Customer Reviews

Creators on Creating (New Consciousness Reader)

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This was by far one of the greatest books that I have ever read on psychology. It was funny, touching, sweet, but most of all thought provoking. As an aspiring artist, it helped me to comprehend myself a little better. The book is a compilation of essays, interviews, and writings by different creative individuals. From the flamboyant Maya Angenlou to the brilliant Federico Fellini. Probably the most moving and amusing segment of the book was the segment written by Frank Zappa, who explains creativity in a way that no other could. Sure genius.

I picked up this book idly and became interested in it. The selections are good. The creative mind is both full and empty. Serendipity means coming on an unexpected treasure. Cathy Johnson explains that her father had an unshakable need to wander.

Richard Feynman reports that teaching is an interruption, but that the questions of the students are often a source of new research. When Feynman felt burnt out at Cornell someone threw a plate in the cafeteria. He saw it wobble so he started to figure out the motion of a rotating plate. It was effortless. It was easy. It was like uncorking a bottle. His mind started to flow.

Kary Mullis, molecular biologist, notes that important inventions almost always cross disciplines. Mullis discovered the PCR, Polymerase chain reaction. It is widely used by molecular biologists. What is necessary for creative activity may be quite destructive of other kinds of activity. Yeats thought that rhythm prolongs contemplation. Annie Dillard sees herself as an explorer and also a stalker.

Italo Calvino relates that in devising a story the first thing that comes to mind is an image. In the acutal writing of the story, the words, the verbal aspect start to become more important. Imagination is a repertory of what is potential. The imagination is a kind of electronic machine. Michel Foucault suggests that utopias afford consolation although they have no real locality. Those who have creative power find the strength of mind to reject what is not true.

Mabel Dodge Luhan describes an experience with peyote where she had a momentary glimpse of life given by an expansion of consciousness. Creativity lives and dies within an ecology. Maya Angelou believes that black American art is rooted in music. N. Scott Momaday feels that southwestern landscape, turning up frequently in his writing, is more spiritual. He does not see any validity in separating man from the landscape. The oral tradition of the American Indian is intrinsically poetic. The Indian has the advantage of a very rich spiritual experience.

The creative process involves a tension between opposites. All the factors of creativity can be increased through training. The discipline and routine of creativity do not have to be boring. Stravinsky writes that all creation presupposes a sort of appetite. He believed that we have a duty towards music, namely to invent it. The faculty of creating is never given to us by itself.

This particular book is one of a series entitled The New Consciousness Reader edited/authored by reputable experts in the fields of healing, spiritual growth, personal development and psychology.

This particular book is an absolutely compelling compilation of both original and classic writings by an assemblage of Creators writing about Creating - Awakening and Cultivating the Imaginative Mind. Frank Barron is professor emeritus of psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz and is known as a leading expert on the study of creativity. Dr. Montuori is associate professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. Anthea Barron lives in Santa Cruz. Sections of this work include The Uncovered Heart, The Opened Mind, The Web of Imagination, The Creative Ecology, The Dedication to Mastery, and The Courage to Go Naked. Authors and authorized pieces include 39 individual readings from the likes of Laurence Olivier, Frank Zappa, Igor Stavinsky, da Vinci, Tony Kushner, Maurice Sendak, Michael Focault, Carl Jung, Rainer Maria Rilke, Henry Miller, Annie Dillard and William Butler Yeats --- to name only a few. Each section contains an important orienting introduction written by Dr. Alfonso.
I adored the splendid variety contained in this volume. Admittedly, some of the names of the authors whose pieces were shared here, I have never heard of them before. It is the diversity of the insights, stories and thoughts that truly made me come back for more each day, until I had devoured the entire volume. I grew by reading this book. I'm certain you will too.

In the introduction, Frank Barrone writes: "creativity is a quest for meaning. It is an attempt to penetrate the mystery of the self, and perhaps the even greater mystery of Being. The very origin of existence is open to creative exploration, and the science of this century has posed new questions, large and small - intriguing , challenging, important questions." (p.2). The manner in which we humans live out our creative potential is aptly portrayed in the content of this volume - necessarily inhabited by novelists, musicians, composers, poets, dancers, physicists, scientists, playwrights and the like.

