Creativity Books - Page 2

Cracking Creativity: The Secrets of Creative Genius

Michael Michalko

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 45 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Practical Techniques to Boost Creativity 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Author Michael Michalko delivers his best performance to date in this book. The book is filled with information on, and techniques for using, our creative processes. Many of the techniques are easy to learn, requiring only a little bit of practice to get used to them. Most of the book centers around: helping an individual generate many possible ideas about something, which will be critically evaluated at a later time; visualizing the problem and potential solutions; seeing from another's perspective, even the problem's in one case (quite effective sometimes); collaboration and creativity. This book already helped me deliver a 5 star essay on a very controversial subject. I followed its advice, producing as many ideas as possible in a short time, without rejecting any at first. Also, visualizing the data, as recommended, formed the basis for my later outline, which was complete enough that a rough draft was no work at all. So, for me, buying this book paid off already. I think anyone buying this will read it for a few minutes and then recognize they have a winner in their hands.

Editorial Review:

What exactly is creativity? Why do some people seem to have so much of it? Can their secrets be learned? In this trail-blazing book, internationally renowned business creativity expert Michael Michalko answers these questions and more, bringing life-changing techniques into everyone's reach. Michalko has researched and analyzed over 100 of history's greatest thinkers-from Leonardo da Vinci to Charles Darwin, Thomas Edison to Walt Disney-to show readers how creative people think and how to put their secrets to use. It's no wonder that Entrepreneur magazine lauded CRACKING CREATIVITY as "Required reading for anyone in business." Packed with practical exercises and strategies for stimulating creativity, this original book will literally revolutionize the way you think and open up a world of innovative solutions to challenges that you face every day.

How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day

List Price: $21.95 By: Random House Audio Amazon Marketplace: 1 new & used starting at $21.99

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Total reviews: 117 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

You don't have to be a genius to think like one. Each of us uses only a fraction of our brain power, explains Michael J. Gelb, who has helped thousands of men and women learn to put more of their minds to work--and play--than they ever thought possible.

Drawing on Leonardo Da Vinci's notebooks, inventions, and legendary works of art, Gelb introduces the Seven Da Vincian Principles--seven essential elements of genius, named in Da Vinci's native Italian, that any of us can develop on our own. From the notebooks' celebration of an insatiably curious approach to life (curiositá) to the willingness to embrace uncertainty and paradox (sfumato) embodied in Mona Lisa's smile, these principles will seem at once intuitively familiar and surprisingly powerful. Offering an abundance of interactive, entertaining exercises to help you master each principle, Gelb also helps you see how you can use them at work, home, and everywhere else.

Following Leonardo's lead, you'll learn powerful new strategies for tackling challenges both timely and timeless, including problem solving; creative thinking; self-expression; enjoying the world around you; goal setting and life balancing; and harmonizing body and mind.

"I wish to work miracles," wrote the young Leonardo. As you apply these principles to liberate your own unique intelligence, you may feel his miraculous tough enriching your life across the centuries, as you let his ageless example guide you toward becoming more of who you truly are.

The Complete Artist's Way: Creativity as a Spiritual Practice

Julia Cameron

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A lovely volume 5 out of 5 stars.
8 of 17 people found this review helpful.

The Artist's Way books are inspiring, and this pretty book containing three of them is worthy of a prime space on the bookshelf (while keeping it handy for check-ins!). Nicely done.

Editorial Review:

For the millions of readers who have experienced the rich rewards of following any or all of Julia Cameron's three twelve-week programs for creative recovery, here is a gorgeous cloth-bound edition that includes The Artist's Way, Walking in This World, and Finding Water. In her introduction, Cameron reflects on the artist's journey and provides deep insights into how readers may set about cultivating a more creative and spiritually rewarding existence by using the principles contained in these books.

Encompassing Cameron's most vital work from over the course of the last two decades, The Complete Artist's Way is an essential volume for Cameron's legions of fans.

This collector's edition features:

- a ribbon bookmark
- a cloth spine
- a printed case with debossing and foil
- elegant rough-front pages

Living the Creative Life: Ideas and Inspiration from Working Artists

Rice Freeman-Zachery

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 48 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

How DO they do it?

If you could ask your favorite artist or crafter only one question, chances are you'd ask about creativity: Where do your ideas come from? How did you get started? What are your tricks for overcoming blocks?

In Living the Creative Life, author Rice Freeman-Zachery has compiled answers to these questions and more from 15 successful artists in a variety of mediums--from assemblage to fiber arts, beading to mixed-media collage. Creativity is different for everyone, and these artists share their insights on the muse (if you believe in her), keeping a sketchbook (or not), and prioritizing your art, whether you aspire to create solely for your own pleasure or to become a full-time artist.

* Try your hand at creative jumpstarts straight from the pros.
* Glimpse the artists' innermost thoughts and works in progress as you peruse pages from their journals and notebooks.
* Share textile artist Sas Colby's triumph over creative block during an exotic art retreat.
* Learn how internationally acclaimed artist James Michael Starr uses experience from his former "day job" to fuel his creation today.
* Explore the work of Michael deMeng, Claudine Hellmuth, Melissa Zink and the other artists right alongside their insights.

No crafter or artist should live the creative life without Living the Creative Life! The inspiration is contagious.

Caffeine for the Creative Mind: 250 Exercises to Wake Up Your Brain

Stefan Mumaw, Wendy Lee Oldfield

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Not for Graphic Design 2 out of 5 stars.
2 of 4 people found this review helpful.

After reading the reviews and product description, I was looking forward to some fresh activities that would inspire some creativity for Graphic Design projects that I work on constantly. So when the book arrived I flipped through scanning activities and quotes to get a feel for the book and what it had to offer. I was surprised. To my disappointment this book almost had nothing to do with Graphic Design. It was filled with activities that lent themselves more to Elementary school creative activities -Build something out of "_", describe your favorite "_" without using the words like or as. The book design itself even became tough to read as well with various typefaces, multiple type sizes scattered through the pages. In conclusion not what I was looking for.

Editorial Review:

Packed Full of 15-Minute Creativity Sparking Exercises

*Chock-full of useful exercises designed to help readers tap into a daily creative buzz
*Features an edgy sketchbook design (by the authors) for visual allure
*Appeals to anyone looking for easy ways to jump start their creativity

For any designer or creative type who wants to quickly limber up their imagination on a daily basis, Wired helps readers get into the creative zone, from which all their best work springs. Packed with 15-minute simple and conceptual exercises, this guide will have readers reaching for markers, pencils, digital cameras, and more in order to develop a working and productive creative mindset.

Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity

David Lynch

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Total reviews: 70 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

In this "unexpected delight,"* filmmaker David Lynch describes his personal methods of capturing and working with ideas, and the immense creative benefits he has experienced from the practice of meditation.

Now in a beautiful paperback edition, David Lynch's Catching the Big Fish provides a rare window into the internationally acclaimed filmmaker's methods as an artist, his personal working style, and the immense creative benefits he has experienced from the practice of meditation.

Catching the Big Fish comes as a revelation to the legion of fans who have longed to better understand Lynch's personal vision. And it is equally compelling to those who wonder how they can nurture their own creativity.

Catching Ideas

Ideas are like fish.

If you want to catch little fish, you can stay in the shallow water. But if you want to catch the big fish, you've got to go deeper.

Down deep, the fish are more powerful and more pure. They're huge and abstract. And they're very beautiful.

I look for a certain kind of fish that is important to me, one that can translate to cinema. But there are all kinds of fish swimming down there. There are fish for business, fish for sports. There are fish for everything.

Everything, anything that is a thing, comes up from the deepest level. Modern physics calls that level the Unified Field. The more your consciousness-your awareness-is expanded, the deeper you go toward this source, and the bigger the fish you can catch.

-from Catching the Big Fish

The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything

Ph.D., Ken Robinson

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Editorial Review:

From one of the world’s leading thinkers and speakers on creativity and self-fulfillment, a breakthrough book about talent, passion, and achievement

The element is the point at which natural talent meets personal passion. When people arrive at the element, they feel most themselves and most inspired and achieve at their highest levels. The Element draws on the stories of a wide range of people, from ex-Beatle Paul McCartney to Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons; from Meg Ryan to Gillian Lynne, who choreographed the Broadway productions of Cats and The Phantom of the Opera; and from writer Arianna Huffington to renowned physicist Richard Feynman and others, including business leaders and athletes. It explores the components of this new paradigm: The diversity of intelligence, the power of imagination and creativity, and the importance of commitment to our own capabilities.

With a wry sense of humor, Ken Robinson looks at the conditions that enable us to find ourselves in the element and those that stifle that possibility. He shows that age and occupation are no barrier, and that once we have found our path we can help others to do so as well. The Element shows the vital need to enhance creativity and innovation by thinking differently about human resources and imagination. It is also an essential strategy for transforming education, business, and communities to meet the challenges of living and succeeding in the twenty-first century.

Juicy Pens, Thirsty Paper: Gifting the World with Your Words and Stories, and Creating the Time and Energy to Actually Do It

Sark

Amazon Price: $12.89 List Price: $18.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Three Rivers Press Amazon Marketplace: 38 new & used starting at $11.29

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

disappointed 3 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

I have to start by saying that I have followed SARK since the first book came out. I even joined some Bodacious Wild Succulent groups. Much of what SARK wrote was inspiring and opened the windows to new awareness.
However, this book? I was so excited especially since I just finished Bird by Bird and wanted more books about writing. SARK's book was definitely fun to look at BUT it was empty and laid flat. 3/4s of the book is an introduction to the book with no real meat. The best of the book was the last couple of pages about the other creators and what inspires them and the links to different website. The activities were kind of fun but not very different from any other book that offers the same.
I then decided, which I never do because I LOVE books, to give it to a friend. Well, this friend is colorblind and couldn't even read many of the sentences. I will give it to the book drive so I can feel that the 15 bucks was worth it.
I am so sorry. I love SARK and all she has done for people and how she has opened the world of play, but this book didn't cut it. It's the first time I didn't dog-ear pages to remember quotes or ideas.

