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The Key to Creativity: The Science Behind Ideas and How Daydreaming Can Change the World
Readers of Susan Cain's Quiet and Daniel Pink's When will appreciate this passionate investigation into creativity and the human brain—from the perspective of an author investigating her own brain after a concussion. Author and journalist Hilde Østby was cycling to work one day when she crashed head-first into a stone bridge. At the hospital, she was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury and prescribed rest and relaxation. But her brain was anything but ideas for new writing projects popped into her head at a frenzied pace. Never before had she had so many 'aha' moments. But at the same time, simple tasks like walking through an airport felt impossible. Had the concussion made her—like the stereotype of the tortured artist—more creative but less able to function in society? Or was there something else at play? What makes a person creative, anyway? In The Key to Creativity , Østby takes readers on a deep-dive into why we are creative and what conditions must be present in order for us to make our best whether that be a painting, a piece of writing, or simply a good email. Using characters from Alice in Wonderlandfor inspiration, Østby investigates why we have ideas that seemingly come out of nowhere, like the Cheshire Cat, and how we can quiet our inner critic, like the rule-obsessed Queen of Hearts. Along the way, she speaks with artists of all stripes and interviews psychiatrists and neurologists who specialize in understanding what happens in the brain when we are at our most creative. She discovers that having a tortured and lonely existence isn't necessarily conducive to producing great art—and that being able to complete a task, on time, and according to your and others' expectations, is as important as being able to think outside the box. Østby soon learns that she needs to make changes in her own life to recover from her brain injury and to give structure and life to her ideas. This engaging and groundbreaking book debunks the myth that you need to be a genius in order to be an artist or inventor. All you need is an idea and the tools to make your creative dream come true.
328 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2020
52 people are currently reading
546 people want to read
About the author
Hilde Østby
11 books25 followersHilde Østby (f. 1975) er idéhistoriker, forfatter, journalist og tidligere forlagsredaktør. Hun debuterte i 2013 med den kritikerroste romanen Leksikon om lengsel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
September 8, 2025
oldukça iyi bir derleme, fakat yazarın derlemenin ötesine çıkıp savunmaya değer bulduğu derli toplu bir fikri yoktu bence. bu da literatürünü o fikirleri savunmak dışında işlevsiz hâle getiriyor ve sık sık tekrara düşüldüğünü hissetmeye sebep oluyor. norveç, hadi daha iyimser olayım, kuzey avrupa dışında yaşayan ve tam-zamanlı olarak yaratıcı bir mesleği olmayan biri için ne kadar işlevsel tavsiyeler verdiği de tartışılabilir. bu açıdan yaratıcılıkla ilgili olsa da -alice harikalar diyarında karakterleri üzerinden kavramlarını alegorileştirmesi dışında- yaratıcılıktan epey uzak bir kitap olduğunu söyleyebilirim. bu olumsuzluklara rağmen 'default mode network' ile ilgili bölüm çok iyi yazılmıştı ve çok öğreticiydi. çeviri yazım ve mantık hatalarıyla doluydu ama yayınladıkları kitaplardan üçünü okuduğum kaplumbaa yayınlarının bu konuyu çok da takmıyor olduğunu düşünüyorum zaten.
December 20, 2023
Najbardziej ze wszystkiego denerwował mnie taki "babciowy" sposób narracji - tłumaczenie łopatologiczne już i tak prostych pojęć, powtarzanie wszystkiego po kilka(naście) razy i żarciki, do których można się uśmiechnąć chyba tylko z grzeczności.
Mniej więcej koło 1/3 książki jest wspomniane, że ciężko być kreatywnym, kiedy całą energię wkłada się w codzienną szamotaninę, żeby związać koniec z końcem, więc generalnie nie bądź biedny, to będzie Ci łatwiej być kreatywnym. Kiedy to już zostało rozstrzygnięte, to autorka mogła się wreszcie skupić na rozmowach z uduchowionymi jubilerkami-joginkami, które nie chcą, żeby ich biżuteria trafiała do mas lub wielkimi projektantami, którzy co 7 lat robią sobie rok urlopu. No spoko.
