Does the smell of a rotting apple inspire you to write? No? Me neither. But there was this fellow, a philosopher by the name of Friedrich Schiller, who kept rotten apples in a desk drawer. He claimed the smell tickled his muse and helped him write better. …

Great masters are weird. They are talented and they work a lot, but they also have unusual rituals, routines and habits that fuel their genius. German poet Friedrich Schiller kept rotting apples in his drawer. The awful smell compelled him to write. Intrigued by this fact I go and ask…

Strange fact: poet and philosopher Friedrich Schiller kept rotting apples in his drawer. Apparently, the ghastly smell inspired him to work. I read it on Daily Rituals: how artists work, a collection of famous people’s daily routines that can be devoured in a couple of hours. Saying devoured I really…