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"How are creative people able to look at the same thing as everybody else but see something different?" Denise Shekerjian relying on interviews with forty MacArthur Foundation Fellowship winners tries to answer this in "Uncommon Genius." The Fellows, all having demonstrated creative genius across a variety of pursuits, provide a glimpse inside their own experience with the creative process.
"All were driven, remarkably resilient, adept at creating an environment that suited their needs, skilled at honoring their own peculiar talents instead of lusting after an illusion of self, capable of knowing when to follow their instincts, and above all, magnificent risk-takers, and unafraid to run ahead of the great popular tide."
This is a great read for both those who have already embraced their creative potential as well as for those who have not. Shekerjian surfaces the common threads of attitudes and behaviors that foster creativity. Creatives can use this book to build on the "why" of their creativity with confidence.
For those interested in developing their creative potential, the book eliminates the mystery and lays out the "how" of being creative. But to be successful, one needs to make an "act of faith" in the "act of doing." Shekerjian's "doing" includes:
1. Find your talent.
2. Commit to it and make it shine
3. Don't be afraid of risk. Or even failure, which if seen in its proper light, brings insight and opportunity.
4. Find courage by looking to something stronger and better than your puny vulnerable self.
5. No lusting after quick resolutions. Relax. Stay loose.
6. Get to know yourself; understand your needs and the specific conditions you favor.
The author of this book tracked down and interviewed 40 recipients of the McArthur "genius award." This award is a cash grant given to creative people in many different fields; it enables them to work on, or not work on, whatever they please and not have to worry about money. There was much about the creative process in this book that was new to me. Reading interviews with people who use the process every day is a lot different than reading about creativity in a "how to be creative" book. You get more of a sense of the range of ways people produce outstanding work. Shekerjian introduces us to people who are not only in the arts, but also science, teaching, ecology and conservation, political science, social services, and other fields. Many of these people are extremely quirky, and there's a lesson in that: trying to be like others, and be liked, is not the way to uncover your potential. Shekerjian's prose is conversational and easy to read. However, at times I found it to be overly flowery and thus distracting. There were many involved descriptions of interview settings, which seemed superfluous. I found myself doing a lot of skimming to get to the core subject matter. On the whole, though, it's a well-written book, by an author who is clearly in love with her subject matter.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Being creative can take many shapes and forms. Find what works for you. This book offers many strategies that work have worked for accomplished people. Certain under-lying principals commonly used by creative people are illuminated. i enjoyed the book and recommended it to my teenage child. regards to all....
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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful
By looking at the title of this book, you would have thought this book is about geniuses, the winners of the MacArthur Awards. But no. This book covers four topics and none of them well: 1. The award recipients 2. Discover the creative traits of these award recipients 3. Dissect the creative process 4. Discuss how we the average people can apply the creative process
If you are looking for min-biographies of the 40 recipients of MacArthur Awards in this book, you will be sorely disappointed. This book is more about the interpretation and discussion of the creative process by the author than the geniuses of the MacArthur Awards themselves.
One major drawback of this book is that Shekerjian does not stick to one writing style. In the first chapter of PART ONE of this book with the interview of Dr. Stephen Jay Gould, Shekerjian revealed that Gould's creative genius is in making connections among various fields. It would be great if she continues in this style of writing in the following chapters discussing about special creative traits of other award winners. But she doesn't.
Another major drawback of this book is that Shekerjian tries to tackle too many subjects at the same time. She tries to cover the 40 award winners. She tries to dissect the creativity process. She tries to commoditize the creative process for average folks. In the end, none is done well.
Yet another major drawback of this book is the treatment or detailing of 40 award winners and the creativity traits. For example, Peter Sellars occupied many pages, while Stephen Gould (described as the person second only to Darwin in the study of evolution) gets only four and a half.Read more ›
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This item: Uncommon Genius: How Great Ideas are Born
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