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Blessed Are the Weird: A Manifesto for Creatives
The world wants its soul back…
This book is for highly sensitive people who have felt out of place in the modern world. It provides a narrative that describes how they fit into a lineage of creatives throughout history, and how their gifts are needed during this precise era of "new renaissance" on Earth.
In this book, award winning author Jacob Nordby offers a bold new definition of success in the modern era.
“The only success now is living and creating a work-of-art life: unique, rich with meaning, naked of anything we don’t care about, and ruthless about carving out something absolutely real from a world that has gorged itself on fakeness and become critically ill from it. The only failure now is pulling back from that quest because of fear.”
Expanding upon his short original “Blessed Are the Weird” piece that became a viral phenomenon, he traces the roots of soulful artistry and creation to ancient times and back again to reveal the insistent, eternal quest of our true natures that demands something real—as if our very existence depends upon it.
This book is a call to creatives (and those who want to be) with the clear message that it has never been more critical to heed the call of soul than it is during this exciting, dangerous new renaissance epoch on Planet Earth.
Heartfelt and sometimes humorous, it lights a signal fire for all who feel out of place in the modern world and invites them to claim their heritage as members in an ancient lineage—those tenders of soul and beauty who have always kept the flame alive for humanity.
This is a book for everyone who wants to lead a deep, true, and passionate life and leave the world better for having passed this way.
Blessed Are the Weird. Your time has come to define the new normal.
In addition to dealing with the issues of personal motivation and overcoming creative blocks, the author develops ideas related to permaculture, social artistry, and the evolution of ethics. This book is rich with quotations by poets, philosophers, artists, thinkers, and creatives including
Anais Nin
Abraham Maslow
Buckminster Fuller
Ernest Hemingway
Joseph Campbell
Frida Kahlo
Mary Oliver
David Whyte
Jack Kerouac
Henry David Thoreau
Seth Godin
David W. Orr
Albert Camus
Andrea Balt
Rob Brezsny
Charles Bukowski
Neil Gaiman
and many others...
This book is written for all personality types, but those who test on the Myers-Briggs (MBTI) as INFJ, INFP, ENFJ, or ENFP will likely gain inspiration and insight into their unique struggles, design, and life purpose.
While vastly different in style from Elizabeth Gilbert's recent bestseller, Big Magic, and Brene' Brown's books, it contains themes that will be familiar to fans of these leading voices in the creativity and vulnerability arenas.
Ultimately, this book is for everyone who feels the urgency of our age and the call to make potential real.
This book is for highly sensitive people who have felt out of place in the modern world. It provides a narrative that describes how they fit into a lineage of creatives throughout history, and how their gifts are needed during this precise era of "new renaissance" on Earth.
In this book, award winning author Jacob Nordby offers a bold new definition of success in the modern era.
“The only success now is living and creating a work-of-art life: unique, rich with meaning, naked of anything we don’t care about, and ruthless about carving out something absolutely real from a world that has gorged itself on fakeness and become critically ill from it. The only failure now is pulling back from that quest because of fear.”
Expanding upon his short original “Blessed Are the Weird” piece that became a viral phenomenon, he traces the roots of soulful artistry and creation to ancient times and back again to reveal the insistent, eternal quest of our true natures that demands something real—as if our very existence depends upon it.
This book is a call to creatives (and those who want to be) with the clear message that it has never been more critical to heed the call of soul than it is during this exciting, dangerous new renaissance epoch on Planet Earth.
Heartfelt and sometimes humorous, it lights a signal fire for all who feel out of place in the modern world and invites them to claim their heritage as members in an ancient lineage—those tenders of soul and beauty who have always kept the flame alive for humanity.
This is a book for everyone who wants to lead a deep, true, and passionate life and leave the world better for having passed this way.
Blessed Are the Weird. Your time has come to define the new normal.
In addition to dealing with the issues of personal motivation and overcoming creative blocks, the author develops ideas related to permaculture, social artistry, and the evolution of ethics. This book is rich with quotations by poets, philosophers, artists, thinkers, and creatives including
Anais Nin
Abraham Maslow
Buckminster Fuller
Ernest Hemingway
Joseph Campbell
Frida Kahlo
Mary Oliver
David Whyte
Jack Kerouac
Henry David Thoreau
Seth Godin
David W. Orr
Albert Camus
Andrea Balt
Rob Brezsny
Charles Bukowski
Neil Gaiman
and many others...
This book is written for all personality types, but those who test on the Myers-Briggs (MBTI) as INFJ, INFP, ENFJ, or ENFP will likely gain inspiration and insight into their unique struggles, design, and life purpose.
While vastly different in style from Elizabeth Gilbert's recent bestseller, Big Magic, and Brene' Brown's books, it contains themes that will be familiar to fans of these leading voices in the creativity and vulnerability arenas.
Ultimately, this book is for everyone who feels the urgency of our age and the call to make potential real.
183 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 13, 2016
249 people are currently reading
1340 people want to read
About the author
Jacob Nordby
8 books207 followersJacob Nordby is a storyteller, thinker, and adventure seeker whose many quests have led him to a deep fascination with life in all of its weird splendor. He has written the award winning novel, The Divine Arsonist, and a non-fiction title, Blessed Are the Weird - A Manifesto for Creatives. He is the founder of the independent Manifesto Publishing House.
Jacob lives and works in Boise, Idaho where he is now actively plotting new novels.
He really hates writing bios.
He loves life.
Jacob lives and works in Boise, Idaho where he is now actively plotting new novels.
He really hates writing bios.
He loves life.
Jacob's favorite quote about writing:
“Of all that is written, I love only what a person hath written with his blood. Write with blood, and thou wilt find that blood is spirit." - Friedrich Nietzsche
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
February 7, 2017
This is one of those life-changing books you stumble upon every once in a great while. The kind of book that not only makes you think, but actually makes you FEEL differently—about yourself, about the world, and about your purpose in it.
