In contrast to writers in our century, Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) never claimed to be extraordinarily creative. Even during his last years, when it was obvious that he had produced a remarkable output, his attitude remained modest. Historians have speculated whether Montaigne’s talent was innate or acquired, original or the result of imitation, a case of genius or of incidental circumstances. I view those debates as pointless because Montaigne himself had revealed the source of his creativity. Montaigne explains in his essay “On Constancy” how all his output (literary or otherwise) rests on his resilience, that is, his ability to remain serene, collected and productive in the face of obstacles. I want to dispel right away the myth that Montaigne never had to work a day in his life after having inherited a large property from his father. Montaigne had indeed inherited from his father a property, a large parcel of land with a castle. The salient particularity of Montaigne’s castle is that it possessed a tower overlooking the hay fields. The estate required heavy work, for which Montaigne hired men from the nearby village, and in any case, demanded from him several hours of effort per day. The revenue from the estate did not afford Montaigne other luxuries than travelling once a year, either to Paris or abroad. In practice, Montaigne’s lifestyle was below that of today’s middle class. Nonetheless, Montaigne had one character trait that placed him above his peers: he was remarkably resilient in the face of severe trouble. What kind of severe trouble? I am referring especially to the hostile, harsh environment of the French religious wars, and to Montaigne’s chronic suffering from kidney stones. Despite his many attempts to alleviate the latter, Montaigne never succeeded. The kidney stones plagued him for a decade. The excruciating pain sometimes rendered him unable to do anything for days. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/the-key-to-michel-de-montaignes-literary-creativity/

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