Steady daily application is one way to achieve something, and a “daily practice” is an approach that I, along with many creatives, focus upon. Now the guru of meaning-making and artistic self-help, Eric Maisel, has turned his wise eyes towards the concept. “The Power of Daily Practice: How Creative and Performing Artists (and Everyone Else) Can Finally Meet Their Goals” is a lively, judicious examination of the complex nature of a daily commitment. I found this heartfelt yet rigorous counsel to speak directly to my current needs and basked in its depths. I suspect those in my shoes – committed but perhaps inefficient workers – will revel in The Power of Daily Practice. An entire chapter drills down into twenty desirable characteristics of a daily program, and anyone attempting discipline will gain something from Maisel’s reflections. I jotted down to brew over my habits – do I “initiate” effectively? How can I add “playfulness”? Do I “invite joy in”? Am I as effective at granting my daily work its “primacy” as I profess to be? At the other extreme, for someone just wrestling with the notion of one or more daily disciplines, The Power of Daily Practice may well be overkill, but I wager Maisel’s lovely prose and sense of magic would make a difference. Overall, a brilliant crucible for striving towards effective creation and work.
Book, movie/show, and album reviews