Full-disclosure: I have been a weirdo all my life. As an adult, I’ve been obsessed with personality systems in an attempt to define and explain this seemingly inexplicable “weirdness” that I’ve struggled with since I was old enough to get funny looks from other kids on the playground. So I’ve read my fair share of material on psychology, spiritual levels, and personal assessment systems. But nothing—seriously nothing—has encapsulated and gotten right to the heart of the matter for me like this book. After reading Blessed Are the Weird I not only feel like I finally “get it” but that I’m also, crazily enough, okay with it. And that’s the part that makes all the difference.
This book is crazy powerful. If you’re a Weird Person you will get it, deeply and instantaneously. And it will change your life.
Full-disclosure: I have been a weirdo all my life. As an adult, I’ve been obsessed with personality systems in an attempt to define and explain this seemingly inexplicable “weirdness” that I’ve struggled with since I was old enough to get funny looks from other kids on the playground. So I’ve read my fair share of material on psychology, spiritual levels, and personal assessment systems. But nothing—seriously nothing—has encapsulated and gotten right to the heart of the matter for me like this book. After reading Blessed Are the Weird I not only feel like I finally “get it” but that I’m also, crazily enough, okay with it. And that’s the part that makes all the difference.
This book is crazy powerful. If you’re a Weird Person you will get it, deeply and instantaneously. And it will change your life.
October 29, 2016
Some books show up, just at the time you need them most, and this is such a book.
Blessed Are The Weird begins with a chapter-by-chapter exploration of the meaning behind Jacob Nordby's wildly popular poem from which his book draws its title.
"Blessed are the weird people:
poets, misfits, writers
mystics, painters, troubadours
for they teach us to see the world through different eyes."
He offers an expanded version of the poem called Beatitudes for the Weird, which opens even more windows through which we can catch the grand vision he has for the vital role that 'weird' creatives of all stripes play in nourishing the deep longings of the human heart.
For Nordby, creative 'misfits' play the alchemist's role, offering a transformative vision through which the world can see the magic at work in the seemingly mundane details of life.
"We wait, starving for moments of high magic to inspire us,
but life is a banquet of common enchantment
waiting for our alchemists' eyes to notice."
Weird People venture into unmapped places, beyond the boundaries of what is safe. In so doing, throughout the ages, these brave adventurers have changed the world, each in their own unique way.
"We have this radical desire to follow our inner longings no matter where they lead us--and we have come to understand that they are going to nearly always take us most people aren't comfortable in going. In fact, this is why Weird People have always been the ones who move humanity forward. We are the ones willing to go to the verge of the horizon, where the known world disappears into mystery and uncertainty, to lean out over the raw edge of our own fear, and then take another step."
The second half of the book deals with so much more than just creativity. It examines discovering your own unique purpose, and the struggle to actualize that into an authentic, passionate life.
"Living out a creative life means taking ultimate responsibility for everything in it. It means we are not waiting for anyone or anything to come along and give us the keys of happiness. . . And yes, it is weird to live this way because so few are doing it."
"Trying to express our deepest truth in life--and by that I mean living out a life that reflects who we really are--is usually a crooked path with many switchbacks, dead end adventures, and hot, thirsty marches."
Nordby helpfully shares from his own life, how self-discovery, and pushing past discomfort and the fear of uncertainty is vital to taking hold of the kind of life which is fulfilling and in harmony with our inner purpose.
"Magic is first in knowing ourselves,
Next, what we truly desire,
Then giving ourselves permission
To go for it with a whole heart."
I hope you can see from the quotes I've shared, that while Blessed Are The Weird is squarely aimed at creative types of all sorts, it is ultimately concerned with the deepest questions of the human heart. As such, it is an inspiring read for even those who don't consider themselves to be creatives.
As a bonus, the book is loaded with life examples, and choice quotes from luminous misfits throughout history who have been courageous enough to rebel against the straightjacket of ordinary existence, in order to live by their own lights.
A thoroughly enjoyable read, Blessed Are The Weird felt fresh and vital throughout, not some stale regurgitation of cobbled-together ideas. There is even a chapter on the connection between sex and creativity! I had my highlighter out frequently, to mark passages which I wanted to revisit in the future.
It's clear that Nordby knows of what he speaks, and that vitality comes through in his writing. Blessed Are the Weird has given me a greater vision and renewed passion for pursuing my creative calling, and for that I am very grateful. I can't recommend this book highly enough!
Blessed Are The Weird begins with a chapter-by-chapter exploration of the meaning behind Jacob Nordby's wildly popular poem from which his book draws its title.
"Blessed are the weird people:
poets, misfits, writers
mystics, painters, troubadours
for they teach us to see the world through different eyes."
He offers an expanded version of the poem called Beatitudes for the Weird, which opens even more windows through which we can catch the grand vision he has for the vital role that 'weird' creatives of all stripes play in nourishing the deep longings of the human heart.
For Nordby, creative 'misfits' play the alchemist's role, offering a transformative vision through which the world can see the magic at work in the seemingly mundane details of life.
"We wait, starving for moments of high magic to inspire us,
but life is a banquet of common enchantment
waiting for our alchemists' eyes to notice."
Weird People venture into unmapped places, beyond the boundaries of what is safe. In so doing, throughout the ages, these brave adventurers have changed the world, each in their own unique way.
"We have this radical desire to follow our inner longings no matter where they lead us--and we have come to understand that they are going to nearly always take us most people aren't comfortable in going. In fact, this is why Weird People have always been the ones who move humanity forward. We are the ones willing to go to the verge of the horizon, where the known world disappears into mystery and uncertainty, to lean out over the raw edge of our own fear, and then take another step."
The second half of the book deals with so much more than just creativity. It examines discovering your own unique purpose, and the struggle to actualize that into an authentic, passionate life.
"Living out a creative life means taking ultimate responsibility for everything in it. It means we are not waiting for anyone or anything to come along and give us the keys of happiness. . . And yes, it is weird to live this way because so few are doing it."
"Trying to express our deepest truth in life--and by that I mean living out a life that reflects who we really are--is usually a crooked path with many switchbacks, dead end adventures, and hot, thirsty marches."
Nordby helpfully shares from his own life, how self-discovery, and pushing past discomfort and the fear of uncertainty is vital to taking hold of the kind of life which is fulfilling and in harmony with our inner purpose.
"Magic is first in knowing ourselves,
Next, what we truly desire,
Then giving ourselves permission
To go for it with a whole heart."
I hope you can see from the quotes I've shared, that while Blessed Are The Weird is squarely aimed at creative types of all sorts, it is ultimately concerned with the deepest questions of the human heart. As such, it is an inspiring read for even those who don't consider themselves to be creatives.
As a bonus, the book is loaded with life examples, and choice quotes from luminous misfits throughout history who have been courageous enough to rebel against the straightjacket of ordinary existence, in order to live by their own lights.
A thoroughly enjoyable read, Blessed Are The Weird felt fresh and vital throughout, not some stale regurgitation of cobbled-together ideas. There is even a chapter on the connection between sex and creativity! I had my highlighter out frequently, to mark passages which I wanted to revisit in the future.
It's clear that Nordby knows of what he speaks, and that vitality comes through in his writing. Blessed Are the Weird has given me a greater vision and renewed passion for pursuing my creative calling, and for that I am very grateful. I can't recommend this book highly enough!
February 10, 2018
Before continuining on with the review of the actual content, I should mention: The physical build quality of this book is amazing, toughest soft-cover book I've ever owned. I truly wish every paperback was like this. No idea what makes it special.
...
The title of this book did a superb job in grabbing my attention and leading me to think it would resonate with my own weird and convoluted soul. While the book did contain a few tidbits that I could "tip my hat" to, it was mostly just a bunch of common-sense garbage. The whole premise of the book, in essence, is to say "Hey! you think you're weird? Well don't worry, there's a world filled with weirdos just like you! And some are successful! Embrace it!"
Yeah well no shit sherlock. Though I suppose some people are so trapped within their own make-believe world that they still haven't realized that they're not special. In saying this, the author seems to imply that you should just drop everything you're doing and follow your passions! Because you're special, but you're not at the same time. Make sense? Yeah, I don't get it either.
It's hard for me to put into words how hard it was to read through most of this book. Everything was just... off. Things seemed to jump all over the place. The book lacks any sort of cohesiveness besides the aformentioned "looky here! we're all weird!" If the author was given the opportunity to start a cult of creative weirdos, he would most definitely do so.
It's hard for me to recommend this book... so I won't.
...
The title of this book did a superb job in grabbing my attention and leading me to think it would resonate with my own weird and convoluted soul. While the book did contain a few tidbits that I could "tip my hat" to, it was mostly just a bunch of common-sense garbage. The whole premise of the book, in essence, is to say "Hey! you think you're weird? Well don't worry, there's a world filled with weirdos just like you! And some are successful! Embrace it!"
Yeah well no shit sherlock. Though I suppose some people are so trapped within their own make-believe world that they still haven't realized that they're not special. In saying this, the author seems to imply that you should just drop everything you're doing and follow your passions! Because you're special, but you're not at the same time. Make sense? Yeah, I don't get it either.
It's hard for me to put into words how hard it was to read through most of this book. Everything was just... off. Things seemed to jump all over the place. The book lacks any sort of cohesiveness besides the aformentioned "looky here! we're all weird!" If the author was given the opportunity to start a cult of creative weirdos, he would most definitely do so.
It's hard for me to recommend this book... so I won't.
May 5, 2018
For most of my life, I have struggled to find my place where I fit in. With my classmates. Among others in my ethnic group. In places of worship. Joining extracurriculars. I used to think that there was something wrong with me because no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't make myself belong as easily as everyone else around me seemed to. When my days of adolescence were over and I felt the same way in college, I started to accept that maybe this was just who I was and forged friendships with others who felt somewhat similarly. Now that I have entered the "real world," this realization of my strangeness is striking me once again as I find that the typical path laid out for me is unsatisfying and I'm trying to create my own journey through life.
While reading this book, I found myself nodding along and finding rich inspiration from the author's words. Though I have come to accept that I am a misfit and strange, I never quite realized how this might be a blessing in disguise. "Blessed Are the Weird" helped me see the positive in my strangeness, the ways in which it can be useful. As a writer, my inability to comply and my odd qualities that others might find offputting could be the very traits that give me a new perspective on the world that help inform my craft. Being a misfit has a tendency to make me feel as if I am alone. But as this book reminded me, I am far from the first person to feel this way about myself, nor will I be the last. Instead, there is a community of strangeness that stretches across time and space of which I am a part. Though I tend not to be a huge fan of books such as these, this one left me inspired and changed how I think of myself as I create my own path of happiness and creativity, whatever that will end up looking like.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who feels or has felt similarly as a reminder that you are not alone, and that your strangeness is not a flaw that you need to fix, but instead the gift that just might be what helps you succeed.
While reading this book, I found myself nodding along and finding rich inspiration from the author's words. Though I have come to accept that I am a misfit and strange, I never quite realized how this might be a blessing in disguise. "Blessed Are the Weird" helped me see the positive in my strangeness, the ways in which it can be useful. As a writer, my inability to comply and my odd qualities that others might find offputting could be the very traits that give me a new perspective on the world that help inform my craft. Being a misfit has a tendency to make me feel as if I am alone. But as this book reminded me, I am far from the first person to feel this way about myself, nor will I be the last. Instead, there is a community of strangeness that stretches across time and space of which I am a part. Though I tend not to be a huge fan of books such as these, this one left me inspired and changed how I think of myself as I create my own path of happiness and creativity, whatever that will end up looking like.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who feels or has felt similarly as a reminder that you are not alone, and that your strangeness is not a flaw that you need to fix, but instead the gift that just might be what helps you succeed.
November 13, 2016
Stunningly beautiful
Nordby has penned a creative manifesto for those of us who don't fit in, who struggle in the cubicle world. He has lit the torch and shows us the way out of the darkness. A book that is required reading for all weirdos, everywhere.
Nordby has penned a creative manifesto for those of us who don't fit in, who struggle in the cubicle world. He has lit the torch and shows us the way out of the darkness. A book that is required reading for all weirdos, everywhere.
March 26, 2017
1.5 stars. Did not speak to me. Waffly and unfocused. YMMV
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February 19, 2017BLESSED ARE THE WEIRD
BY JACOB NORDBY
A Book Review
"The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this: A human creature born abnormally sensitive. To him. .a touch is a blow, a sound is a noise, a misfortune is a tragedy, a joy is an ecstasy , a friend is a lover, a lover is a god, and failure is death. Add to this cruelly delicate organism the over powering necessity to create, create, create--so that without creating music or poetry or books or buildings or something of meaning, his very breath is cut off from him. He must create, must pour out creation. By some strange, unknown, inward urgency he is not really alive unless he is creating." Pearl S. Buck
------------------------------------------------------------
Yesterday I came to a point where I had to shut every thing down--two of my Marin friends called to "hang out", there way of asking for a ride home from the Haight, which normally I would give them in a minute, and I said "no"; another friend wanted to go to a movie, and I said "no"; and so I turned my phone off. The night before I had made a house call to see a friend who had just had surgery and then went to the Haight to see a person who was suicidal, and yet another was at my door later crying, plus outreach in the rain. I was spent. And while I was exhausted, I was filled with much joy, because this is what fulfills me, being present to another. This is never work for me.
Where I truly become exhausted, even depleted, is from my own inner struggle with being myself to people at large. Some see me as a "heretic", others as "different", and most as just "weird". And I say you are right, absolutely correct, I own it.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin Jesuit priest, philosopher, mystic, "heretic", and a saint in a thousand years wrote: "Someday, after mastering the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love, and then for a second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire."
His words, echo the words of Jesus: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all of thy soul, thy mind, and thy strength, and thy neighbor as thy self," and Jesus lived this out to his death. Love is not a romantic word it is a harsh word of compassion and care for people regardless of who they are or what they do. Because each person has in them the spark of the living God.
For me that means walking with people regardless of what they do or have done: murder, sex offenses, stealing, taking abuse without giving it back, forgiving when hurt, facing the monsters within myself, and outside of myself--with holding my judgment and letting God be the judge (for I judge harshly, like we all do, that is why I leave that to God). It means I can say that every person I encounter is "nice" for in each person there is "good". I have seen the good in the people who have stabbed me, shot at me, say horrible things to my face, have murdered and hurt people, and in emails of hate I receive--there is good in each one--they are all "nice" somewhere deep within themselves and through love we can bring that out. In each person there is the face of Christ. It means telling people we all deserve justice when we hurt people, but we are all entitled to mercy as well. Mercy means we love them whether they are repentant or not, mercy means we love them for being human beings, and children of God. For me personally these are not just words--I bear the scars on my body, I bear the scars in my psyche, I bear the scars in often being alone. I am rejected often, and I am also loved often.
On my wall, on my book shelves, on my phone, I see the photos of all the "weird" people I know--they struggle for food, a place to sleep, they have no friends in the mainstream, they are often dirty, and they can be mean, they live their lives as they choose. They are rejected because they choose their lifestyle of independence. That choice leads often to being homeless, and many choose that as a price to pay.
The choices I make every day have reverberations. And I pay the price for those choices, but if my choices bring life to others, than the cost is worth it. And for me to see the face of a young man brighten when I buy him his first new jacket in who knows how long is worth it. It is in the simple things we find joy.
These are my own personal reflections on this book in which Nordby sums up his views on life , and the way I see Jesus viewing life, and this quote from our author gives us a cue on how to approach life: "This is a not a time for martyrs. The era of suffering saviors is over. We are not throwing our lives away like cannon fodder in a hopeless war. Our greatest strength and contribution comes from living in joy. By living our truth beautifully in this world, we take our places as leaders. Now is the time we are the people who can redefine the words "success" and "normal" and yes "weird".
We live in a time when we are confronted by great pain in poverty, racial and religious discrimination. Yesterday in America, the Jesuit magazine there was an article which suggests that we are on the brink of a world war,--this is our time to be weird, to be weird in calling out for love, equality, and acceptance for all; to be weird in calling for world peace, and for all to be fed, and provided for.
We can redefine life by living with out judgment, respecting all people regardless of race, religious belief, color, gender, sexual orientation, and love people--even when they do wrong. Justice is making people accountable--it is not destroying their lives, but bringing mercy. We are all held accountable for our wrongs--and we all receive mercy. For each of us have the potential to "born again", and become new people. Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God!
Fr. River Damien Sims, sfw
P.O. Box 642656
San Francisco, CA 94164
www.temenos.org
415-305-2124
June 20, 2017
As someone who many people (including myself) see as weird, this book was such a blessing to read.
It goes a long way to helping you, the reader, understand how and where your unique creativity fits into the world.
Often funny, always practical and full of useful advice on embracing your weirdness, this book shows you that you can use your unique creativity in so many ways to positively impact the world!
It goes a long way to helping you, the reader, understand how and where your unique creativity fits into the world.
Often funny, always practical and full of useful advice on embracing your weirdness, this book shows you that you can use your unique creativity in so many ways to positively impact the world!
January 30, 2018
How reassuring. If the idea of discovering there is a creative and useful reason for your weirdness fills you with delight... this is for you.
July 5, 2018
Life Changing!
This book helped me to realize that the hot mess I call my life was all for a divine purpose. I mean I kind of already knew that but it's much less painful now. I'm much more clear moving forward into my purpose and creativity. I will be returning to my notes for years to come.
This book helped me to realize that the hot mess I call my life was all for a divine purpose. I mean I kind of already knew that but it's much less painful now. I'm much more clear moving forward into my purpose and creativity. I will be returning to my notes for years to come.
September 1, 2020
I came to Jacob Nordby’s work via Lauren Sapala, whose work I adore, but for a lot of reasons I really struggled with this one. Fundamentally, I like his idea – that some people are deeply different, ‘blessed weird’ and that they can, should and must be weird because it’s fulfilling for them, and important for the world. But I found quite a lot of the book grating, to the point where it began to lose its power and made me question its major thesis.
I’d also add that it started and ended badly; I’ve never seen a book with (literally) a “thank yous and f*ck yous” section at the end – including ‘people who want to over-analyse the book’, which I suppose, might include a reviewer like me! Similarly, at the start, the opening quote made me just go ‘what?’: "Ancient texts and recent discoveries suggest that human civilisation had once advanced to levels nearly as high as our own - maybe every bit as high". I honestly don’t think anyone, ever, until Jacob, has said that.
The book starts by introducing the concept of The Blessed Weird and various types of weird people – artists, poets and so on. The problem is that Nordby looks at these categories for over half of the book – up to page 75 of 160, and it’s not actually until much later in the book that it offers concrete help on how to best pursue your inner weird.
Nordby’s logic is sometimes odd – he encourages heretics and rebels, but adds things like ‘I’m not talking about perverts or bad people’ – but doesn’t really say how you’d judge this. The chapter on heretics talks about the importance of pushing for what you believe in no matter what and how contrary it is to the regular way of thinking – which could easily apply to Thanos, terrorists and the like as it could to Da Vinci and Beethoven.
When I really thought about it, I think the fundamental problem for me was that whilst Lauren Sapala, Imi Lo, Elaine Arons etc have a basis in psychology, Nordby has just defined ‘The Weird’ without any real criteria or basis. This means that he runs the risk of apophenia, tying lots of unrelated stuff together, excluding the stuff he doesn’t really fancy and making it sound great. And that’s a huge shame because fundamentally I like his idea, I like the premise, but I think the execution is patchy.
And on that – there are lots of other small things that did bother me. There’s lots of quotes without permission and barely attribution – Nordby admits that he couldn’t be bothered to write a full bibliography, let alone ask for permission. The formatting is a bit patchy – sometimes quotes are in italics, sometimes they’re not, images look pixelated. I couldn’t decide if his style was just very individual, or wildly inconsistent – possibly both; it fluctuates from “f*ck you mother nature” to “verily I say unto you”. And ultimately, a book that includes a section explicitly titled “Thank yous, f*ck yous” just struck me as a bit childish and left a bad taste in my mouth.
I’d also add that it started and ended badly; I’ve never seen a book with (literally) a “thank yous and f*ck yous” section at the end – including ‘people who want to over-analyse the book’, which I suppose, might include a reviewer like me! Similarly, at the start, the opening quote made me just go ‘what?’: "Ancient texts and recent discoveries suggest that human civilisation had once advanced to levels nearly as high as our own - maybe every bit as high". I honestly don’t think anyone, ever, until Jacob, has said that.
The book starts by introducing the concept of The Blessed Weird and various types of weird people – artists, poets and so on. The problem is that Nordby looks at these categories for over half of the book – up to page 75 of 160, and it’s not actually until much later in the book that it offers concrete help on how to best pursue your inner weird.
Nordby’s logic is sometimes odd – he encourages heretics and rebels, but adds things like ‘I’m not talking about perverts or bad people’ – but doesn’t really say how you’d judge this. The chapter on heretics talks about the importance of pushing for what you believe in no matter what and how contrary it is to the regular way of thinking – which could easily apply to Thanos, terrorists and the like as it could to Da Vinci and Beethoven.
When I really thought about it, I think the fundamental problem for me was that whilst Lauren Sapala, Imi Lo, Elaine Arons etc have a basis in psychology, Nordby has just defined ‘The Weird’ without any real criteria or basis. This means that he runs the risk of apophenia, tying lots of unrelated stuff together, excluding the stuff he doesn’t really fancy and making it sound great. And that’s a huge shame because fundamentally I like his idea, I like the premise, but I think the execution is patchy.
And on that – there are lots of other small things that did bother me. There’s lots of quotes without permission and barely attribution – Nordby admits that he couldn’t be bothered to write a full bibliography, let alone ask for permission. The formatting is a bit patchy – sometimes quotes are in italics, sometimes they’re not, images look pixelated. I couldn’t decide if his style was just very individual, or wildly inconsistent – possibly both; it fluctuates from “f*ck you mother nature” to “verily I say unto you”. And ultimately, a book that includes a section explicitly titled “Thank yous, f*ck yous” just struck me as a bit childish and left a bad taste in my mouth.
August 12, 2018
A wonderfully deep, inspiring read. I found it evoked words from me.
April 26, 2017
Outstanding - and not at all what I expected! After spending the first half of the book more or less defining who creatives are with new and fresh insights, he then progresses to what for me was the meat of the book - how we are to move to a place where we are fully living life in an authentic way (the answer will be different for different people). He is very realistic about the struggles this movement will involve without condescending to lay out a step by step process for us. I found this book to be extremely refreshing as it spoke to where my particular journey finds me currently. Highly recommended.
Disclosure: I received a complementary copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
#BATWSpeakeasy
Disclosure: I received a complementary copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
#BATWSpeakeasy
July 10, 2017
Really refreshing take on finding the creativity within, a kind of finding yourself process and being brave enough to go against the flow of mainstream living in order to fulfil your creative potential. Not an easy road, but well worth the journey!
July 21, 2018
If you have ever felt weird, out of place, or struggled with life purpose, this book is for you. INFJ, INFP, INTJ, and other HSP’s and creatives, prepare to take a deep breath of fresh air as you read. We are not alone. We each have a purpose. We weirdos can unite for a better world.
October 20, 2020
I like to give this book as a gift to all the people I know who don't fit the box society wants to shove us in. Easy read. So many of us need this right now. Especially in 2020. I would recommend it to everyone!
April 18, 2020
Just one of the most beautiful books on the creative spirit I've ever read. It's rare to find a book that speaks to your very soul; this is one of those.
March 22, 2020
This book was my introduction to Jacob Nordby's writing and it couldn't have been a better one. From the uplifting and encouraging quotations sprinkled throughout to Jacob's sense of humor that had me chuckling as I read, I don't think there's much that could be done to make this a more enjoyable read.
If you're lucky enough to be one of the weirdians Jacob describes, you'll also find yourself nodding and thinking "Yes!" with almost alarming frequency as you turn the pages, recognizing yourself in the discussions of the discord existing between how you live and how you're meant to live. I especially connected with the way the author talked about how easy it is to dismiss that feeling of restlessness as a "midlife crisis" or something similar, when it is in fact more; even what society so easily waves an aloof hand at has a source, regardless of what title you choose to give it. Jacob rips off the bandage society has placed over that discord and restlessness without sugarcoating anything and utilizing well-placed biting humor to demonstrate his points.
The true gem to be found, however, is in the way the book not only excuses but encourages exploration of that deep inner self and following the voice that makes you weird because it's also what makes you uniquely qualified to offer what you have to the world. This book lets wierdians everywhere know that while you may not realize it, you have an important contribution to make to the world and you should encourage and follow your creativity rather than try to suppress it.
I highly recommend this book to creatives and weirdians everywhere; this is a book you'll find yourself appreciating for different reasons and adding to your "most loved" collection.
If you're lucky enough to be one of the weirdians Jacob describes, you'll also find yourself nodding and thinking "Yes!" with almost alarming frequency as you turn the pages, recognizing yourself in the discussions of the discord existing between how you live and how you're meant to live. I especially connected with the way the author talked about how easy it is to dismiss that feeling of restlessness as a "midlife crisis" or something similar, when it is in fact more; even what society so easily waves an aloof hand at has a source, regardless of what title you choose to give it. Jacob rips off the bandage society has placed over that discord and restlessness without sugarcoating anything and utilizing well-placed biting humor to demonstrate his points.
The true gem to be found, however, is in the way the book not only excuses but encourages exploration of that deep inner self and following the voice that makes you weird because it's also what makes you uniquely qualified to offer what you have to the world. This book lets wierdians everywhere know that while you may not realize it, you have an important contribution to make to the world and you should encourage and follow your creativity rather than try to suppress it.
I highly recommend this book to creatives and weirdians everywhere; this is a book you'll find yourself appreciating for different reasons and adding to your "most loved" collection.
Read
May 26, 2017A gnarly read, Blessed are the Weird is essential reading for anyone who has never been a joiner and who has always felt left out (all of us at one time or another). A gregarious package to have and to hold, for anyone who hates limitations or rejoinders like "but we've always done it this way".
A life-saving book for anyone who's questioned their sensitivity, passion or curiosity in a world of mostly insensitive, dead, indifferent people. After reading the book, you'll feel less alone and isolated in your peculiar weirdness. The knowledge will set you free.
September 4, 2022
Wow.
This book came to me at the right time and kindled, awakened, and stirred the creative, passionate energy within me of my souls longing and mission.
I LOVED this book, and I LOVE the author for writing it. I’m deeply grateful for that creative work of soul-art that is this book, and for the guiding, reminding light it is in this sometimes rather dark world, that it can seem impossible to brighten or even just function in.
Nordby speaks directly to my soul, and I hear him clearly and gracefully.
I don’t just want to own this book, I need to own it. So I can reread it, over and over and over and be reminded of my own soul and the bright light of other souls out there.
And when I get a copy it will be one in the original language, English. Because unfortunately the translated version I read was poorly translated so some sentences doesn’t make much sense in the translated version, but makes a bit more sense when trying in my mind to try to translate it back to what might have been the original sentence in English, which sometimes help to make sense of the sentence. So I’d recommend reading the original version, and am looking forward to enjoying a read-through of that version, whenever the book joins my library of books.
This book came to me at the right time and kindled, awakened, and stirred the creative, passionate energy within me of my souls longing and mission.
I LOVED this book, and I LOVE the author for writing it. I’m deeply grateful for that creative work of soul-art that is this book, and for the guiding, reminding light it is in this sometimes rather dark world, that it can seem impossible to brighten or even just function in.
Nordby speaks directly to my soul, and I hear him clearly and gracefully.
I don’t just want to own this book, I need to own it. So I can reread it, over and over and over and be reminded of my own soul and the bright light of other souls out there.
And when I get a copy it will be one in the original language, English. Because unfortunately the translated version I read was poorly translated so some sentences doesn’t make much sense in the translated version, but makes a bit more sense when trying in my mind to try to translate it back to what might have been the original sentence in English, which sometimes help to make sense of the sentence. So I’d recommend reading the original version, and am looking forward to enjoying a read-through of that version, whenever the book joins my library of books.
November 20, 2017
love it. this book is like a cosmic high-five from a spiritual brother from another mother... reading it i was frequently feeling like i was talking to myself, reading my own words, which is a compliment on his intuitive approach and a genuine, heart-centered understanding what it is to be a creative soul. definitely weird, timely, and life affirming.
November 8, 2017
Fabulously weird
I adored this book. It is an easy read , it's humorous and very insightful. This book makes you think about and appreciate your unique weirdness. Blessed are the Weird is one of the best books I have read in a long time .
I adored this book. It is an easy read , it's humorous and very insightful. This book makes you think about and appreciate your unique weirdness. Blessed are the Weird is one of the best books I have read in a long time .
May 23, 2017
This book was given to me as a gift and it could not have come at a more perfect time. This is one of those books that opens your eyes and makes you feel like you are not alone in this world
June 16, 2017
Best Nonfiction Book for an Artist's Soul!
Ever feel like things just weren't right in your world? This book may have the answer, and it has everything to do with the act of creating. Next time I doubt myself, I'm coming back to this Manifesto.
Ever feel like things just weren't right in your world? This book may have the answer, and it has everything to do with the act of creating. Next time I doubt myself, I'm coming back to this Manifesto.
January 13, 2018
I love reading this book. It helped to put this into perspective for me because a lot of books out there are for Extroverts since reading Quiet. I have been gravitating towards those book that will help me be more comfortable with being Introvert and I found it. This book goes right up there with my other that will stay in my library.
April 4, 2017
Jacob Nordby is an author, a teacher of writing and a host of a creative writing podcast. He previously wrote The Divine Arsonist. His new book aims at inspiring creativity for those on the margins. The name of Nordby's manifesto for creatives, Blessed are the Weird, is drawn from his poem, "Beatitudes for the Weird." The poem provides a good summary of his vision of creativity:
The people who don't fit the mold (i.e. a 9-to-5 job, white picket fences and 2.5 kids) have something special to contribute to society. They buck against the status quo and make our world beautiful, and provide us a vision of new possibilities for the future. Nordby celebrates poets, prophetic truth-tellers, comedians, writers, mystics, heretical iconoclasts, activists, painters, filmmakers, rebels, magicians, and songsters. Whatever is in you, Nordby tells you to listen to your heart and become that special snowflake you were always meant to be. If you do, you will live more fully, have a greater degree of satisfaction and a better sex life.
Nordby's encouragement for creative types is for us to "become what we are." Rather than apologizing for the weirdo vibe people get from us, we ought to pay attention to what gifts our difference brings to the table (cue Christina Aguilera's Beautiful). Life and art (and activism) on our own terms. Of course, creativity is more than just following your bliss and being true to yourself. Nordby offers practical advice about facing our fears of failure.
I appreciate Nordby's encouraging tone. He does get a little too weird for me in places (i.e. a vague spirituality and magicky-talk always gets my Christian hackles up). I also wish Nordby said something more substantive than he does. This felt less like a manifesto and more like a motivational speaker vibe ("Young lady, what are you gonna do with your life?!)."
However, I think he gets a couple things really right. First, if we are going to ever do what we were put on this earth for (draw, write, create, lead change, etc), we have to pay attention to who we are and what unique gifts we have to offer. Second, he highlights the weird—the ones that don't fit in our society's mold. If something new and creative is going to happen, it will come from the margins, not the center.
I give this book three stars and recommend it for weirdos.
Notice of material connection: I received this book from SpeakEasy in exchange for my honest review.
Blessed are the weird people
—poets, misfits, writers, mystics
heretics, painters & troubadours—
for they teach us to see the world through different eyes
Blessed are those who embrace the intensity of life's pain and pleasure,
for they shall be rewarded with uncommon ecstasy.
Blessed are ye who see beauty in ugliness,
for you shall transform our vision of how the world might be.
Blessed are ye who are mocked for unbridled expression
of love in all its forms,
because your kind of crazy is exactly that freedom f
or which the world is unconsciously begging.
Blessed are those who have endured breaking by life,
for they are the resplendent cracks through which the light shines. (8)
The people who don't fit the mold (i.e. a 9-to-5 job, white picket fences and 2.5 kids) have something special to contribute to society. They buck against the status quo and make our world beautiful, and provide us a vision of new possibilities for the future. Nordby celebrates poets, prophetic truth-tellers, comedians, writers, mystics, heretical iconoclasts, activists, painters, filmmakers, rebels, magicians, and songsters. Whatever is in you, Nordby tells you to listen to your heart and become that special snowflake you were always meant to be. If you do, you will live more fully, have a greater degree of satisfaction and a better sex life.
Nordby's encouragement for creative types is for us to "become what we are." Rather than apologizing for the weirdo vibe people get from us, we ought to pay attention to what gifts our difference brings to the table (cue Christina Aguilera's Beautiful). Life and art (and activism) on our own terms. Of course, creativity is more than just following your bliss and being true to yourself. Nordby offers practical advice about facing our fears of failure.
I appreciate Nordby's encouraging tone. He does get a little too weird for me in places (i.e. a vague spirituality and magicky-talk always gets my Christian hackles up). I also wish Nordby said something more substantive than he does. This felt less like a manifesto and more like a motivational speaker vibe ("Young lady, what are you gonna do with your life?!)."
However, I think he gets a couple things really right. First, if we are going to ever do what we were put on this earth for (draw, write, create, lead change, etc), we have to pay attention to who we are and what unique gifts we have to offer. Second, he highlights the weird—the ones that don't fit in our society's mold. If something new and creative is going to happen, it will come from the margins, not the center.
I give this book three stars and recommend it for weirdos.
Notice of material connection: I received this book from SpeakEasy in exchange for my honest review.
August 21, 2018
Your life is your art. Your life is your manifesto. All true art is a manifesto of its creator, and every true manifesto is art.
Esta es la tesis que se defiende a lo largo de Blessed Are the Weird: A Manifesto for Creatives
Es un libro que empecé a leer porque aparecía mencionado en Firefly Magic: Heart Powered Marketing for Highly Sensitive Writers, que me encantó. Y, con ese título, y habiendo sido tachada de rara toda mi vida, pues no me pude resistir.
A lo largo del libro, el autor nos presenta a las "Raras": las poetas, las inadaptadas, las escritoras, las místicas, las heréticas, las pintoras, las trobadoras... y va añadiendo qué es lo que aportan al mundo todos ellos, para terminar, en la segunda parta del libro, con una defensa de por qué el arte es importante en nuestras vidas y de qué manera cada una de nosotras aportamos al arte con nuestras vidas.
Es un libro del que he sacado muchas citas y que es interesante de leer... aunque hay algo que me ha faltado y que no sabría nombrar.
A pesar de todo, es una lectura inspiradora y que me ha hecho reflexionar sobre cómo entiendo el arte en mi vida (y sobre cómo puedo hacer de mi vida mi obra de arte ^^)
June 25, 2017
For most of my life, I have struggled to find my place where I fit in. With my classmates. Among others in my ethnic group. In places of worship. Joining extracurriculars. I used to think that there was something wrong with me because no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't make myself belong as easily as everyone else around me seemed to. When my days of adolescence were over and I felt the same way in college, I started to accept that maybe this was just who I was and forged friendships with others who felt somewhat similarly. Now that I have entered the "real world," this realization of my strangeness is striking me once again as I find that the typical path laid out for me is unsatisfying and I'm trying to create my own journey through life.
While reading this book, I found myself nodding along and finding rich inspiration from the author's words. Though I have come to accept that I am a misfit and strange, I never quite realized how this might be a blessing in disguise. "Blessed Are the Weird" helped me see the positive in my strangeness, the ways in which it can be useful. As a writer, my inability to comply and my odd qualities that others might find offputting could be the very traits that give me a new perspective on the world that help inform my craft. Being a misfit has a tendency to make me feel as if I am alone. But as this book reminded me, I am far from the first person to feel this way about myself, nor will I be the last. Instead, there is a community of strangeness that stretches across time and space of which I am a part. Though I tend not to be a huge fan of books such as these, this one left me inspired and changed how I think of myself as I create my own path of happiness and creativity, whatever that will end up looking like.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who feels or has felt similarly as a reminder that you are not alone, and that your strangeness is not a flaw that you need to fix, but instead the gift that just might be what helps you succeed.
While reading this book, I found myself nodding along and finding rich inspiration from the author's words. Though I have come to accept that I am a misfit and strange, I never quite realized how this might be a blessing in disguise. "Blessed Are the Weird" helped me see the positive in my strangeness, the ways in which it can be useful. As a writer, my inability to comply and my odd qualities that others might find offputting could be the very traits that give me a new perspective on the world that help inform my craft. Being a misfit has a tendency to make me feel as if I am alone. But as this book reminded me, I am far from the first person to feel this way about myself, nor will I be the last. Instead, there is a community of strangeness that stretches across time and space of which I am a part. Though I tend not to be a huge fan of books such as these, this one left me inspired and changed how I think of myself as I create my own path of happiness and creativity, whatever that will end up looking like.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who feels or has felt similarly as a reminder that you are not alone, and that your strangeness is not a flaw that you need to fix, but instead the gift that just might be what helps you succeed.
April 24, 2017
Great read!
This book sang a love song to my creativity. Easy read full of true inspiration.. I highly recommend this to those who struggle with knowing how wonderfully unique they are.
This book sang a love song to my creativity. Easy read full of true inspiration.. I highly recommend this to those who struggle with knowing how wonderfully unique they are.
July 18, 2024
The author says in the acknowledgement that he might have written a shitty book.
He was right
This book tried to be honest and uplifting but it was sort of rich coming from a guy who says he retired from a well paying exec job and decided to write books. He goes on to tell people that they DO have the time and ability to write a book if they just stopped watching netflix or paying for hot yoga or buying a $5 starbucks drink (not the last one but thats the vibe).
The book is chock full of inspirational quotes, which indicate he clearly is well read (bukowski, camus, oliver, various religious texts, etc) and I do agree with him sometimes. He clearly sees the value of creativity and all that, but waters it down with self-help nonsense about “how to start” and “looking into your soul.”
He tries to be honest and relatable, and often is, but to call this a “manifesto for creatives” and speak of a “creative renaissance” is a bit silly.
Also, some quotes aged like milk, which isn’t really a problem, 2016 was a time when it was indeed kinda ok to see Elon Musk as revolutionary.
He was right
This book tried to be honest and uplifting but it was sort of rich coming from a guy who says he retired from a well paying exec job and decided to write books. He goes on to tell people that they DO have the time and ability to write a book if they just stopped watching netflix or paying for hot yoga or buying a $5 starbucks drink (not the last one but thats the vibe).
The book is chock full of inspirational quotes, which indicate he clearly is well read (bukowski, camus, oliver, various religious texts, etc) and I do agree with him sometimes. He clearly sees the value of creativity and all that, but waters it down with self-help nonsense about “how to start” and “looking into your soul.”
He tries to be honest and relatable, and often is, but to call this a “manifesto for creatives” and speak of a “creative renaissance” is a bit silly.
Also, some quotes aged like milk, which isn’t really a problem, 2016 was a time when it was indeed kinda ok to see Elon Musk as revolutionary.
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