What do you think?
Rate this book
Chicken Scratch: Lessons on Living Creatively from a Flock of Hens
Creativity comes into play in just about any field. Looking at situations from different perspectives, finding new uses for old things, combining disparate ideas or ingredients or even colors--all are creative endeavors. And when writer Ann Byle became a chicken owner, she began to look at her hens with new interest and the keen eye of an artist. Even though chicken-tending proved to have its own challenges, Byle discovered that her feathered friends offered surprising lessons and inspiration for her own work, lessons on living creatively. With Chicken Scratch , Ann Byle brings us good fun and meaning-making at the intersection of creative living and our egg-laying friends. She mixes quotes, stories from all kinds of creatives, and practical advice to help all of us invested in living more creatively. Drawing inspiration from her flock of hens, Byle explores curiosity and courage, embracing your creative self and letting go of what holds you back, and living well in the creative life. Each chapter includes questions for journaling, next-steps-in-creativity exercises, and a sidebar from "The Left-Brain Chicken," putting solid process-related steps to each chapter. The creative life can be profound, but also funny, exasperating, and downright weird--much like living with a flock of hens. If we take the time to notice, we have much to learn from our beloved chickens, things like the value of curiosity, how we might welcome challenges in our lives, and even when to let go of perfectionism. It's time to name our creative impulses, to claim them, and to squawk them from the rooftops!
193 pages, Hardcover
Published May 23, 2023
7 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
June 29, 2023
A Veteran Writer and Editor Invites All of Us to Join Her Creative Flock
One key to appreciating Ann Byle's new book, Chicken Scratch, is understanding her background as a journalist and, in recent years, as a regular writer for Publishers Weekly (PW) magazine about new books coming out on faith, spirituality and religion. She's a media veteran who understands what's popular with readers in this genre that rests primarily on inspiration: Will readers walk away from books in the genre feeling better than when they started reading?
And the first thing to say about Chicken Scratch is: You'll smile. You may learn a few things about fostering creativity. You'll feel encouraged if you already are a creative person. You'll learn a lot about chickens. And, when you're done, you'll have a list of creative ideas to explore and lots of other recommended books to consider reading next.
So, is this an inspiring book? Yes!
In writing and editing circles, Ann is known for her focus on religion, which is why PW entrusts her with the magazine's "Religion Book Deals" column about notable trends in upcoming religious publishing. But Ann also is a long-time editor and journalist who understands that the richness of faith in American life always has shone through hospitality, a value sometimes overlooked by religious media professionals these days. Reading Chicken Scratch, it's clear to readers that this is a woman of faith who goes to church and prays and believes that God also is a source of creative inspiration, but those references appear simply as natural expressions of her daily life with her chickens, her family and her creative colleagues.
For me, as a journalist, editor and publisher who reads a lot of the new books in this genre, Chicken Scratch feels like a breath of fresh air in the warmest tradition of American faith and letters. Even secular readers are likely to enjoy this book as Ann tries various ways to urge us toward a creative endeavor of our choosing, whatever our personal faith or philosophy might be.
Ann's conversational tone as she invites us to explore the natural world, even as close as our own back yards, reminds me very much of Barbara Mahany's The Book of Nature, which I reviewed in Goodreads in March. Anyone who enjoys Barbara's writing will find a kindred companion in Ann Byle's back-yard creativity.
Ann even has her chickens talk to us, along the way. No kidding. And it's not creepy. She simply drops in a few short notes of wisdom directly from her flock. The page design clarifies who is speaking to us. Sketches of chickens appear at the top of an occasional page to let us know the hens are going to speak a few words for themselves.
Finally, what I appreciate most about Ann's book is that it rests on a bedrock truth that I have taught myself in small groups and classes over many years: If you want to create—specifically, if you want to write—just start! In one passage in the middle of her book, she puts it this way: "Grab whatever you have on hand and get busy creating."
As simple as it sounds, that's the first step toward a creative life: You have to start creating and, as Ann puts it, as you start, "Don't worry about mistakes."
Between these covers, Ann explores all the excuses that may keep us from taking that first step as well as all the distractions and discouragements that may befall us in our creative lives.
Even if you're a veteran of creative pursuits, I guarantee you'll smile and come away with fresh encouragement, and an expanded reading list, if you do dive into Ann's world.
One key to appreciating Ann Byle's new book, Chicken Scratch, is understanding her background as a journalist and, in recent years, as a regular writer for Publishers Weekly (PW) magazine about new books coming out on faith, spirituality and religion. She's a media veteran who understands what's popular with readers in this genre that rests primarily on inspiration: Will readers walk away from books in the genre feeling better than when they started reading?
And the first thing to say about Chicken Scratch is: You'll smile. You may learn a few things about fostering creativity. You'll feel encouraged if you already are a creative person. You'll learn a lot about chickens. And, when you're done, you'll have a list of creative ideas to explore and lots of other recommended books to consider reading next.
So, is this an inspiring book? Yes!
In writing and editing circles, Ann is known for her focus on religion, which is why PW entrusts her with the magazine's "Religion Book Deals" column about notable trends in upcoming religious publishing. But Ann also is a long-time editor and journalist who understands that the richness of faith in American life always has shone through hospitality, a value sometimes overlooked by religious media professionals these days. Reading Chicken Scratch, it's clear to readers that this is a woman of faith who goes to church and prays and believes that God also is a source of creative inspiration, but those references appear simply as natural expressions of her daily life with her chickens, her family and her creative colleagues.
For me, as a journalist, editor and publisher who reads a lot of the new books in this genre, Chicken Scratch feels like a breath of fresh air in the warmest tradition of American faith and letters. Even secular readers are likely to enjoy this book as Ann tries various ways to urge us toward a creative endeavor of our choosing, whatever our personal faith or philosophy might be.
Ann's conversational tone as she invites us to explore the natural world, even as close as our own back yards, reminds me very much of Barbara Mahany's The Book of Nature, which I reviewed in Goodreads in March. Anyone who enjoys Barbara's writing will find a kindred companion in Ann Byle's back-yard creativity.
Ann even has her chickens talk to us, along the way. No kidding. And it's not creepy. She simply drops in a few short notes of wisdom directly from her flock. The page design clarifies who is speaking to us. Sketches of chickens appear at the top of an occasional page to let us know the hens are going to speak a few words for themselves.
Finally, what I appreciate most about Ann's book is that it rests on a bedrock truth that I have taught myself in small groups and classes over many years: If you want to create—specifically, if you want to write—just start! In one passage in the middle of her book, she puts it this way: "Grab whatever you have on hand and get busy creating."
As simple as it sounds, that's the first step toward a creative life: You have to start creating and, as Ann puts it, as you start, "Don't worry about mistakes."
Between these covers, Ann explores all the excuses that may keep us from taking that first step as well as all the distractions and discouragements that may befall us in our creative lives.
Even if you're a veteran of creative pursuits, I guarantee you'll smile and come away with fresh encouragement, and an expanded reading list, if you do dive into Ann's world.
Displaying 1 of 1 review