you dub a new venture, it can still be intimidating. Here's where the habit part comes into play. By making creativity a habit, you have something to turn to whenever you start something new.

She continues on entrepreneurs, "A successful entrepreneur can do everything and anything--stock the warehouse, negotiate with vendors, develop a product, design an ad campaign, close a deal, placate an unhappy customer--as well as, if not better than anyone working for him."

Whether you're an entrepreneur or an aspiring da Vinci, I highly suggest you check out this book. Use it to help you find your creative habit. Use it to make that "blank page" a little less intimidating.