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Creativity, 63 short exercises to a Happier Life
Ever felt like you wanted to be more creative? Ever felt blocked day to day in what you were doing? Ever felt that you just needed to take a short break and reload or refresh yourself? We all tend to feel like this at times. This short volume contains 63 short energy packed exercises that you can do in pretty much any setting, in five to ten minutes each. They will help you and me become more creative and happier in our day to day life; help reduce or eliminate the 'blocked' feelings we all get from time to time; create a short refresh and reload time for us as needed during our lives. They will help lift you into the realm of true creativity, a place of power from which all of us are capable of much more than we can conceive of in day to day life. Here are a few ideas from the start of the book to give you a feel. To see more, be sure to exercise the 'look inside' option to have a look at the content of the book. Best Wishes!...
Creativity Exercises
If we stop and think about it, creativity, which can in very simple terms be looked at as taking an original approach to a task that would not be considered in the normal procedures, is both one of the least understood and most important, or vital, skills for all of us to have. It is misunderstood because many of us feel, incorrectly, that it is something possessed only by brilliant scientists, technologists or businesspersons, and is not something we can make use of in our daily life. It is vital because, with the pace of change in business and working life today, with whole industries coming and going in the space of a few years or even months, creativity is a versatile skill that companies and organizations are willing and able to pay for, and they pay. A lot.
The good news for you and I is that this is a skill that we can develop, with just a little motivation and some knowledge of the processes involved. In these short exercises (of about five to ten minutes each, in most cases, from reading through to execution) we will be developing our creativity in the best way possible: by using the skills on real world problems in our own life.
For each exercise, please do three things.
One, get yourself into an environment where you can concentrate one hundred percent on the exercise with no distractions. Shut the cell off, lock the door of your office, put a cartoon on to keep your kids occupied, tell your boss you are with a vital client, do whatever you need. No interruptions. Period.
Two, no matter how crazy the exercise may seem, engage in it totally and without judgment for the five or ten minutes. Criticize it afterward if you want, but while you are doing it go full on, no holds barred, full speed ahead, as though you were in a sprint with your life depending on the outcome.
Three, even if you don't feel you are creative, suspend your lack of belief for the five to ten minutes and act as if you are the most creative person you know. If you have trouble doing this as yourself, then play a little make believe, be like a kid again and imagine yourself as being reincarnated or reborn as a person you feel is very creative, and that you truly admire, and do the exercise as if you were that person. So if you feel Walt Disney or Oprah or Bill Gates or Martha Stewart or your next door neighbor is creative, pretend you are them, and then do the exercise as them.
If you will do these three things and go full on doing one of these exercises for five or ten minutes five days of the week, taking the weekends off, for even a couple of weeks, ten exercises total, you will be amazed at your progress. Complete the series, and you may not even recognize yourself, in some ways, by about halfway through! The change is that dramatic!
Creativity Exercises
If we stop and think about it, creativity, which can in very simple terms be looked at as taking an original approach to a task that would not be considered in the normal procedures, is both one of the least understood and most important, or vital, skills for all of us to have. It is misunderstood because many of us feel, incorrectly, that it is something possessed only by brilliant scientists, technologists or businesspersons, and is not something we can make use of in our daily life. It is vital because, with the pace of change in business and working life today, with whole industries coming and going in the space of a few years or even months, creativity is a versatile skill that companies and organizations are willing and able to pay for, and they pay. A lot.
The good news for you and I is that this is a skill that we can develop, with just a little motivation and some knowledge of the processes involved. In these short exercises (of about five to ten minutes each, in most cases, from reading through to execution) we will be developing our creativity in the best way possible: by using the skills on real world problems in our own life.
For each exercise, please do three things.
One, get yourself into an environment where you can concentrate one hundred percent on the exercise with no distractions. Shut the cell off, lock the door of your office, put a cartoon on to keep your kids occupied, tell your boss you are with a vital client, do whatever you need. No interruptions. Period.
Two, no matter how crazy the exercise may seem, engage in it totally and without judgment for the five or ten minutes. Criticize it afterward if you want, but while you are doing it go full on, no holds barred, full speed ahead, as though you were in a sprint with your life depending on the outcome.
Three, even if you don't feel you are creative, suspend your lack of belief for the five to ten minutes and act as if you are the most creative person you know. If you have trouble doing this as yourself, then play a little make believe, be like a kid again and imagine yourself as being reincarnated or reborn as a person you feel is very creative, and that you truly admire, and do the exercise as if you were that person. So if you feel Walt Disney or Oprah or Bill Gates or Martha Stewart or your next door neighbor is creative, pretend you are them, and then do the exercise as them.
If you will do these three things and go full on doing one of these exercises for five or ten minutes five days of the week, taking the weekends off, for even a couple of weeks, ten exercises total, you will be amazed at your progress. Complete the series, and you may not even recognize yourself, in some ways, by about halfway through! The change is that dramatic!
61 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 10, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 4, 2013
Creative Exercises That Help To Unlock Your Full Potential
Self-reflection is a very powerful tool that separates us human beings from the animals of the world. It allows for us to better examine our fundamental nature and then make changes that we deem necessary in our lives. Unfortunately, the ability to offer ourselves honest introspection often becomes muddied, particularly as we become older and more set in our ways. So having something that can boost-start the process of self-inquiry is definitely helpful. That is exactly what this amazing book, Creativity, 63 Short Lessons To A Happier Life by Andrew Goodman helps you to do.
There isn't any padding in this book; not one page is wasted with irrelevant information. Instead, each exercise is explained over the course of two to three pages. All the ones that I've read and tried myself are easy to follow and usually only require one's time and dedicated attention to complete. Each exercise has a unique purpose, such as for solving a complex life problem, helping to make difficult decisions, opening up the creative process, or allowing the person to think beyond their own self-imposed limitations to newer possibilities. Using these lessons, one can begin unlocking their full potential.
There is little doubt that people who are searching for inspiration will definitely enjoy Creativity. While many books offer the reader only empty rhetoric about changing their lives, this is one of the few self-help books that I've ever encountered which offers a roadmap to getting from point A to point B. Best of all, there isn't any preaching to be found within Creativity. Instead, the whole point is that the reader begin exploring their own minds instead of that of the author, that they use the provided exercises to uncover hidden potential, reveal amazing self-truths, and examine their motivations for doing things which they may have not realized existed before. Once we know more about ourselves and are better able to cast away the limitations and anxieties that seek to chain us to our daily routines, we can finally find happier, more fulfilling lives. Creativity helps us to get there more quickly than we otherwise would have on our own by offering us these brilliant, quick exercises.
Since I started with the exercises in this book, I not only feel better but I believe I'm a better person. I have more knowledge of myself, my motivations, and the negative influences that can affect my happiness to a greater degree than I ever had before. This has allowed for me to sustain better relationships with people in my life as well as to become more creative and content in my personal life. If you feel like that life has gotten you down and there doesn't seem to be any way out of your self-imposed trap, then you're dead wrong. Understanding the real problems that are often obfuscated due to the inability to reflect on our own selves will help for you to improve your mood and life in general. Start with a few exercises from Creativity, an excellent book for delving into your own mental processes and finally understanding yourself. I recommend it for all those who are lost in life and need a little guidance.
Self-reflection is a very powerful tool that separates us human beings from the animals of the world. It allows for us to better examine our fundamental nature and then make changes that we deem necessary in our lives. Unfortunately, the ability to offer ourselves honest introspection often becomes muddied, particularly as we become older and more set in our ways. So having something that can boost-start the process of self-inquiry is definitely helpful. That is exactly what this amazing book, Creativity, 63 Short Lessons To A Happier Life by Andrew Goodman helps you to do.
There isn't any padding in this book; not one page is wasted with irrelevant information. Instead, each exercise is explained over the course of two to three pages. All the ones that I've read and tried myself are easy to follow and usually only require one's time and dedicated attention to complete. Each exercise has a unique purpose, such as for solving a complex life problem, helping to make difficult decisions, opening up the creative process, or allowing the person to think beyond their own self-imposed limitations to newer possibilities. Using these lessons, one can begin unlocking their full potential.
There is little doubt that people who are searching for inspiration will definitely enjoy Creativity. While many books offer the reader only empty rhetoric about changing their lives, this is one of the few self-help books that I've ever encountered which offers a roadmap to getting from point A to point B. Best of all, there isn't any preaching to be found within Creativity. Instead, the whole point is that the reader begin exploring their own minds instead of that of the author, that they use the provided exercises to uncover hidden potential, reveal amazing self-truths, and examine their motivations for doing things which they may have not realized existed before. Once we know more about ourselves and are better able to cast away the limitations and anxieties that seek to chain us to our daily routines, we can finally find happier, more fulfilling lives. Creativity helps us to get there more quickly than we otherwise would have on our own by offering us these brilliant, quick exercises.
Since I started with the exercises in this book, I not only feel better but I believe I'm a better person. I have more knowledge of myself, my motivations, and the negative influences that can affect my happiness to a greater degree than I ever had before. This has allowed for me to sustain better relationships with people in my life as well as to become more creative and content in my personal life. If you feel like that life has gotten you down and there doesn't seem to be any way out of your self-imposed trap, then you're dead wrong. Understanding the real problems that are often obfuscated due to the inability to reflect on our own selves will help for you to improve your mood and life in general. Start with a few exercises from Creativity, an excellent book for delving into your own mental processes and finally understanding yourself. I recommend it for all those who are lost in life and need a little guidance.