Creativity is a gift to the human species that can be developed - even taught, as Barrone says: "Creativity is a specifically human resource. It is part of the general human potential, something we can cultivate in ourselves if we set out to. It is also something that can be nurtured in others who are close to us and perhaps in our care. Teachers can help foster creativity in students, parents in children, and children in parents! It can work both ways, and it can be an important part of the mutuality that helps make all of us stronger." (p.5).
Here are some other particularly poignant excerpts I truly appreciated:

"The power to create is potential in all of us, and that we should express it in small ways if great and grand ways are beyond our means." Frank Barrone - P. 12

"Without our creative dissidents, where would we be?" Frank Barrone - p. 13.

"The creator creates and is created by the creating." Pamela Travers - creator of Mary Poppins - p. 36.

"You're a craftsman - essentially your job is to be a vehicle for other people." Anna Halprin - dancer - p. 46

"When we think of the creative mind, we think of the generative mind, full of ideas and brilliant new insights. But the creative mind is both full and empty. It is able to create within itself a space for the new to arise. It is a mind that is constantly opening itself to the internal and external world." Alfonso Montuori P. 57

"The opened mind thrives on difference and remains open to the contradictory." Alfonso Montuori p. 57

"Moving between fields is the way to be creative. Keep your fingers in a lot of pies. I do because I'm curious. Kary Mullis - molecular biologist - p. 73.

"To settle upon what one knows and act upon it and stick to the decision that has been made - This sort of thing is very necessary for other purposes, but this is the very thing which must be thrown aside when one is trying to make a new creative step." J.G. Bennett - mystic and philosopher P. 77.

"for something to enter, a place must be made for it." J.G. Bennett - mystic and philosopher P. 79.

"Words are powerful beyond our knowledge, certainly. And they are beautiful. Words are intrinsically powerful. And there is magic in that. Words come from nothing into being. They are created in the imagination and given life on the human voice. We do not know what we can do with words. But as long as there are those among us who try to find out, literature will be secure; literature will remain a thing worthy of our highest level of human being." - N. Scott Momaday - novelist and poet - pp. 160-161.

"What I want to see is the demise of fundamentalism in favour of pragmatism. By fundamentalism I mean any philosophy that thinks it has the final and unique answer, that believes there is one essential plan underlying the workings of the universe, and seeks to make sure everyone else gets persuaded to get in line with it. By pragmatism, I mean improvisation: the belief that there are many approaches, that whatever works in the light of our present knowledge is a good course of action, and that what is the best course of action for us, here and now, might not be for someone else, there or then." Brian Eno - music producer - in Why World Music? P. 167

"The creative process involves a tension between opposites, and nowhere is that tension more apparent than in the need to balance freedom and exploration with the disciplined fine-tuning of our craft. Creativity is a gift, some say, but not a gift that survives without practice." Alfonso Montuori - author - p. 171.

"This guest (`inspiration') does not always respond to the first invitation." Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky - composer - p. 181.

"Thus, what concerns us here is not imagination in itself, but rather creative imagination: the faculty that helps us to pass from the level of the of conception to the level of realization." Igor Stravinsky - composer - P. 191

"Whatever field of endeavour has fallen to our lot, we are called upon not to cogitate, but to perform." Igor Stravinsky - composer - P. 190.

"Creativity involves a degree of risk taking, if only because we have invested so much in our product that we do not want to see it flop. We have pinned our hopes on our creative ideas, and we want some degree of recognition and reward, whether social or financial. The moral is, get out there and do it! Take it off! In the realization of the dream is self-realization, in its impact is its proof, in our creations we complete ourselves." Alfonso Montuori - Author - p. 205 - Introduction to the section entitled "The Courage to Go Naked."

I truly adored all the diverse, nutritious insights in this book, only a small handful of which I have shared above. I recommend it.

This book is an inspiring and smart collection of short essays from a culturally and professionally diverse group of creative individuals: Nietzsche to Jung, Frank Zappa to Anna Halprin... and so many others'... I appreciated its diverse presentation of the creativity process and how people from different professions experienced it. Beautifully organized, you will find essays collected under categories: uncovered heart, open mind, imagination, ecology, dedication and courage.

