While knowledge is valuable, choreographer Twyla Tharp argues that a creator's most difficult and essential work is "protecting but refining instinct." The challenge is to prevent intellectual understanding and external feedback from diluting the pure, immediate, and often correct, gut reactions that drive original work.
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Twyla Tharp argues that a major success creates a more difficult creative situation than a failure. Success raises expectations and leaves the artist with the daunting question of "what now?" whereas failure provides a clearer, albeit painful, path forward to improve and try again.
Technical talent is not the primary driver of resonant creative work. The key ingredient is 'taste'—an unteachable ability to discern what will be emotionally pleasing and impactful to an audience. This intuitive sense separates good creators from great ones.
Renowned choreographer Twyla Tharp defines the "spine" of a creative project as its central focus. This core idea connects all disparate elements, preventing the work from becoming disjointed and providing a grounding point from which all decisions must originate.
As expertise develops, one can shift from rigid plans to relying on deep 'programming'—the sum of instincts and experience. This allows for adaptability in high-stakes situations, turning potential disasters into moments of authentic performance that a rehearsed script could never achieve.
Twyla Tharp outlines the creator's spectrum of audience engagement: from complete manipulation to serve their desires, to total disregard in favor of pure self-expression. The optimal approach depends on the context, such as whether the work is a commercial contract or a personal artistic exploration.
Gaining more knowledge as a creator doesn't make the process easier; it expands the field of options and raises the stakes, creating bigger challenges. Choreographer Twyla Tharp cites late-career Beethoven, whose deafness forced him into a unique, mature creative space.
Twyla Tharp defines a successful performance as a service provided. The key metric is not technical perfection or critical acclaim, but whether the audience leaves in a better state than they arrived—with a renewed sense of optimism or joy. This frames artistic creation as an act of public service.
When working privately, don't label early attempts as successes or failures. Instead, choreographer Twyla Tharp suggests evaluating them based on their utility. The crucial question is not "Is this good?" but "Is this useful? Does it generate the next question and move the process forward?"
Twyla Tharp reframes her famous 5 a.m. gym routine not as a cherished ritual but as a "loathsome" reality. The purpose isn't enjoyment; it's the non-negotiable work required to prepare her "instrument" for the challenges ahead. Discipline is about necessity, not passion for the routine itself.
To build a sustainable career, creatives can't rely solely on external validation like sales or praise. Motivation must come from the intrinsic value found in the act of "making the thing." This internal focus is the only way to avoid an insatiable and unfulfilling need for approval.