Może na rynku skandynawskim to tak nie razi, ale nie wiem, czy u nas serio potrzebna jest książka pod tytułem: "chodź na spacery, mniej pracuj i nie bądź biedny".
Mniej więcej koło 1/3 książki jest wspomniane, że ciężko być kreatywnym, kiedy całą energię wkłada się w codzienną szamotaninę, żeby związać koniec z końcem, więc generalnie nie bądź biedny, to będzie Ci łatwiej być kreatywnym. Kiedy to już zostało rozstrzygnięte, to autorka mogła się wreszcie skupić na rozmowach z uduchowionymi jubilerkami-joginkami, które nie chcą, żeby ich biżuteria trafiała do mas lub wielkimi projektantami, którzy co 7 lat robią sobie rok urlopu. No spoko.
Może na rynku skandynawskim to tak nie razi, ale nie wiem, czy u nas serio potrzebna jest książka pod tytułem: "chodź na spacery, mniej pracuj i nie bądź biedny".
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May 14, 2023I thought of the expression “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” while reading THE KEY TO CREATIVITY. This is pretty well what happened with Hilde Ostby when a tragic accident seemed to change her life forever. One second she was minding her own business on her bicycle, heading to work. The next second she found herself crashing into a stone bridge, distracted for a split-second. The headfirst dive into the stone, caused a concussion and a traumatic brain injury that made her temporarily put life on hold.
But because she put her life on hold, did not mean she put her brain on hold, and stopped thinking about life in general. You could say the accident triggered a wave of thoughts and ideas that seemed to overwhelm her totally. It took her down the proverbial rabbit hole, and coincidentally she uses Alice in Wonderland for inspiration and comparison in her most enlightening story.
Ostby found ideas and thoughts propelling their way through their subconscious at uncanny rates, prompting her to get into things she never would have considered, have she not rammed her noggin into a bridge.
She was strapped into a brain-imaging machine, signed up for an improve class, immersed herself in a flotation room, and much more. She then looked into some of the greatest creative geniuses of all time, finding out where their inspirations came from. They came innocently many times, like light bulbs going off in their head, those moments that enlighten and impress with such ideas, along with those around them.
Ostby even talks about boldly quitting her job, unsure at first, but in the impulse of the move and moment, decided it would bring her new insight and ideas, about what lay ahead in her life. She mentions Lewis Caroll author of Alice In Wonderland, who quit his teaching job after twenty-six years at Oxford, to write full time. She thought it would be scary for him. She felt the same but added in her case, “Freedom waited. All I needed was the courage to grab it.”
Three years after the tragic accident, she is still recovering, but now thanks to the book and her bold challenges, she has found life heading in another direction, with one bold move giving way to more hope and optimism. Anyone requiring a creative rush need only open this most insightful book, to find having dreams and aspirations opens new doors, one may never have considered walking through under any circumstance before.
But because she put her life on hold, did not mean she put her brain on hold, and stopped thinking about life in general. You could say the accident triggered a wave of thoughts and ideas that seemed to overwhelm her totally. It took her down the proverbial rabbit hole, and coincidentally she uses Alice in Wonderland for inspiration and comparison in her most enlightening story.
Ostby found ideas and thoughts propelling their way through their subconscious at uncanny rates, prompting her to get into things she never would have considered, have she not rammed her noggin into a bridge.
She was strapped into a brain-imaging machine, signed up for an improve class, immersed herself in a flotation room, and much more. She then looked into some of the greatest creative geniuses of all time, finding out where their inspirations came from. They came innocently many times, like light bulbs going off in their head, those moments that enlighten and impress with such ideas, along with those around them.
Ostby even talks about boldly quitting her job, unsure at first, but in the impulse of the move and moment, decided it would bring her new insight and ideas, about what lay ahead in her life. She mentions Lewis Caroll author of Alice In Wonderland, who quit his teaching job after twenty-six years at Oxford, to write full time. She thought it would be scary for him. She felt the same but added in her case, “Freedom waited. All I needed was the courage to grab it.”
Three years after the tragic accident, she is still recovering, but now thanks to the book and her bold challenges, she has found life heading in another direction, with one bold move giving way to more hope and optimism. Anyone requiring a creative rush need only open this most insightful book, to find having dreams and aspirations opens new doors, one may never have considered walking through under any circumstance before.
August 6, 2024
This book manages to be both whimsical and serious about certain aspects of the creative life. It will in no way tell you how to stop dicking around and get over your writers block, and it won't turn on a new part of your brain that can suddenly write pop songs or paint landscapes. Østby instead starts out with one little story (she slammed her head into a stone wall while bicycling) and it branches out from there - to brain chemistry (where exactly do ideas come from?) and the myth of the prolific, crazed writer or artist (an obviously romanticized stereotype designed to sell journals with Van Gogh paintings on them) to more direct matters like everyone's dire lack of attention spans and how this might hasten the soulless arrival of AI-generated art - and also make us ill-equipped to imagine solutions for climate change. There's a lot of heart in this book as well, as Østby also pays homage to her fellow Norwegian artists and their free-wheeling (yet utterly rational) Scandinavian spirits, including a friend she lost to cancer. A nice little read that might (maybe?) help me put my phone down a little more so I have more time to daydream.
May 14, 2024
Spennende bok, om hvordan hodene våre fungerer, hvor kreative vi er eller kan være, og nettopp hva kreativitet er.
Mange referanser til Alice i eventyrland - referanser jeg dessverre ikke tar, da jeg aldri (?) har lest boka - men det skal jeg nå.
Mange referanser til Alice i eventyrland - referanser jeg dessverre ikke tar, da jeg aldri (?) har lest boka - men det skal jeg nå.
August 1, 2023
Veldig mange fine tanker om kreativitet i vid betydning
October 30, 2023
Imperfect, as with all creative acts, but eminently worthwhile and a source of hope. Daydreamers of the world unite!
September 27, 2023
1,5
Kilka bardzo ciekawych spostrzeżeń na temat kreatywności, łapania dystansu w życiowym pędzie. Pozwalania sobie na nic nierobienie. Pełna cytatów znanych jednostek. O tym jaki literatura ma wpływ na czytelnika.
Autorka na duży problem z skakaniem po milionie tematów, niby spójnikiem ma być czytanie książek oraz pisanie, ale w dłuższej formie gubi się sens. Pod koniec książki, autorka bawi się w parafrazę zagadnień ekologicznych w sposób trywialny i bardzo wybiórczy. W ogólnym rozrachunku książka jest bardzo męcząca w odbiorze, bo zastanawiamy się non-stop dokąd to wszystko ma prowadzić.
Kilka bardzo ciekawych spostrzeżeń na temat kreatywności, łapania dystansu w życiowym pędzie. Pozwalania sobie na nic nierobienie. Pełna cytatów znanych jednostek. O tym jaki literatura ma wpływ na czytelnika.
Autorka na duży problem z skakaniem po milionie tematów, niby spójnikiem ma być czytanie książek oraz pisanie, ale w dłuższej formie gubi się sens. Pod koniec książki, autorka bawi się w parafrazę zagadnień ekologicznych w sposób trywialny i bardzo wybiórczy. W ogólnym rozrachunku książka jest bardzo męcząca w odbiorze, bo zastanawiamy się non-stop dokąd to wszystko ma prowadzić.
November 19, 2020
Hilde Østby begir seg ut på å skrive en bok om menneskers kreativitet, drevet av hennes egne stormende følelser og mange intervjuer med relevante mennesker.
Desverre fnner jeg denne boken litt rotete. Det virker som Hilde ikke helt klarte å velge en retning å holde seg til. De påtvugne analogiene til "alice i eventyrland" som hun tungt baserer sin første del av boken på gir veldig lite mening etterhvert som boken utvider i emner (og ikke minst gjentar hun ordene "kaninhullet" og "røde dronningen" så ofte at det må ha lagt til minst 5 ekstra sider i total word count). Boken er delvis en selvbiografi, delvis innsikt i hvordan priviligerte artister jobber, delvis studie om hjernen, delvis uro om verdens fremtid - det blir litt en lapskaus bundet sammen av en ganske tynn tråd om kreativitet.
Det er ingen tvil om at Østby har lagt mye arbeid i denne boken. Men det er som å lese en eksamen hvor personen bruker så mange kilder som mulig, uavhengig om det er relevant til spørsmålet som skal besvares.
Det er likevel noen gode synspunkt å hente. Jeg støtter det hun skriver om 4dagers arbeidsuke, å ta avstand fra blind konsumering, og nedtrappe hvor mye vi overlesser skolebarn (hun gir forørvirg ingen innsikt i hvordan disse problemene i samfunnet kan endres - annet enn å sitte litt mindre på telefonen og avlyse dansetimene til datteren sin). Men jeg skal øve på rådene om å la hjernen få pauser, og prøve å løsrive meg fra en overstimulerende hverdag.
Desverre fnner jeg denne boken litt rotete. Det virker som Hilde ikke helt klarte å velge en retning å holde seg til. De påtvugne analogiene til "alice i eventyrland" som hun tungt baserer sin første del av boken på gir veldig lite mening etterhvert som boken utvider i emner (og ikke minst gjentar hun ordene "kaninhullet" og "røde dronningen" så ofte at det må ha lagt til minst 5 ekstra sider i total word count). Boken er delvis en selvbiografi, delvis innsikt i hvordan priviligerte artister jobber, delvis studie om hjernen, delvis uro om verdens fremtid - det blir litt en lapskaus bundet sammen av en ganske tynn tråd om kreativitet.
Det er ingen tvil om at Østby har lagt mye arbeid i denne boken. Men det er som å lese en eksamen hvor personen bruker så mange kilder som mulig, uavhengig om det er relevant til spørsmålet som skal besvares.
Det er likevel noen gode synspunkt å hente. Jeg støtter det hun skriver om 4dagers arbeidsuke, å ta avstand fra blind konsumering, og nedtrappe hvor mye vi overlesser skolebarn (hun gir forørvirg ingen innsikt i hvordan disse problemene i samfunnet kan endres - annet enn å sitte litt mindre på telefonen og avlyse dansetimene til datteren sin). Men jeg skal øve på rådene om å la hjernen få pauser, og prøve å løsrive meg fra en overstimulerende hverdag.
September 6, 2023
I just wrapped up "The Key to Creativity" by Hilde Østby, and I've got to say, it's a pretty cool book. If you've ever wondered about how creativity works or how to get those creative juices flowing, this book has some neat insights.
Hilde Østby takes you on a journey through the brain, explaining how our noggins come up with those bright ideas. I liked how the book is full of stories about creative folks, from artists to writers, and how their brains tick. It's like you're peeking inside the minds of some really imaginative people.
One thing I took away from this book is that creativity isn't just for the chosen few. We can all be creative in our own ways, and Østby shows us how.
Hilde Østby takes you on a journey through the brain, explaining how our noggins come up with those bright ideas. I liked how the book is full of stories about creative folks, from artists to writers, and how their brains tick. It's like you're peeking inside the minds of some really imaginative people.
One thing I took away from this book is that creativity isn't just for the chosen few. We can all be creative in our own ways, and Østby shows us how.
January 12, 2023
Podeszłam do niej sceptycznie,a okazała się naprawdę dobrą, orginalną i co ważne inspirującą książką. Bardzo miło się słuchało, a wiele z przekazywanych informacji były dla mnie nowe i ciekawe, a nawet te które już znałam były przedstawione w taki sposób, że mi to powturzenie nie przeszkadzało. Czasami niestety uważam, że autorka za bardzo odbiegała od tematu. 3.65/5 ⭐
September 13, 2020
Fantastisk bok! Verkeleg velskriven, interessant og innsiktsfull. Eg naut kvart kapittel.
January 12, 2021
Noen interessante sider, men i hovedsak rotete, repeterende og rar.
March 27, 2024
I have been searching for my inner Daimon, or source of creativity, hoping to become a writer, since I was a teenager. I have been reading books about creativity, like Rollo May’s The Courage to Create, for more than fifty years. I am also captivated by clever pictures or evocative drawings on book covers. And like many parents and adult children, I loved Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and Through the Looking Glass, by Lewis Carroll. I still choose many of my favorite books by wandering in bookstores and libraries. In summary, when I came upon a book promising to somehow unite daydreaming and neuroscience to come up with something new on creativity, and the book’s cover showed Alice pulling back the curtain on nature?; while searching in one of my favorite bookstores, I bought it. Thus began my adventure with Norwegian author Hilde Ostby and The Key to Creativity the Science Behind Ideas and How Daydreaming Can Change the World.
Hilde Ostby begins the neuroscience portion of her book by recounting an accident where she concussed herself on an Oslo bridge while riding her bike. Her traumatic brain injury symptoms and evaluations are discussed intermittently throughout the book. She reminds readers that she and her neuroscientist sister had recently coauthored a textbook on memory; thereby establishing her writing credentials and knowledge of subject matter.
From there, it is a loose associative, entertaining, and provocative walk in silence through the forest of ideas about creativity, especially in the arts, and especially for writers. The loose structure is provided, cheerfully, by some of the characters from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, as provided by quotes and drawings.
I enjoyed the recounting of personality traits (which can be developed by conscious effort) observed frequently among particularly creative people:
• Doubt - uncertainty; related to Latin, Ignoramus “We do not know” as a prerequisite to learning new things.
• Not afraid to differ
• Humility; not believing in one’s superiority or the superiority of one’s current ideas.
• Curious – eager to learn or understand. Doubt is a prerequisite to curiosity. Certainty is the antithesis of curiosity.
• Openness to new ideas
• Imaginative
• Receptive to Wonder (awe)
Author Virginia Woolf provides an example of a creator with some of these traits. Ostby shares Woolf’s take on the rules of writing: No right method; whatever expresses what you want to express; No right topic; what it is that you want to discuss; No perception comes amiss.
The chapter on Wonderland connects many of the artistic ideas about daydreaming, walks in the forest, naps, silence, and meditation; with the neuroscience of Default Mode Network (DMN), executive function, limbic system, and temporal lobes, including references to neurologic cases and studies. The metaphor of Alice in Wonderland fits well with author Ostby’s free-associative style (I am guessing that Freud, Jung, and Erik Erikson would all be delighted).
I found the chapters on contemporary schooling, including the Internet, on children’s creativity; and the chapter on work, especially busy work, as part of the culture of consumerism and consumption; both personal and yet effective, in casting a wider net about the general topic of creativity. The way the author pulled in a brief account of her hero, Vera, who had mentored and encouraged the author’s writing career and then died after a monumental struggle with cancer, was resonant with the book’s other themes. Ostby managed to even review the role of grief in creativity and the urgency that an author’s impending death can place on finishing a gift for the future.
I enjoyed and learned from Hilde Ostby’s The Key to Creativity and I recommend it to aspiring creators.
Hilde Ostby begins the neuroscience portion of her book by recounting an accident where she concussed herself on an Oslo bridge while riding her bike. Her traumatic brain injury symptoms and evaluations are discussed intermittently throughout the book. She reminds readers that she and her neuroscientist sister had recently coauthored a textbook on memory; thereby establishing her writing credentials and knowledge of subject matter.
From there, it is a loose associative, entertaining, and provocative walk in silence through the forest of ideas about creativity, especially in the arts, and especially for writers. The loose structure is provided, cheerfully, by some of the characters from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, as provided by quotes and drawings.
I enjoyed the recounting of personality traits (which can be developed by conscious effort) observed frequently among particularly creative people:
• Doubt - uncertainty; related to Latin, Ignoramus “We do not know” as a prerequisite to learning new things.
• Not afraid to differ
• Humility; not believing in one’s superiority or the superiority of one’s current ideas.
• Curious – eager to learn or understand. Doubt is a prerequisite to curiosity. Certainty is the antithesis of curiosity.
• Openness to new ideas
• Imaginative
• Receptive to Wonder (awe)
Author Virginia Woolf provides an example of a creator with some of these traits. Ostby shares Woolf’s take on the rules of writing: No right method; whatever expresses what you want to express; No right topic; what it is that you want to discuss; No perception comes amiss.
The chapter on Wonderland connects many of the artistic ideas about daydreaming, walks in the forest, naps, silence, and meditation; with the neuroscience of Default Mode Network (DMN), executive function, limbic system, and temporal lobes, including references to neurologic cases and studies. The metaphor of Alice in Wonderland fits well with author Ostby’s free-associative style (I am guessing that Freud, Jung, and Erik Erikson would all be delighted).
I found the chapters on contemporary schooling, including the Internet, on children’s creativity; and the chapter on work, especially busy work, as part of the culture of consumerism and consumption; both personal and yet effective, in casting a wider net about the general topic of creativity. The way the author pulled in a brief account of her hero, Vera, who had mentored and encouraged the author’s writing career and then died after a monumental struggle with cancer, was resonant with the book’s other themes. Ostby managed to even review the role of grief in creativity and the urgency that an author’s impending death can place on finishing a gift for the future.
I enjoyed and learned from Hilde Ostby’s The Key to Creativity and I recommend it to aspiring creators.
November 2, 2024
I don't know how I knew to pick up this book right after some basement-dwelling gamer dudes gave me a hypnotic brain injury.
Anyways, it was a useful tool for following along with the healing process. Ostby's "mild" concussion—which she got by slamming her head into a stone wall in a bicycle accident—took her three years to progress from the beginning of the book to the end.
With this, be warned that the early chapters of the book are as disorganized and snippetted as her research and writing process were when she was more injured. I found them frustrating to read. They were too long. They were a bunch of random disconnected bits of topical information. I wondered if it was my problem that I could not draw a formal, thematic line from the beginning of the first chapter to the end; but I turned back and re-scanned the pages and yep, they were as random and hard to store into memory as I thought they were.
Yet I realized that each chapter was getting more organized as I progressed through the book. And following along with this organization was uniquely useful to my situation.
Did I mention that I'm an anticultist? I'd been reading anticultists' work for ten years, so as my brain kicked into healing mode, I knew how not to go insane. Then I saw that this looked like a helpful model of a brain's healing process. Not that Ostby has much to say about cults and cultism. But about the relationship between brain issues and destructive and wrong stereotypes of creative people, she researched a lot about that. Turns out that mental health problems and brain injuries don't make people more creative. Who'da thought?
I'm not claiming that this book healed me by itself. I had just moved into a better neighbourhood and gotten better relationships. I was already getting exercise and giving myself outdoor time, and that continued. I'm actually not where I want to be, but neither have I reached the six-month deadline after which I'mmisdiagnoseable in DSM-reliant countries.
What following along with the book has done is show me the different stages of becoming organized in writing and surface-level cognition again. I really, really need the moral support. Because what doesn't kill me doesn't make me stronger. Sorry, kids. The '90s are over.
So should I give this book an amazing rating because of the perfect situation in which I, personally, came across it? Knowing that the majority of people after such an encounter are just going to be put away and made homeless (in that order)?
Should I give it just an okay rating because most readers will attempt the first two chapters and get the wrong impression that this is not readable? When the information is pertinent and the bibliography makes the book worth revisiting?
Oh, I know what I'll do. I have just remembered one more thing. Hilde Ostby is funny.
Not that there is excessive joking all over the place. The humour she did use made me wish she had used more. As a North American, I find Ostby's Nordic version of femininity refreshingly free. She doesn't have the need for mediocrity and caste that I'm used to rolling my overlarge eyes at out here in the colonies.
I think I've internalized and will keep following attitudes from this book so well, that I might take them for granted. It's done a lot more for me than other journo-research-type books. Besides, I might actually use some of the research sources someday.
So I guess that means this book receives a rating of great! Happy to have found it.
Now to go read eight more books.
Anyways, it was a useful tool for following along with the healing process. Ostby's "mild" concussion—which she got by slamming her head into a stone wall in a bicycle accident—took her three years to progress from the beginning of the book to the end.
With this, be warned that the early chapters of the book are as disorganized and snippetted as her research and writing process were when she was more injured. I found them frustrating to read. They were too long. They were a bunch of random disconnected bits of topical information. I wondered if it was my problem that I could not draw a formal, thematic line from the beginning of the first chapter to the end; but I turned back and re-scanned the pages and yep, they were as random and hard to store into memory as I thought they were.
Yet I realized that each chapter was getting more organized as I progressed through the book. And following along with this organization was uniquely useful to my situation.
Did I mention that I'm an anticultist? I'd been reading anticultists' work for ten years, so as my brain kicked into healing mode, I knew how not to go insane. Then I saw that this looked like a helpful model of a brain's healing process. Not that Ostby has much to say about cults and cultism. But about the relationship between brain issues and destructive and wrong stereotypes of creative people, she researched a lot about that. Turns out that mental health problems and brain injuries don't make people more creative. Who'da thought?
I'm not claiming that this book healed me by itself. I had just moved into a better neighbourhood and gotten better relationships. I was already getting exercise and giving myself outdoor time, and that continued. I'm actually not where I want to be, but neither have I reached the six-month deadline after which I'm
What following along with the book has done is show me the different stages of becoming organized in writing and surface-level cognition again. I really, really need the moral support. Because what doesn't kill me doesn't make me stronger. Sorry, kids. The '90s are over.
So should I give this book an amazing rating because of the perfect situation in which I, personally, came across it? Knowing that the majority of people after such an encounter are just going to be put away and made homeless (in that order)?
Should I give it just an okay rating because most readers will attempt the first two chapters and get the wrong impression that this is not readable? When the information is pertinent and the bibliography makes the book worth revisiting?
Oh, I know what I'll do. I have just remembered one more thing. Hilde Ostby is funny.
Not that there is excessive joking all over the place. The humour she did use made me wish she had used more. As a North American, I find Ostby's Nordic version of femininity refreshingly free. She doesn't have the need for mediocrity and caste that I'm used to rolling my overlarge eyes at out here in the colonies.
I think I've internalized and will keep following attitudes from this book so well, that I might take them for granted. It's done a lot more for me than other journo-research-type books. Besides, I might actually use some of the research sources someday.
So I guess that means this book receives a rating of great! Happy to have found it.
Now to go read eight more books.
May 1, 2024
On one hand, this book stirred many positive emotions in me, but on the other hand, it made significant promises. I picked it up because I consider myself somewhat of a dreamer—more of an optimist who loves nonfiction books. It might seem paradoxical, but I thoroughly enjoy such reads. So, when I reached for this book, I felt that its title would provide me with more perspective and reasons for embracing who I already am. Unfortunately, I was slightly disappointed. While the book does present facts, histories, and solutions, it ends in an odd way, lacking a definitive answer to the central question. I also miss having sources or suggested texts that would offer that final resolution. My main impression is that the author herself is a dreamer. She wrote the book to fulfill her dream, but along the way, she may have lost some threads or the overarching theme.
January 15, 2024
Bardzo męcząca i gdybym po połowie nie przerzuciła się na audiobooka, to pewnie bym jej nie skończyła. Całkowicie nie podobał mi się styl autorki, skakanie po różnych tematach, wieczne nawiązania do „Alicji w Krainie Czarów” no i generalny przekaz, który można bardzo spłycić do zdania: chodź na spacery, daj sobie czas na nudzenie się i medytację, to może olśni cię jakiś pomysł i wpadniesz jak zostać np. genialnym pisarzem. Nie wiem - liczyłam na przedstawienie badań i odniesienie się do codziennego życia, ale autorka podawała scenariusze, których przeciętny człowiek nie może odnieść do siebie.
August 14, 2023
En av de beste bøkene jeg har lest i år. Hilde Østby lar oss møte mange mennesker som har tatt noen annerledes valg for å la kreativiteten i den få blomstre. Hun utfordrer måten vi lever på og samfunnet som vi lett lar oss styre av.
I boka kreativitet blir vi tvunget til å ta et pust i bakken og reflektere over vår egen livsførsel. Er det slik vi ønsker å leve, eller sitter vi fast i et hamsterhjul full av ting vi tror vil gjøre oss lykkelige?
Gjennom forfatterens røde tråd og vakre skildringer blir det en lek og følge med gjennom boka.
I boka kreativitet blir vi tvunget til å ta et pust i bakken og reflektere over vår egen livsførsel. Er det slik vi ønsker å leve, eller sitter vi fast i et hamsterhjul full av ting vi tror vil gjøre oss lykkelige?
Gjennom forfatterens røde tråd og vakre skildringer blir det en lek og følge med gjennom boka.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2025
I loved this book even though it took me much longer to get to the end than I had planned. I think it's well structured and you can learn a lot about your relationship to life, work and even yourself.
It's worth reading a little more slowly to really think about the issues and questions raised in the book.
It's worth reading a little more slowly to really think about the issues and questions raised in the book.
June 9, 2023
An engaging book that I took my time reading so I could indulge in the nuggets of wisdom spread throughout. I didn’t need to be converted by the idea that daydreaming is a good thing. She writes about the enduring power of story that spawns into new ideas.
September 3, 2023
Książka dobrze podparta konkretnymi badaniami naukowymi, klarownymi przykładami i zjawiskami mającymi miejsce w realnym świecie. Jednocześnie jest przy tym napisana przystępnym, (ale nie traktującym czytelnika jak idiotę) językiem. Pełna ciekawych przeżyć ludzi ze świata literatury, sztuki, nauki czy historii, trafnych cytatów i ważnych dla współczesnego świata wniosków dodatkowo uatrakcyjnia lekturę. Bardzo dobra pozycja.
October 1, 2023
Inspirerende bok om kreativitet! Intelligent og velskrevet. Jeg digger alle perspektivene hun drar inn i dette, spesielt om kreativitet i framtida! Jeg får umiddelbart egne kreative ideer av å lese denne boka.
March 18, 2024
I really like the idea of this book, but I'm not a big fan of the way the narrative was conducted. I felt like there were too many examples and too little solid informations or studies explained. There were so many examples that it felt like none of them were fully explored.
November 13, 2025
Még sosem olvastam ehhez fogható könyvet és pont ezért nagyon lassan haladtam vele, de olyan gondolatokat fogalmaz meg a szerző, amik számomra maguk az inspiráció. Az olvasottak után teljesen máshogy tekintek a kreativitásra és az alkotásra.
July 30, 2023
Noe veldig interessant, og en del som ble litt langt og kjedelig. Høydare å lese om rutinene til Kristoffer Schau blant annet.
September 15, 2023
Uma forma original é muito bonita de abordar a criatividade e da fomentar no leitor.
Adorei.
Adorei.
November 15, 2024
Nie wiem po co podział książki na rozdziały skoro w każdym rozdziale znajduje się wszystko i nic. To książka napisana bez ładu, składu i pomysłu. Tragicznie się to czytało.
January 9, 2025
Chapter seven: The walrus and the carpenter!!! Great writing, slow to find it's groove
January 30, 2025
A book that had really helped me understand my self more and the world around me.
Read
May 9, 2025Nie żałuję przesłuchania ten książki, ale nie jest to równoznaczne z poleceniem jej ;)
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