Editorial Review:

“SARK is a sparkler who jump-starts the creative process. Her ideas are user-friendly, innovative, and pragmatic.” –Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way

Write and share what’s in your heart! Let SARK show you how. Juicy Pens, Thirsty Paper is your non-judgmental witness, resoundingly supportive friend, and practical guide to the craft of writing and storytelling. For anyone who knows that a writer lives within them but doesn’t know how or where to start; for writers who need new ways to work past their blocks and be reinspired; for anyone who loves SARK’s wise words and art, Juicy Pens, Thirsty Paper will help start the ink flowing and keep it going.

Creative License, The: Giving Yourself Permission to Be The Artist You Truly Are

Danny Gregory

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 64 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Looked for artistic inspiration and found an unpleasant political agenda 1 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

I really, really wanted to like this book. I've lurked on Danny Gregory's Everyday Matters Yahoo group since Jan. 2008. I heard glowing reviews, I added his blog to my RSS feeds, I listened to all his podcasts, and I watched his videos. I was already aware of some of the book's shortcomings (his drawing instructions are a bit sparse, the hand-lettered text can be difficult to read, and his cartoonish style isn't everyone's cup of tea). Still, I thought it would be the push I needed to start creating beautiful illustrated journals.

"The Creative License" is such a colorful, warm, and inviting book that it was only on the second reading that disturbing bits started to fit together. I sensed a lot of hostility against Israel. It was only when I started paying closer attention to the scattered sketches of Jerusalem and reading the commentaries that everything fell into place. I had never thought to search his blog for Jerusalem and Israel. I did and I was stunned ("I have never liked this country much. I abhor its politics, its arrogance and its disproportionate impact on the global community").

Now don't get me wrong--everyone has a right to their own political beliefs and his blog is where it belongs. I just don't think it belongs in a book on creating illustrated journals and I'm disappointed that I paid good money for a book that makes me cringe. It's a pity because apart from this political agenda, the book is very useful. It does a good job of instilling enthusiasm and fostering creativity.

However, I should mention one drawing that particularly disturbed me, on page 175. It is a sketch of the Old City of Jerusalem that also appears in his blog, [....]. This view is from the Haas Promenade, to the south of the city. In the sketch, Danny Gregory has moved the security wall about 4 kilometers to the west, so that it appears to cut straight through the village of Silwan ("now the Israelis are constructing a new [fence], the Geder, which snakes across the landscape and prevents people from becoming suicide bombers, earning a living, or freely visiting their friends and family"). Is this what Danny Gregory means by "creative license"?

Editorial Review:

When Danny Gregory's life was turned upside down by tragedy, he learned to cope by teaching himself to draw. The result was a complete transformation of his life, his priorities, his career, and the way he saw the world. In handwritten chapters full of his lush watercolor illustrations, Danny now offers readers a program for reconnecting to their own creative energies, using drawing as an example. He gently instructs us in the art of allowing ourselves to fail, giving up the expectation of perfection and opening our eyes to the beauty around us. The result is the permission to express ourselves fully and take part in the creative process without fear. Artist or not, readers of all stripes will find inspiration in this unique and beautiful book.

A Whack on the Side of the Head: How You Can Be More Creative

Roger von Oech

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 63 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Open the doors to the mind by lubricating the hinges! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Roger von Oech deeply understands that the creative juices flow best when people are relaxed and having fun. He does this by creating a common sense book that has easy to read, and powerful exercise to help tap into the creative nature that we all have.

The book is a key element in critical thinking. It focuses on developing the left brain, right brain crossover. I found the book refreshing, fascinating and insightful..

The title says it all. The format is user friendly, the exercises are engaging and the cartoons are hilarious. The book firmly pushes anyone who reads the book out of his or her box to become a better critical thinker!

The topics are fascinating. They include: Opening mental locks, Learning how to think, Making the strange familiar, Challenging the rules, Play is frivolous, The fools and the rules and many more.

This is a great book for anyone who is ready to open doors to their mind and become more creative. It lubricates the door hinges that may have become a little rusty over time!

The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide to: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking

Editorial Review:

This is the 25th anniversary edition of the creativity classic by Dr. Roger von Oech.


Over the years, A WHACK ON THE SIDE OF THE HEAD has been praised by business people, educators, scientists, homemakers, artists, youth leaders, and many more. The book has been stimulating creativity in millions of readers, translated into eleven languages, and used in seminars around the world.

Now Roger von Oech's fully illustrated and updated volume is filled with even more provocative puzzles, anecdotes, exercises, metaphors, cartoons, questions, quotations, stories, and tips designed to systematically break through your mental blocks and unlock your mind for creative thinking. This new edition will attract an entire new generation of readers with updated and mind-stretching material.