I Tried Picasso's (incredible) Daily Routine: What I Learned – ep. 3

Nathaniel Drew
11 Feb 202113:27

TLDRIn this video, the creator explores Pablo Picasso's daily routine and its impact on his prolific artistic output. By adopting Picasso's schedule, the creator gains insight into the artist's intense focus and dedication to his craft, despite struggling with the unconventional hours and the balance between creativity and other responsibilities. The experiment highlights the importance of singular focus and the personal cost of Picasso's genius, ultimately reinforcing the notion that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to productivity and life rhythm.

Takeaways

  • 🎨 Picasso was an incredibly influential and prolific artist, creating over 50,000 works in his lifetime.
  • 🕒 The experimenter decided to follow Picasso's daily routine to understand his level of productivity and creativity.
  • 🛌 Picasso's day started at 11 am, which was considered late, challenging conventional wisdom on morning routines.
  • 🍽️ He had a unique schedule, with time for meals, socializing, and a significant amount of time dedicated to working in his studio.
  • 🌃 Picasso was most creative at night, working until 3 am, aligning with the experimenter's own peak creative hours.
  • 🎭 The experimenter found that Picasso's routine allowed for a lot of creative space, which they found inspiring.
  • 🔄 Adapting to a new schedule takes time, and the experimenter noted the difficulty in adjusting to Picasso's late start.
  • 🎨 The experimenter realized the importance of singular focus and commitment to one task at a time, inspired by Picasso's dedication to his work.
  • 🌟 Picasso's dedication was evident in his work until his death at 91, painting until the day he passed away.
  • 💭 The experiment highlighted the complexity of balancing productivity with personal well-being and the potential costs of intense focus.
  • 🌟 Despite mixed feelings about Picasso as a person, the experimenter gained a deep respect for his work and the impact he had on the art world.

Q & A

  • What was Picasso's daily routine during his time in Paris?

    -Picasso would start his day at 11 am, have breakfast and meet friends until 2 or 3 pm. He would then work in his studio from 2 pm until dusk, have dinner from 10 to 11 pm, and work for another four hours until 3 am.

  • How did the author find Picasso's sleep schedule?

    -The author found Picasso's sleep schedule exciting and counter to conventional self-help advice, as it began late in the day and involved working late into the night.

  • What was the author's initial reaction to trying Picasso's routine?

    -The author was excited and curious about trying Picasso's routine, as they naturally go to bed late and felt it would be easier to follow.

  • How did Picasso's routine affect the author's own work?

    -The author found that Picasso's routine allowed for more creativity at night and helped them balance their other work, such as video writing and painting.

  • What did the author learn about multitasking from this experiment?

    -The author learned that multitasking can be detrimental and that singular focus on a task at a time is more effective.

  • How did the author feel about Picasso's personality and character?

    -The author had mixed feelings about Picasso, admiring his work and creativity but being critical of his personal life and treatment of women.

  • What was Picasso's famous quote about solitude and serious work?

    -Picasso once said, 'Without great solitude, no serious work is possible.'

  • How did the author's perception of Picasso change over time?

    -As the author learned more about Picasso, their views changed, recognizing his genius but also acknowledging his flaws and the darker aspects of his character.

  • What was the author's final conclusion about Picasso's routine and its sustainability?

    -The author concluded that while they enjoyed certain aspects of Picasso's routine, it was not fully sustainable for them and felt out of sync.

  • What did the author suggest as core principles for living one's life?

    -The author suggested that a mission, an outlet, and energy are the core principles one should live by, rather than strict adherence to productivity techniques.

  • How did the author summarize Picasso's approach to his work and life?

    -The author summarized that Picasso was dedicated to his work and unapologetic about his methods, but this came with a cost, and he had a darker, tortured side.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Exploring Picasso's Legacy and Daily Routine

The script begins with the narrator expressing fascination with Pablo Picasso, a prolific artist who created over 50,000 works. The narrator plans to live like Picasso to understand his complex personality and artistic drive, despite having mixed feelings about Picasso's character. A book by Mason Curry, 'Daily Rituals: How Artists Work,' provides insight into Picasso's unusual daily schedule in Paris, which included starting his day at 11 AM and working late into the night. This routine defies conventional productivity advice, sparking the narrator's curiosity about its effectiveness.

05:01

🖌️ Adapting to Picasso's Rhythms and Reflecting on His Impact

In this section, the narrator struggles with adjusting to Picasso's late-start schedule but finds potential in dedicating blocks of time to specific tasks such as video making, writing, and painting. The routine allows deep focus and productivity, leading the narrator to appreciate the importance of minimizing distractions, as Picasso famously did. However, the lifestyle is challenging to maintain long-term. The narrator also contemplates Picasso's contradictory nature—his incredible artistic talent contrasted with troubling personal relationships and behavior.

