It’s been said on more than one occasion that creative people have brains that are just wired differently. The most famous of them–we’re talking Mozart, Beethoven, Picasso, Kant, Franklin, Murakami, etc.–still had routines, but they’re very different when compared against what we’d describe as a routine. A few years back, Mason Currey wrote a book about it called Daily Rituals: How Artists Work that analyzed 161 different daily rituals based on the materials available. That work was then turned into an interactive chart by Podio that allows you to visually explore the divisions between sleep, creative work, day job / admin, food / leisure / exercise that were employed by these famous creatives. Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.” Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five. Picasso’s Guernica. Hugo’s Les Misérables. It’s very likely that none of these famous works, and plenty of others from the other artists and inventors on the list, wouldn’t exist if their creators hadn’t done things a little differently. Even though these kind of practices aren’t something most of us can integrate into our daily lives, it’s fascinating to learn about.
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Huckberry’s Essential Holiday Gift Guide
Unzip your coat and have some mulled wine on the house—you’ve arrived at your final gifting destination: The Holiday Gift Guide. It’s like your friendly neighborhood one-stop holiday shop, except instead of balsa wood ornaments, ours is packed with thoughtful gifts for everyone on your list. Future heirlooms, small-but-significant stocking stuffers, and gear for getting out there (or staying in)—are all right here. There’s no music playing in the background though, so you’ll just have to hum Bing Crosby while you click around instead.