February 28, 2014
Good ideas, good potential, but a couple of problems
If you are feeling creatively challenged, you COULD open up this book to a random page, and you might run into some inspiration. Though there is no table of contents in the E-book version, which makes the random opening difficult.
This is a disadvantage of this book. A table of contents is particularly needed here, because each chapter is an idea that stands alone, and there is a big need to navigate freely between the chapters (unlike reading them chronologically).
This book is full of good ideas, but doesn’t go deep into most of them. I think this book COULD help to inspire creativity, it is possible to get some good ideas from it.
But it is giving many ideas of WHAT to do without going deep enough into the background of the WHY and HOW.
So if you’re just starting to explore creativity, and you decide to read this book, just remember: If an idea from this book resonates with you, but feels too fuzzy, don’t let that discourage you. But simply find more ways to learn about that idea. For example, to learn more about ‘thought watching’, and the WHY and HOW of it - read “Mindfulness for beginners” by Jon Kabat Zinn.
Another example is the chapter ‘Creative Connection’ - if you like it, then really get into it: read one or all of Ken Robinson’s books (start with “The Element”). This chapter (‘Creative Connection’) is Robinson’s whole philosophy in a nutshell.
The format is of many brief to-do instructions. It could works out fine for you, or present a problem. It depends on what kind of person you are.
Most people I know, including myself (a poet and painter), need more than to-do instructions. We need to be convinced, in order to actually try out some relaxation technique, or solution-generating list. We need to understand some background about the WHY should we bother, and HOW could we go about trying it.
The WHY and HOW could have been brought into this book by deeper examples, but rarely did I find a personal example which inspired me. I did find one in the chapter “Meaning Creation”, and it was inspiring.
For the most part, the chapters in this book do not include examples. And when I say “examples”, I am talking about personal meaningful stories.
I have read many books about creativity, and the ones I found truly meaningful and helpful tell stories of personal experience which helped me take in the advice, fully understand WHY and HOW I can use it. And those books normally don’t include to-do instructions at all, but base their entire message on the stories.
If you are feeling creatively challenged, you COULD open up this book to a random page, and you might run into some inspiration. Though there is no table of contents in the E-book version, which makes the random opening difficult.
This is a disadvantage of this book. A table of contents is particularly needed here, because each chapter is an idea that stands alone, and there is a big need to navigate freely between the chapters (unlike reading them chronologically).
This book is full of good ideas, but doesn’t go deep into most of them. I think this book COULD help to inspire creativity, it is possible to get some good ideas from it.
But it is giving many ideas of WHAT to do without going deep enough into the background of the WHY and HOW.
So if you’re just starting to explore creativity, and you decide to read this book, just remember: If an idea from this book resonates with you, but feels too fuzzy, don’t let that discourage you. But simply find more ways to learn about that idea. For example, to learn more about ‘thought watching’, and the WHY and HOW of it - read “Mindfulness for beginners” by Jon Kabat Zinn.
Another example is the chapter ‘Creative Connection’ - if you like it, then really get into it: read one or all of Ken Robinson’s books (start with “The Element”). This chapter (‘Creative Connection’) is Robinson’s whole philosophy in a nutshell.
The format is of many brief to-do instructions. It could works out fine for you, or present a problem. It depends on what kind of person you are.
Most people I know, including myself (a poet and painter), need more than to-do instructions. We need to be convinced, in order to actually try out some relaxation technique, or solution-generating list. We need to understand some background about the WHY should we bother, and HOW could we go about trying it.
The WHY and HOW could have been brought into this book by deeper examples, but rarely did I find a personal example which inspired me. I did find one in the chapter “Meaning Creation”, and it was inspiring.
For the most part, the chapters in this book do not include examples. And when I say “examples”, I am talking about personal meaningful stories.
I have read many books about creativity, and the ones I found truly meaningful and helpful tell stories of personal experience which helped me take in the advice, fully understand WHY and HOW I can use it. And those books normally don’t include to-do instructions at all, but base their entire message on the stories.
January 22, 2014
The exercises in this book are good, really get you thinking and are not time consuming. Some days, I did multiple activities. Other days, I had to really stew over the questions awhile and step far out of my box and, well, get creative.
I will most likely come back to this book often when I feel stuck or unable to solve a problem.
I will most likely come back to this book often when I feel stuck or unable to solve a problem.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews