8 hours a night + good habits = creativity
As an art school student, I overheard a lot of my fellow students braggin' about how little sleep they got the night before because they were so involved in a painting or pushing to meet a deadline. Sometimes I wondered if I just didn't have it in me... the wild drive and desire to spend all night working on a painting. I was jealous of their zealousness to work long, late hours. But as I continued through school, I witnessed many of these same students suffering from breakdowns, forming unhealthy habits and experiencing mental unrest. duh!? They don't require health 101 in our freshman course requirements.
Sleep research has proven time and again that we need our 6-8 hours to allow our bodies to heal, recover and expell toxins (which we know that college students have plenty of ...). In addition to the research on the benefits of sleep to our creative abilities, I also agree with Twyla Tharp's research from her book The Creative Habit. She states "Creativity is a habit, and the best creativity is the result of good work habits." So I wasn't such a bore in art school after all!
What are your healthy habits that fuel your creativity?
