Creative Trespassing: How to Put the Spark and Joy Back into Your Work and Life

by Tania Katan

“Playful, smart, easy to implement, and, dare I say, punk rock, this book will wake you up to your personal power and remind you just how enjoyable your life, and work, can be.”—Jen Sincero, #1 New York Times bestselling author of You Are a Badass

WINNER OF THE PORCHLIGHT BUSINESS BOOK AWARD
 
“You don’t have to turn into a corporate drone to kick ass in the working world,” says inspirational speaker Tania Katan. After more than ten years of smuggling creativity into the business sector, Katan is here to tell you that any task or pursuit can be a creative one. You just need to be willing to defy conformity and be ready to conjure imagination anywhere, at any time. That’s where Creative Trespassing comes in.
 
Creative Trespasser /cre-at-ive tres-pass-er/ noun
1: Someone who sneaks creativity and imagination into the most mundane tasks or buttoned-up workplaces.
2: Someone who finds extraordinary ideas in ordinary places.
3: Someone who uses creativity as fuel for a freer, more joyful life.
 
Peppered with stories of her own shenanigans—from organizing a wrestling match in the middle of an art museum to staging a corporate culture intervention via post-its—and lessons from the rule-breaking exploits of artists, change-makers, and totally legit business leaders alike, Creative Trespassing is a rollicking, uninhibited guide to using creativity as fuel for a freer and more joyful life.
 
Whether you’re seeking new ways to innovate, trying to spice up routine entry-level work, or looking to bring more of your rich creative life into your day job, Katan shows you how to transform monotony into novelty and be more energized in your work and in the world.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business, Self Help, Art, American, Professional Development

256 pages, Hardcover

Published February 12, 2019

About the author

Tania Katan is an author, playwright, and comedic performer. Her memoir My One-Night Stand With Cancer has been awarded the Judy Grahn Nonfiction Award, Stonewall Book Award, and was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award. Rock-n-Roller Melissa Etheridge had this to say about Katan’s book, “This book rocks! It’s passionate, playful, and downright beautiful.”

As a comedic performer, Katan has cracked up more than a few people at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, ACT Seattle, The Painted Bride, Comedy Central Stage, and more.

Her solo-show Saving Tania’s Privates made its New York debut at Frigid New York Festival in 2011 where it won Audience Choice Award for BEST SHOW and the Sold Out Run Award.
Her performances and published work have been written about in The New York Times, BUST Magazine, GLAMOUR, Huffington Post, Running Times, The Scotsman, and other publications.

Currently, Katan is the "Producer of Shenanigans" at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art where she creates events like Arm Wrestling for Art

Katan loves orange and blue sneakers, snuggling French Bulldogs, and using humor to point out injustices and change the world!

Reviews

[Katie Bruell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm torn about this book. The writing is good. The overall concept is great. The individual examples range from good ideas to silly (in a bad way). Overall, the book is a little tone-deaf or, as Erin said, "written by white people for white people." Not everyone (myself included) has the freedom to just pick a week and book a flight and take a vacation! Not everyone can jump up from their desk and lead their co-workers in 10 minutes of exercise without repercussions. For what it is, the book is good and thought-provoking, and might get you thinking differently about your work and life.

[Jill Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book sparked some mad creativity in my soul. Katan is the former something something big (too lazy to google title) at the Scottsdale Museum of Modern Art and the genius behind #itwasneveradress — one of the best-known social media hashtags of women’s empowerment ever. She’s so unbelievably cool, smart, funny funny funny. So...her best advice for me...don’t be afraid to bring your creativity to work with you. And, if they don’t want it, someone else will.

[Becky Sroufe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring, humorous, and an all-around fabulous read! Lots of great, practical takeaways and inspiring stories shared of Creative Trespassers in the wild.

[Katie · Rating 1 out of 5]

this book was written by senorita awesome i swear to god

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good ideas here. Some funny anecdotes. But at the end of the day I didn't think most of these ideas would work for most cubicle dwellers.

[Lori Enterline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an easy - and hilarious - read that will help you to look at your work and life from a new, and more freeing, perspective. Katan's writing style is witty and playful, so you'll definitely have a few lol moments as you read about strategies she's discovered to help her, and her clients, free themselves up to work and live with more creative abandon. With suggestions like "Take Permission - 'Cause No One Is Gonna Give It to You" and "Unleash Your Inner Rebel," Katan encourages you to let go of what you think is expected of you and take bold action, and she fills out these suggestions with unique and interesting anecdotes from her own childhood, adult life and career.

My favorite part of the book is Chapter 11: Outgrow Adulting. She writes, "...once we become adults, we willfully reject the notion that there is power in playfulness and imagination. The moment you proclaim 'I am too smart to make believe' is the moment you give up on your magical powers. But if you are willing to start making believe, you'll find that magic exists all around you." I needed this reminder right now, in my own work life. And I think it's true that anyone who achieves greatness in their career understands the importance of escaping into their creativity and imagination on the daily. But even more importantly, life is just more fun when you choose to see the magic around you.

This book is such a fun read and great if you are feeling stuck in any area of your life.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

One phrase reoccurred to me as I read this book: permission slip.

Remember when you were a kid, and your class went on a field trip? A parent had to sign a permission slip for you to attend, saying it was okay for you to do something out of the ordinary.

That's what this book is, at the end of the day. It's permission to let the creative parts of our lives "intrude on" and disrupt the mundane, cubicle-based jobs that so many of us hold to pay the bills while treating our true callings as a "side hustle."

What if it was suddenly okay to bring a new element to your job ... and you didn't have to ask permission from anyone? That's really the what Tania Katan wants us to do ... and each chapter has exercises in it that allow us to stretch our creative muscles in non-creative roles. Katan wants everyone to find meaning in what they do, and has figured out a way to for people to make that happen.

I found her authorial voice delightful, and smiled throughout reading this book. Many business books are serious and staid; in keeping with her theme, Katan wants us to even have fun reading about making work a better place for everyone.

Highly recommended.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

One thing that qualifies a book as a 5 star read to me is when it motivates me to take action, to do further research, or makes me want to share the book with people I care about, people I know can benefit from the book's experience or wisdom.
This book qualifies for those reasons and more.

Artists and computer nerds seem to be far apart on the career spectrum, until you connect them through creativity. The message of adding creativity to your life and career, regardless of where you are on your spectrum, is important. This book shines a light and gives hope for more enjoyment in all areas of life and offers new opportunities for advancement in your workplace, for making yourself stand out. Exercises or disruptions are included to spark new neural pathways.

Thank you to Netgalley and Crown Publishing for the opportunity to review this book

[Molly McCloy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katan's first piece of advice, "You don't have to turn into a corporate drone to kick ass in the working world," sets the tone for this inspiring book. "Creativity," "Diversity," and "innovation," have become watchwords in the highly competitive modern workplace, so conformity and groupthink and and selling your artist soul to be a miserable cog in the machine are not viable strategies. Using hilarious stories from her own life, Katan shows that anyone can tap into their inner artist. By using Katan's counterintuitive and wacky workbook exercises, the reader can rehumanize their workplace experience, connect with coworkers, and be absolutely present for the surprising results of their innovations. Many of us have to work for a living. Katan shows how we can have more fun at work, and, in the process, improve our workplace, our chances for advancement, and our sense of wellbeing.

[Amy Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an inspiring and fun book with some stellar chapters—looking at you, Think Inside the Box and Level Up Your Listening—that explain the hows and the whys of Creative Trespassing. I can absolutely see myself using some of the Productive Disruptions or the examples from Tania’s own experience. The writing is fun & playful, and each chapter is just long enough to teach something and then move on. I plan to dip in to a chapter now and then for more motivation.

#LittleBigMouth #YPG

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a wonderful experience to read a book and remember my imagination was like breathing. I am so grateful for the sheer awareness, unexpected realizations and applicable playful nature of this read.
I had fun feeling like I was getting away with being myself and not caring who found out.
Actually, I would LOVE to go on an IMAGINARY scavenger hunt... RIGHT NOW.
And there is nothing anyone can do about it. Right Tania? Right. Muhahahaha!
Now where is that cape?

[El Zet · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yet another oh-so-different self-proclaimed weirdo, better and smarter than the whole population of office workers. Others in same workplaces: corporate drones, grey, buttoned-up. Tania: colorful, unusual, creative, exceptional, sophisticated, brightening the day and life of others. The contempt and disdain toward others is simply abhorrent, and for this alone this book doesn’t deserve any attention.

[Lexi Chambers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book after hearing the author speak at a marketing conference I attended. I found her writing to be very inspiring and positive. I had a lot of great takeaways from this book from both a professional and personal standpoint. Why some of the recommendations may not be realistic or a good fit for all workplaces the concept of bringing creativity into the workplace is. The upbeat energy of this book is contagious.

[Stacy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is like a fluffernutter - it's sticky sweet while pretending to have substance. Some people will claim to be lifelong devotees and ride on the coattails of the quirkiness, while other people will see right through the hype and eyeroll every time someone mentions the damn thing henceforth. Some people will consume the whole serving and want more, some people will gag after giving it a go and decline any second bite. Guess which category I fell into after gagging through 100 pages.

[Dey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is gonna work a LOT better for White people. I can’t imagine being the only POC in a workplace and trying to implement ‘movement time’, for example.

Still lots of good ideas for merging corporate work worlds with creativity practices. She does a good job explaining creative practices and the activities are clearly written.

[Jamie F · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book. Loved that it brought back memories of visiting a fluxus exhibit with friends years ago. Fun book and energizing. I saw Tania at a conference and loved her energy - the book continues the vibe. Good book if you need a shot of excitement into your job or need to find a new path.

[Lee Barry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing really remarkable. The usual pop-creativity book.

[Amie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read and good ideas/inspo but could’ve been an essay on Medium without all the fluff.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An instructional book to being and honoring the most important person in our lives...our self. Spoken in humorous banter, stories to show, bold printed words to think on, a library identifying everyone's quirky, remarkable and unique characteristics...all to encourage knowing self in imaginative ways. Some practical, maybe heard before, advice to be brave within our humanness. Courageousness is worth it and contagious.
Tania has written another book called My One-night Stand With Cancer. To me, a love story.

[Jimena Emeson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the idea of the book of implementing creativity into everything we do in life. Loved the author’s narration she smart, witty and funny. Some of the examples range from excellent ideas to very inaplicable in the real world. Overall I recommend it as it opens our eyes to new ways of thinking.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a compilation to radical techniques resurrect creativity. The techniques are unusual and Tania adds her sparkle by adding some humor.


#CreativeTrespassing #NetGalley