What do you think?
Rate this book
Creative Strength Training: Prompts, Exercises and Personal Stories for Encouraging Artistic Genius
Discover a Deeper Connection to Your Artist Self! Artists and athletes alike benefit from strength training. Building creative stamina takes encouragement, mentoring, and regular practice. In "Creative Strength Training," you'll discover powerful strategies that combine writing and hands-on art-making to overcome creative stumbling blocks, develop a unique voice and make creating art a regular habit.Overcome resistance while dismantling "the Committee" (that group of inner critics).Explore 10 exercises for making art that stands apart as uniquely yours.Receive support and inspiration from contributing artists who share how each chapter has improved their practice and helped them evolve.Begin a fresh approach to your creative practice. Begin building stamina today with "Creative Strength Training"! "In a world of bookshelves lined with self-help guides to overhauling ourselves, Jane Dunnewold gives us, instead, a way to discover ourselves. "Creative Strength Training" is a gift to the artist just starting out, and a powerful resource for those of us who feel like we may have grown stale." --Mary Fisher, artist and AIDS activist "Jane's approach will resonate with anyone who has ever been stymied in his or her attempt to be original and creative. She guides readers on a journey of self-discovery to seek the core of the creative spirit. This newfound self-awareness and confidence is sure to unleash brand new avenues of creativity for those who read this important new work." --Maureen Hendricks, owner of Gateway Canyons Resort, home of Alegre Quilt Retreat "Jane Dunnewold's approach to the creative process is as refreshing as it is realistic--building stamina means making your art a priority. This method feels at once personal and prolific--a must-have for anyone looking to push his/her boundaries." --Joe Pitcher, founder of textileartist.org
- GenresArtNonfictionWriting
144 pages, Paperback
First published June 10, 2016
109 people are currently reading
186 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 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 11, 2017
Will definitely be rereading this one from time to time.
November 13, 2016
A wonderful, well-written book about creative self-care. Great exercises, support and examples. Guest artists discuss how they felt doing the exercises, another layer of understanding. A good book for every level of experience.
July 27, 2017
Loads of fabulous information for all types of artists. I will be rereading this book and doing the exercises.
May 26, 2022
"As an artist, I achieve daily centering in the studio. I didn't know how to find my center at the beginning. I flailed but gradually settled into a practice. I began to understand how to sustain creative ability by regularly creating. That's why they call it a practice. Go to the studio and make something. Go to the studio and make something. It's just another version of reps.
When I realized behaving creatively could be translated into a series of steps, it rocked my world. Step-by-step learning demystifies physical exercise or playing an instrument. Why shouldn't it demystify what happens when we are deep into making?
A disclaimer: Sure, people use what they learn to varying degrees of success. It would be disingenuous to act as though some people won't be better at this than others. Lots of variables affect how much someone achieves as an artist/maker. But if the strategies of strength training are applied in the studio-that is, by setting a course of learning and gradually increasing reps-creativity expands, and so does an artist's sense of confidence and self-worth...
Making begins as play, then gets serious because you start to care. You recognize the need for regular reps or practice and screw up your courage to commit. What happens? You come full circle. Stick with the training. Working at it leads back to play." pg 8
In ten chapters, Jane takes the Artist/Maker through their paces. Beginning with 'Defining Creative Stamina'; progressing to 'Overcoming Stumbling Blocks'; gaining clarity with 'Making Work Distinctively Your Own', and ending with 'Discovering Grace Through Acts of Making', this work enables you to come to terms with who you truly are as an Artist/Maker and most importantly what limits Your progress. I know some people may find the Writing aspects of this Training counterintuitive to painting etc.; however, in order to peel back the layers that suppress and cripple Our Creativity, Writing is pivotal and illuminating. Each chapter includes a variety of Artists/Makers sharing their realizations using the Training, as well as colourful photos of their Creations. Highly recommended and will be one I keep in My Studio area as an ongoing reference.
When I realized behaving creatively could be translated into a series of steps, it rocked my world. Step-by-step learning demystifies physical exercise or playing an instrument. Why shouldn't it demystify what happens when we are deep into making?
A disclaimer: Sure, people use what they learn to varying degrees of success. It would be disingenuous to act as though some people won't be better at this than others. Lots of variables affect how much someone achieves as an artist/maker. But if the strategies of strength training are applied in the studio-that is, by setting a course of learning and gradually increasing reps-creativity expands, and so does an artist's sense of confidence and self-worth...
