99 Keys to a Creative Life: Spiritual, Intuitive, and Awareness Practices for Personal Fulfillment

by Melissa Harris

Creativity is not just painting or writing―it's stepping outside the way you normally think to achieve greater happiness and personal fulfillment. With mindful, heart-based practices, 99 Keys to a Creative Life helps you make the most of your creative opportunities, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. Nurture and strengthen your imaginative expression, as well as your link to what inspires you, by applying the 33 keys found in each of the three awareness, intuition, and connection to spirit. These keys provide practical methods for daily inspiration and action, making every day more creative and successful. Presenting innovative ways to raise your focus and express yourself, author Melissa Harris shows you how to unlock the gate to a more creative life.

Genres: Writing, Self Help, Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2015

Reviews

[Another · Rating 2 out of 5]

reads like a round up of random feel good essays.

[Dramatica Darmody · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pleasant little book, but not really very insightful, I'm sorry to say.

[Dawn Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

99 Keys to a Creative Life by Melissa Harris

9780738742199

216 Pages
Publisher: Llewellyn Publications
Release Date: May 8, 2015

Nonfiction (Adult), Self-Help

I am always on the lookout for books on creativity. I like to find ways to jump start being creative. This book was what I needed at this time.

The book is divided into three sections. The reader can pick the aspect that resonates with them to create.

Awareness Keys: Heads Up! Creative opportunities are all around us!
Intuitive or Heart-Based Keys: Allow your inner compass to guide you
Spiritual or Soul-Based Keys

There is something for everyone in this book. I like the way the author has divided the book. I found that the first section called to me more than the other two. The exercises are simple and do not take any time to do. The instructions are easy to follow. I like the idea of documenting, breathing, sound healing, and practicing mindful. If you are looking for ways to jumpstart your creativity, I highly recommend this book.

[Lis - The Indigo Quill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Make the most of your creative opportunities by finding what inspires you. The 33 keys are found in three sections: awareness, intuition, and connection to spirit. They provide the practical methods you can use in daily life.

It was a nice concept, but not very insightful. Many of the keys were self explanatory and not very impressing. It was hard to finish.

[Rhonda Lepkan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I applaud the artist for writing this book. Good on her for let her creativity manifest. I found it very repetitive though and there is probably only about 25 keys not 99 but that wouldn’t make as catchy a title. Some good nuggets on how to seek inspiration and let the creative juices flow.

[Jennifer Pritt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read and gives you some ways to be more creative. Some are new and others are just reminders.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some keys just don't fit but some were usable.

[Leonore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many great tools and advice to use in life. Always try to connect and learn with others. Most of all getting to know yourself better.

[Georgina · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book starts from a great concept, and I applaud the direction in which the author leads the creative reader, which is towards an awareness of themselves as conduits for a spirited life. However, I found myself uninspired by the way the 99 keys are presented. Having read and followed the Artist's Way series written by Julia Cameron, I felt that this book lacked the mix of the practical, the lyrical and the inspirational that I liked about Cameron's opus. Sometimes it felt as if many of the 99 keys were repetitive and many stated the very obvious. Be aware of .... colours you like, places you like, sounds you like,(etc.) and put them into your life. It felt rather like being told to relax when you feel tense, when the author says "I suggest becoming aware of...", I would have liked more tips, or anecdotes on how this might be achieved if we are not already doing it as a natural part of life. There are some good reminders - to acknowledge your successes, for example, but some of the suggested keys, such as practising automatic writing, are a little esoteric and require more than just a couple of paragraphs to enable a novice to feel supported in experimenting. The author undoubtedly leads a commendably deeply artistic and spiritual life, but I found it difficult to relate her accounts of amazing coincidences and profound resonances, to my own life. Some inspirational images would have added to the reading and learning experience and perhaps they could have supported the text, by showing how the keys could be applied practically to assist in unlocking the creative life.
I was given a pre-proof version of this book via NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.

[Danielle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't actually finishing reading this book because it was that bad to me. In fact I decided to write a review because I disliked it that much. First off, it has little to do with being creative and comes off as the author just talking about her life and then stating that this is a route to "creativeness." Its like "I went to Walmart... you should allow yourself this time because it will help free you up to be more creative." It made no sense. And the things that did make sense were overly obvious. If a human being has gone through life in a box they MIGHT need this book. You could learn more by just existing so I don't think this book is worth the time to read it even thought it was also very short. I was into the second section of its content, about half way through, when I gave up and I had only been reading it for about 3-4 hours. Other than that it was repetitive and if you want to read about this topic that is fine, obviously I bought it because I was interested but I will look elsewhere.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Typically when I read, I am at one extreme or another on a book. I either absolutely love it or just can't quite plod through it. This is one of the infrequent times when I am a little lukewarm on a piece of work.

I would highly recommend this to someone who has never done the work of soul-searching and exploring their creative nature, but after working through THE ARTIST'S WAY and many other books, I found this to be too basic for my life experience.

It did have some nice reminders in it, but nothing earth shaking.

Please don't let my review sway you from buying this volume, if you are struggling to discover a life of awareness/mindfulness/creativity.....I believe it has great concepts, just nothing really revolutionary for me at this point in my life.

I was given a digital copy of this book by NetGallery in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Arra · Rating 3 out of 5]

That was a pretty long read filled with advices on how you can harness your creativity so you can push and finally make the things your passionate about happen. It will be an understatement to say that the 99 keys were overwhelming because it just is. It took me a while to wrap my head on these ideas. I can’t say they’re not useful because I’m sure they are but not everything applies to me. I feel like some are just too spiritually driven when we don’t really share the same beliefs. But I appreciate the openness to welcome different ideas.

I did learn a thing or too. Most are things I already knew but usually fail to adhere. Still grateful to hear from this author and understand her creative process.

[Short Sorceress · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was sent a copy of the book for review through Net Galley, as always, all opinions are my own.

Not all of the advice in this book appealed to me, but I did like the practical advice given as awareness keys. Much of it mirrored how I currently live my life. The idea of seasons of creativity were new to me, but as I paid attention I realized that cold weather months are when I feel at my most creative (I really like to laze around in the sun during the summer months.) I think I'll give this another read to see what else I can incorporate into my life.

[Corinne Rodrigues · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the layout of the book – such a practical way to go through the various keys and pick up what might work for you.
Read my review here: http://birdsontheblog.co.uk/99-keys-t...

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good inspiration book for finding and keeping creativity in your life. I enjoyed reading it, however I felt many of the "keys" were sort of self-explanatory. However, if you need inspiration, this is a good place to look!

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Marianne Mersereau · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the author's definition of creativity as not being limited to artistic expression. She explains that it helps us "step outside of the way we normally think or act" and look at many situations from different angles. This is an inspiring, encouraging and uplifting book and an easy read.

[Monique · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting concept but nothing out of the box new...not impressed. However, this is a easy read that did spark my creative flow.

[Jill Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would of rather read this on a blog as helpful tidbits over time vs a book . I think this book would of done much better in the 90s.