10:01

🤔 Lessons Learned from Living Like Picasso

The final paragraph reflects on the broader implications of adopting Picasso's lifestyle. The narrator acknowledges the inherent contradictions in Picasso's character: a creative genius who was also emotionally destructive. This experience reaffirms that productivity is overrated and underscores the value of principles and focus over multitasking. The video concludes with a promotion for Audible, recommending books that resonate with themes explored during the experiment. The narrator invites the audience to suggest other figures whose routines they might explore next.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer who is considered one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. In the video, the creator explores Picasso's daily routine and work habits in an attempt to understand how he achieved such prolific output and enduring influence in the art world. Picasso's life and work are contrasted with the creator's own experiences and views, highlighting the complexity of the artist's character and legacy.

💡Creative巨人

The term 'creative giant' refers to an individual who has made a significant and impactful contribution to their field, particularly in the context of creativity and innovation. In the video, this term is used to describe Pablo Picasso, emphasizing his status as one of the most influential artists in history. His ability to create over 50,000 works and leave a legacy of masterpieces is a testament to his creative prowess.

💡Daily Routine

A daily routine refers to a set of habitual activities that a person performs on a regular basis, typically in the same order and at the same times each day. In the context of the video, the creator is interested in Picasso's daily routine as a means to understand his productivity and creativity. By adopting Picasso's routine, the creator aims to gain insights into the artist's lifestyle and work ethic, and to see if there are any lessons that can be applied to their own life.

💡Prolific

The term 'prolific' describes a person who produces a large quantity of work, particularly in the context of creative endeavors. In the video, Picasso is noted for his incredible productivity, having created over 50,000 works in his lifetime. This term is used to emphasize the sheer volume and variety of his artistic output, and to explore the factors that contributed to his ability to produce such a vast body of work.

💡Masterpieces

Masterpieces refer to works of art that are considered to be of exceptional creative or artistic merit. In the video, the creator discusses Picasso's legacy of creating numerous masterpieces that are still highly valued and admired today. These works not only showcase Picasso's artistic genius but also reflect his enduring influence on the art world.

💡Inspiration

Inspiration is the process of being mentally stimulated to feel or do something, especially something creative. In the video, the creator is seeking inspiration from Picasso's life and routine in order to gain a deeper understanding of the artist's creative process. This keyword highlights the motivation behind the creator's experiment and their desire to draw lessons from a figure they admire.

💡Self-help and Productivity

Self-help and productivity refer to the practices and strategies that individuals use to improve their personal efficiency and effectiveness, often with the goal of achieving more in their personal and professional lives. In the video, the creator discusses how Picasso's routine challenges conventional self-help and productivity advice, particularly the emphasis on morning routines. This keyword serves to contrast Picasso's unconventional approach with popular productivity methods.

💡Creativity

Creativity is the use of imagination or original ideas to produce something new and valuable. In the video, the creator explores their own creativity during the experiment with Picasso's routine, noting that they find themselves more creative at night. This keyword is central to understanding the video's theme, as it relates to the creator's quest to understand and emulate Picasso's creative process.

💡Multitasking

Multitasking is the ability to perform multiple tasks or activities simultaneously. In the video, the creator reflects on their tendency to multitask and how it may detract from their focus and productivity. The experiment with Picasso's routine leads to the realization that singular focus on one task at a time may be more beneficial, which challenges the common assumption that multitasking is an effective strategy for getting work done.

💡Dedication

Dedication refers to the commitment and devotion to a particular task or purpose. In the context of the video, Picasso's dedication to his art is highlighted by his work habits and his continuous production of innovative works up until his death. This keyword underscores the importance of unwavering commitment in achieving a high level of mastery and success in one's field.

💡Artistic Legacy

An artistic legacy refers to the lasting impact and influence an artist has on their field and on future generations. In the video, the creator discusses Picasso's artistic legacy, which includes his groundbreaking contributions to movements like Cubism and his ability to reinvent himself over time. This keyword is significant as it relates to the creator's exploration of how Picasso's work continues to inspire and shape the art world.

Highlights

Pablo Picasso was an influential artist who created over 50,000 works in his lifetime.

The video creator attempts to understand Picasso's level of productivity and genius by living his daily routine.

Picasso's daily routine started at 11 am with breakfast and socializing, which was unconventional compared to typical self-improvement advice.

He dedicated his afternoons and evenings to working in the studio, often until 3 am, showcasing his incredible work ethic and focus.

Adapting to a new schedule can be challenging, as the video creator found when adjusting to Picasso's late start.

The creator found that Picasso's schedule allowed for a lot of creative work and helped them focus more deeply on their art.

Picasso's life was a mix of brilliant artistic achievements and controversial personal behavior.

Despite his flaws, Picasso's dedication to his art and his ability to reinvent himself were inspiring.

The video creator learned the importance of singular focus and avoiding multitasking through this experiment.

Picasso believed that art is a form of magic, and his work continues to inspire artists today.

The video creator experimented with Picasso's routine for two weeks, finding both benefits and drawbacks.

Ultimately, the video creator concludes that finding a personal rhythm and focusing on core principles is more important than following a strict productivity method.

Picasso's quote emphasizes the need for solitude to produce serious work, reflecting his disdain for distractions.

The video creator's experience shows that even creative geniuses like Picasso had a darker, tortured side.

Despite critiques of his character, the video creator respects Picasso's work and his devotion to art.

The video ends with a reminder that even heroes are human, and that Picasso's legacy is a nuanced one.