Making begins as play, then gets serious because you start to care. You recognize the need for regular reps or practice and screw up your courage to commit. What happens? You come full circle. Stick with the training. Working at it leads back to play." pg 8
In ten chapters, Jane takes the Artist/Maker through their paces. Beginning with 'Defining Creative Stamina'; progressing to 'Overcoming Stumbling Blocks'; gaining clarity with 'Making Work Distinctively Your Own', and ending with 'Discovering Grace Through Acts of Making', this work enables you to come to terms with who you truly are as an Artist/Maker and most importantly what limits Your progress. I know some people may find the Writing aspects of this Training counterintuitive to painting etc.; however, in order to peel back the layers that suppress and cripple Our Creativity, Writing is pivotal and illuminating. Each chapter includes a variety of Artists/Makers sharing their realizations using the Training, as well as colourful photos of their Creations. Highly recommended and will be one I keep in My Studio area as an ongoing reference.
April 6, 2023
Not a bad book, though I felt that the art style showcased by the contributing artists was too similar. A lot involved quilting/sewing. There were very few actual illustration-only pieces, and hardly any actual paintings. Most involved mixed media, including the use of found objects. The advice given was so-so, and definitely focused on the more spiritual aspect of creativity, talking about stuff like chakras, self-alignment, past memories, etc. The exercises mostly involve journaling - penning down one's thoughts about a given topic.
August 22, 2018
Jane had helped me find my heart as an artist. I have taken her Creative Strength classes two years in a row and became a part of a wonderful artist tribe. Great reference book... start here - you will find your path.
September 10, 2019
It seemed helpful enough when I was reading it. I did enjoy the personal stories told by the various artists, mostly in fiber arts, and of their journeys to where they are now in their creative lives. Although I was hoping for more in the creative prompts region it still seemed helpful.
December 9, 2017
Useful hints and exercises for moving along in your artistic journey, but I'm not sure about the value of all the writing projects. I'll give some of it a go.
April 16, 2022
A great addition to my rut busting collection of exercises - her FB page and YouTube channels are great additions to the printed text
February 28, 2023
Creative strength training g is more than a book on the creative craft
Jane's voice guides the reader and observor into delving into their own soul and heart to find and develop their own creative endeavours in a gracious, gentle but firm, entertaining and steady manner.
Other creatures generously share their own forays and journeys into life and art be it dyeing or weaving fabric, manipulating designs or sharing the highs and lows and lessons learn over lifetimes. Lessons still being stretched, altered, tested and evolving.
A wonderful read and feast for the eyes of people wanting to set goals that support and encourage furthering passions, exporting challenging life events or powerful emotions or unravelling what those dreams may be or lead to. The stories can be related to a desire to write a book, design a patchwork or change a behaviour.
This is a book, with fabulous quotes and imagery to return to over and again. I can tell I would be a regular at her classes if Jane lived in Australia. A life well tested, lived and continuing to flourish and nurture others as well as herself.
Jane's voice guides the reader and observor into delving into their own soul and heart to find and develop their own creative endeavours in a gracious, gentle but firm, entertaining and steady manner.
Other creatures generously share their own forays and journeys into life and art be it dyeing or weaving fabric, manipulating designs or sharing the highs and lows and lessons learn over lifetimes. Lessons still being stretched, altered, tested and evolving.
A wonderful read and feast for the eyes of people wanting to set goals that support and encourage furthering passions, exporting challenging life events or powerful emotions or unravelling what those dreams may be or lead to. The stories can be related to a desire to write a book, design a patchwork or change a behaviour.
This is a book, with fabulous quotes and imagery to return to over and again. I can tell I would be a regular at her classes if Jane lived in Australia. A life well tested, lived and continuing to flourish and nurture others as well as herself.
January 8, 2017
Such a lot of really useful stuff - I've been thinking about the ideas and exercises Dunnewold outlines even when I've not been reading the book, which is always a good sign! Looking forward to working through it again in a more systematic way. I particularly like the real world contributions from artists who have used the exercises and prompts. Highly recommend this if you feel jaded, stuck, uninspired unconfident or depressed about your creative life.
June 15, 2016
A Wonder Of A Book
This is more than a book! It is the distillation of a life-long journey of learning and sharing that has resulted in the Artist known as Jane Dunnewold! A good read as well! Knowledge distilled Into wisdom!
This is more than a book! It is the distillation of a life-long journey of learning and sharing that has resulted in the Artist known as Jane Dunnewold! A good read as well! Knowledge distilled Into wisdom!
November 13, 2021
inspirational
Very helpful and inspiring! Will be rereading this one as I continue to create. Creating new work is such a lonely pursuit; it’s nice to know there are people out there who think like I do.
Very helpful and inspiring! Will be rereading this one as I continue to create. Creating new work is such a lonely pursuit; it’s nice to know there are people out there who think like I do.
October 26, 2016
Great ideas, easy and enjoyable...a To Do book though not a novel, more about exercises
June 10, 2016
Beautifully and warmly written. Jane makes you feel comfortable as she leads you through the hard work of discovering and pursuing your own artistic voice.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews