Category — creativity

Lewis Hyde

Thoughts/Words/Reviews:

acidfreeink.com says: A modern classic on creativity!

By now a modern classic, The Gift is a brilliantly orchestrated defense of the value of creativity and of its importance in a culture increasingly governed by money and overrun with commodities. Widely available again after twenty-five years, this book is even more necessary today than when it first appeared. An illuminating and transformative book, and completely original in its view of the world, The Gift is cherished by artists, writers, musicians, and thinkers. It is in itself a gift to all who discover the classic wisdom found in its pages.

View More about The Gift: Creativity and the Artist in the Modern World (Vintage)

Ruth Towse

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`This is an important work on compensation of the artist and the incentives for artistic activity. The explosive evolution of the technology of communications raises particularly pressing issues in this arena and poses new threats to remuneration of the artist. The discussion of copyright in this book provides vital information for analysis of this issue. The book is informative, intelligent and well written - precisely what is needed for understanding of its subject.’

- William J. Baumol, New York University

Creativity is crucial to the Information Age economy. It is the basis of production in the cultural industries. In this excellent book, Ruth Towse provides an analysis of the interaction between creativity, the law, and markets for cultural goods and services.

Copyright law establishes property rights that create economic incentives to cultural production and Ruth Towse uses her analysis to draw conclusions about policy on copyright. This unique study will be of interest to those in economics, law, cultural studies and management.

View More about Creativity, Incentive and Reward: An Economic Analysis of Copyright and Culture in the Information Age

Julia Cameron

Thoughts/Words/Reviews:
Now in paperback, the national bestseller that is breaking down the mythology behind the “writing life.”

What if everything we have been taught about learning to write was wrong? In The Right to Write, Julia Cameron’s most revolutionary book, the author asserts that conventional writing wisdom would have you believe in a false doctrine that stifles creativity.

With the techniques and anecdotes in The Right to Write, readers learn to make writing a natural, intensely personal part of life. Cameron’s instruction and examples include the details of the writing processes she uses to create her own bestselling books. She makes writing a playful and realistic as well as a reflective event. Anyone jumping into the writing life for the first time and those already living it will discover the art of writing is never the same after reading The Right to Write.

View More about The Right to Write: An Invitation and Initiation into the Writing Life

The Artist’s Way makes you write first thing in the morning. This is a great and powerful thing; start doing it regularly and subtle magic things WILL start happening. A nice new blog about writing and gettin’ ‘er done, http://writetodone.com/, has some nice tips on doing just that: How to Write First Thing in the Morning.

Check it out!

More essential writing tips can be found in today’s FreelanceSwitch post: Essential Reading for Writers and Novices Like Me. Now read these and then get writing!

Thoughts/Words/Reviews:
acidfreeink.com says: Holy moly. This thing is huge!

The Encyclopedia of Creativity is the sourcebook for individuals seeking specialized information about creativity and motivation. Subjects include theories of creativity, techniques for enhancing creativity, individuals who have made significant contributions to creativity, physiological aspects of creativity, and virtually any topic that touches upon the subject. Entries are placed in alphabetical order with cross-references to other topics and entries where appropriate. Each entry is written in simple easy-to-understand terms summarizing the most important aspects of creative research and writing relating to the specific topic. A bibliography in the back of each article suggests additional sources for more information. The text is visually enhanced throughout by illustrations and photographs.

Key Features
* A source-book of specialized information about creativity and motivation
* Includes virtually any topic dealing with creativity
* Entries are placed in alphabetical order with cross-references
* Written in easy-to-understand terms
* Illustrations and photographs throughout
* Contains select biographies of internationally renowned creative individuals from throughout history

View More about Encyclopedia of Creativity Set

Although it has a blogger or web worker slant for many of the items, many more of the items in 101+ Resources for Creative Minds are great for any creative endeavor.

Check it out: http://www.skelliewag.org/110-resources-for-creative-minds-121.htm

Sark

Our Rating:

Thoughts/Words/Reviews:
acidfreeink.com says: My partner sent me this book (via Amazon!) when I was going through a particularly hard time in my life. He had not read it, but a coworker mentioned the book to him and he thought it would be something I would like. While laying on my couch at home sick with pneumonia the doorbell rang and this book was delivered. I read it that day from cover to cover that day. This book touched me deeply - I credit it (and SARK) with helping me take my first step to making my creative dreams real. (I have also gone on to buy every other book SARK has written). If you are having trouble remembering what it is to live life with joy, Inspiration Sandwich will help you take the first steps to getting there.

an amazon.com customer says: Believe in daily miracles!
And let discovering SARK’s books be one of them! This book is filled with SARK’s distinctive handwritten thoughts and doodles. The colored inserts are a touch that adds some visual jump to the book. I particularly like the inserted small book ‘Daily Miracles’: there are miracles everywhere, relax, fill your heart with wonder, you are not alone, have an adventure, relax. These thoughts are the backbone of “Inspiration Sandwich” and SARK gives all kinds of great examples and suggestions on how to incorporate them into your life. If you’re looking for some ideas on how to add joy and passion to your life, in SARK’s words, “Eat this book”.

View More about Inspiration Sandwich: Stories to Inspire Our Creative Freedom

Steven Pressfield

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Thoughts/Words/Reviews:
DO YOU:

1. dream about writing the Great American Novel?
2. regret not finishing your paintings, poems, or screenplays?
3. want to start a business or charity?
4. wish you could start dieting or exercising today?
5. hope to run a marathon someday?

If “yes,” then you need THE WAR OF ART. Now, in this powerful, straight-from-the-hip examination of the internal obstacles to success, bestselling author Steven Pressfield shows readers how to identify, defeat, and unlock the inner barriers to creativity. THE WAR OF ART is an inspirational, funny, well-aimed kick in the pants guaranteed to galvanize every would-be artist, visionary, or entrepreneur.Steven Pressfield enjoys great international success as a bestselling novelist.But in order to reach the top he had to do a lot of work to fight the inner demons that told him he couldn’t make it.THE WAR OF ART is his challenge to creative block, and his succinct, straight-from-the-hip style will help every reader unleash their personal ambitions, be they literary, artistic, or business-minded. According to Pressfield, the internal obstacle to success is Resistance.Resistance is the difference between the life you lead and the life you want to lead, and can take many forms.Pressfield shows readers how to identify and defeat Resistance at every turn and challenges them to change their amateurish, unsuccessful habits into a professional attitude that can get the job done. Finally, Sun Tzu for the soul!Inspirational, funny, and a great kick in the pants, THE WAR OF ART is the perfect book for anybody who had a goal circumvented by life and circumstance:which is to say, you and everybody you’ve ever met.

View More about The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles

Stephen Inwood

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Thoughts/Words/Reviews:
A thoroughly readable and enjoyable book about the intellectual colleague and contemporary of Christopher Wren and Isaac Newton in 17th century London. The writing is witty and engaging and provides a vivid look at the social, scientific and physical structure of London after the Great Fire. I especially enjoyed the author’s humorous descriptions of the machinations behind the scenes of the Royal Society and the often dangerous and bizarre experiments that Hooke and others would perform for the Society. A great peep into the development of many engineering, physics, astronomical chemistry and architectural discoveries.

View More about The Forgotten Genius: Biography of Robert Hooke 1635-1703

Caroll Michels

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Thoughts/Words/Reviews:
The classic handbook for launching and sustaining a career that “explodes the romantic notion of the starving artist”, with new and expanded resources for succeeding in the burgeoning Internet art market (The New York Times)Now in its fifth edition, with over 85,000 copies of previous editions sold, How to Survive and Prosper as an Artist is the preeminent guide to taking control of your career and making a good living in the art world. Drawing on over two decades of experience, Caroll Michels walks artists through the complicated process of balancing grants, gallery representation, private dealer sales, and a personal studio to ensure a public profile and a steady income. Included is a wealth of insider’s information on getting into a gallery, being your own PR agent, and negotiating prices, as well as innovative marketing, exhibition, and sales opportunities for various art disciplines. The new edition is fully updated with strategies for using the Web-everything from generating income through freelance work, to creating an entrepreneurial web site for promoting work to agents and clients, to assessing online galleries. An expanded and updated appendix adds more than 200 new resources such as Web designers, insurance and legal services for artists, internships, art colonies, and corporate and public art programs.

View More about How to Survive and Prosper as an Artist, 5th ed.: Selling Yourself Without Selling Your Soul