In the introduction, the editors (F. Barron, A. Montuori, & A. Barron) lay an important ground for the rest of the book by inviting you to question your own creativity and they invite you to start a dialogue with your own creative process. I spent quality time reflecting on the ideas and questions presented in the introduction section before I started reading the essays. I found essays could be read randomly, so you can pick a random page and have a great time with it.

This quote really resonated with me: from Maurice Sendak

"But writing is really is my life... when I am doing it... it is a lot like if I was a long-distance swimmer and had to jump into a pool covered with ice: it sounds terrible, but once in it and two or three laps done, I'm home and free." p.134

Regardless of your profession, if you are involved in some form of a creative process, this book is a great read.

Creators on Creating dispels the belief that creativity is a gift reserved for a precious few or even only for the brilliant eccentrics amongst us. The list of accounts provided in this book is impressive, including: literary writers, composers, painters, poets, directors, philosophers, psychologists, actors, playwrights, musicians, physicians, `Mad Men' (advertising executives), multiple fields of science, dancers and several others. Emphasis is placed on the creativity within all of us which is reinforced by many of those creative people cited in this book. Many of those who we might consider geniuses did not have that same opinion of themselves. Most simply believed they were just people who were willing to tap into and use their creative attributes. One science fiction writer, Ursula Guin, wrote that all a writer needs to do to write is to have a pencil and some paper. According to her, that's enough.
Many of these creators cited were either knowingly or unknowingly tapping into the collective unconscious for ideas, inspirations, a peak into the future and more. The creative spark discussed was often precluded by certain physical sensations such as a shiver down the spine and other feelings such as sense of calm, a heightened focus or new understanding. Several of those quoted made good use of dreams for their creativity and there was a similar theme of being open and playful with the particular area of endeavor. William Butler Yeats describes a flash of insight after being available to meditate and dream and open to accessing dream symbols. An often mentioned precursor for the creative environment was the need to be free and to have the time to relax and contemplate. Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein was indulgent in waking dreams and believed her dreams were more fantastic and agreeable than her writings.
An Italian novelist, Italo Calvino, discusses the power of bringing a vision into focus with his eyes shut. The writer Mabel Dodge Luhan discusses the vast interconnectedness of everything with lucid and vivid images after taking Peyote. Luhan's visions gave her great peace and tranquility once she realized that she was part of a vast, beautiful creation with everything taken care of. Tchaikovsky talks of the germ of creativity coming suddenly and unexpectedly and that if the soil is ready, it takes root and grows. The poet Muriel Rukeyser emphasizes the need and value of the unconscious aspect of creativity. Several others underscore that a good part of creativity is hard work, although enjoyable to most, but full of the necessary details to make meaning out of basically too much information. Frank Zappa's view was that the most important thing in art is the frame. Taking the valuable and generous words of these many remarkable people into account provides solace for all of us. Perhaps all we really do need is a pen and paper?

Rarely will a single collection include a multigenerational, multicultural, cross-disciplinary study that delves into the motivations, processes, and meaning of creativity. In Creators on Creating, editors Frank Barron, Alfonso Montouri, Anthea Barron compile just such an anthology with various essays by artists, scientists, writers, and musicians, including Leonardo da Vinci ("Anatomy"), Frank Zappa ("All About Music"), and Eugen Herrigel ("Zen in the Art of Archery"). Divided into six sections, the essays artfully explore aspects, such as openness and courage, that fuel creativity. That is not to imply that the editors simply rest on the works of others; the introduction wonderfully explains their personal experiences with the creative, seamlessly weaves together the themes of the collection, and intellectually answers the "big questions" of creating. Most importantly, the editors demonstrate how creativity has been utilized to mobilize and free. Creators on Creating is an intriguing work that will appeal to readers in various fields interested in creative inspiration.

Length:: 1:49 Mins

Jurgen Wolff, author of "Creativity Now! reviews this collection of insights on creativity from some of the most imaginative people of our time, including Ingmar Bergman, Henry Miller, Maurice Sendak, and Brian Eno, among many others. Creativity Now: Get inspired, create ideas and make them happen now!

As a composer, I bought this specifically to figure out how to hunt down creativity and not wait for it to hit me. This book delves into the sources of creativity from many famous and successful people, and it's from the people themselves. It's a pretty easy read, and the subjects speak from such a personal origin that it seems intuitive. I'd highly recommend it if you're a writer, a musician, a film maker, an artist, anyone in the creative field.

This is a gem of a book for anyone who would like to understand the creative mind of vision, passion, novelty, and revolutionary expression. Fantastic and in-depth, Creators on Creating enables us to hear world-famous artists, musicians, writers, scientists and filmmakers talk about themselves in a heartfelt, genuine way that offers us a deeper sense of who they really are.

Dancer, Isadora Duncan declares, "It has taken me long years to find one absolutely true movement." Musician and composer, Frank Zappa shares, "No other activity could have enticed me away from the table. I'd maybe get up for coffee or to eat, but, other than that, I was glued to the chair for weeks and months on end, writing music."

Creative artists and scientists include an array from living to deceased: Maya Angelou, Frank Zappa, Brian Eno, Anna Halprin and Maurice Sendak as well as Federico Fellini, Carl G. Jung, Virginia Woolf, Sidney Bechet, Igor Stravinsky and Leonardo da Vinci.

Each brief, fascinating glimpse falls into a different chapter on various facets of creativity: Henry Miller is under "The Uncovered Heart," William Butler Yeats, "The Opened Mind," Peter Tchaikovsky, "The Dedication to Mastery" and Isadora Duncan, "The Courage to Go Naked."

A compelling introduction by Frank Barron asks questions such as "Is high IQ essential to creativity?" "Is creativity inherited?" "Are there gender differences in creativity?" and "Are creative people more unstable mentally?" He invites us to discover answers from the words of the creative artists themselves and then asks us to develop ideas based on our own lives and goals.

Edited by Frank Barron, Alfonso Montuori and Anthea Barron and published by Penguin Books, USA, in 1997, Creators on Creating, Awakening and Cultivating the Imaginative Mind indeed does just that. But even more it engages us and inspires us to go back to our own work and see it with fresh perspective and purpose.

Creators on Creating fabricates a doorway that allows the reader to enter into an openness to experience the wholeness of their being. Thus, once the reader enters into the wholeness of their being they are allowed to touch creativity, the very essence of oneself. This pathway is created through the opportunity to explore ingenuity through the stories of successful brilliant minds and artist such as: Mabel Dodge Luhan, Henry Miller, Mat Callahan, Richard Feynman and Anna Halprin just to name a few.

As Mabel Dodge Luhan tells her story she reminds us to enter into a oneness with the universe in order to take part in creativity. "Beginning with the inmost central point in my own organism, the whole universe fell into place" (p. 121).

Henry Miller teaches us that resting in the complete pureness of our being, there we can find our true genius. "What happened to me in writing about Joey and Tony was tantamount to revelation. It was revealed to me that I could say what I wanted to say-if I thought of nothing else, if I concentrated upon that exclusively-and if I were willing to bear the consequences which a pure act always involves"(p. 30).

Mat Callahan presents to us the life of creativity. "Or how a child, encouraged to sing, dance or paint, opens like a flower and speaks with the voice of humanity. And that ain't commerce, pal, that is creativity as it lives and breathes"(p. 221). Mat Callahan's statement can reveal to us, that humanity is the very heartbeat of inspiration.

Richard Feynman encourages us to bring the element of play into our imagination. "I'm going to play with physics, whenever I want to, without worrying about any importance whatsoever" (p. 67).

Sometimes we may feel that in our space of play, genuine creative growth may be lost. But Anna Halprin states to us that "The process is the purpose; let it be, let it keep growing, and something will happen. And what happens generates its own purpose" (p. 49). Yes, indeed the process of play has a purpose.

Creators on Creating helps us to bridge the gap of our compartmentalized selves to our whole selves. Entering the world of our whole selves there we can find both reality and creativity simultaneously. "is the web of imagination at all separate from reality" (p. 120)?

My suggestion is to read the book and create your answer.