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Everyday Creative: A Dangerous Guide for Making Magic at Work
Upend your personal status quo and reclaim your natural creativity in every single action you takeEveryone claims to value creativity, and businesses are clamouring for disruptive thinking and innovation. Yet we often feel creatively stifled at work, because business processes seem to leave no room for real originality. In this climate, it takes a heroic effort to reclaim our status as independent thinkers, to bring meaning and joy to our work lives and to make lasting changes that will bring value to everyone around us. In Everyday Creative , culture and creative leadership expert Mykel Dixon reveals what's holding us back from our full creative potential and explains how we can reclaim our original, vibrant selves.Is your ability to think differently hindered by an unconscious view that creativity doesn't belong in the boardroom? It's an all-too-common mistake, but the truth is, creativity is fundamental for business growth and personal fulfilment. If you want to survive in the digital era, you need to pursue your own creative sensibilities and foster creativity in your team. This book shows that original thinking can shake things up, becoming the source of our competitive advantage and a key driver of sustainable success.Recognise your own unconventional talent and creative potential Transform yourself into a more vibrant and resilient human being ready to lead the world in the fourth industrial revolution Cultivate dynamic team environments where people feel safe to explore dangerous ideas Instigate a high-level cultural and strategic pivot toward more creativity in your company Everyday Creative is about creative leadership and the courage to seek, nurture and liberate original thinking. Read this book to learn how to make the essential skill of creativity accessible to all people, regardless of role, title or department.
- GenresNonfiction
248 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 1, 2020
8 people are currently reading
79 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 1, 2020
I've seen Mykel perform live, and when I heard he was writing this book I remember thinking 'He can't possibly translate all *this* into words!' Turns out, he CAN and he DID. For someone who once considered themselves terminally uncreative, this book is the cure I've been seeking. Thank you Mykel for distilling the magic of creativity into something we can all access and enjoy. A great read by a brilliant author.
July 7, 2022
Hugely enjoyable, entertaining manifesto for doing things better, with more flare. If we care as leaders, we owe it to ourselves and teams to PLAY more, especially with serious work.
December 22, 2020
A warning. This book will change your life. If you let it.
Lured by the promise of "powerful, practical tools to help cut through the barriers that prevent creativity at work" and "gaining competitive advantage", I began.
Little did I know that a "choose your own adventure" running in parallel with these pragmatic practicalities, would actually compel and challenge me to
a) wildly create and
b) challenge my thinking every day.
To help you decide if this book is for you, you should know I'm one of those readers always looking for a quick payoff. My usual genres: thrillers, autobiographies and business books.
Authors: you had better hook me into the mystery, keep me guessing with plot twists and compelling characters.
OR tell me exactly how it is from your own lived experience in a way that enthralls and emotionally connects me to your story.
OR deliver actionable insights that I can rapidly implement to solve problems and ask better questions ... because productivity matters. Right?
This book managed to serve up ALL of these delights, within the first few pages.
It will capture your attention from the first sentence and keep you engaged through the closing credits. A book that you can also dip in and out of for constant inspiration. More than that, if you dare to get in the game, you won't just have a different perspective, you will be different.
Don't get me wrong. There is plenty in this book to keep you satisfied and engaged if you were only to read this in the traditional fashion. In my opinion, reading without daring to tackle the challenges and activities would be like cracking open a bottle of vintage wine only to sniff the cork.
This book requires much more of you, and that is the gift. Everything is intentional, including the bias to action, encouraging you to learn out loud to speed up your creative recovery.
Not only will you find out how to
- Prepare your creative canvas: reclaim your identity, turn difficulty into opportunity, define your value
- Develop creative practice: access a toolkit and framework to help you seek, feel, make and give (and keep repeating the process)
- Make your creative masterpiece: bring your ideas to life (micro and macro)
but it will become increasingly clear why you should prioritise your creativity over productivity if you really want to be productive AND purposeful (and have a lot more fun along the way).
In the context of an Everyday Creative, Dixon asserts that 'making' is not "limited to physical objects or artefacts. Not restricted to performances of commercial projects. You can make a moment. Make a relationship. Make a career. But to do so requires a shift in your being."
"Making is about movement; it's the natural expression of our unique human potential and breathes new energy into our work and life."
After the year 2020,
who doesn't want and need
to MAKE A LITTLE MAGIC?
Stop searching for the best book to read, here's the only book you will need right now.
Read it yourself to reenergise. Surprise a loved one. Gift to a stranger.
Oh, and after jumping ahead to the section on democratising creativity and reading a few pages, I bought 14 extra copies and the audiobook. I couldn't love this book anymore. My top rated leadership and personal development book of 2020.
Lured by the promise of "powerful, practical tools to help cut through the barriers that prevent creativity at work" and "gaining competitive advantage", I began.
Little did I know that a "choose your own adventure" running in parallel with these pragmatic practicalities, would actually compel and challenge me to
a) wildly create and
b) challenge my thinking every day.
To help you decide if this book is for you, you should know I'm one of those readers always looking for a quick payoff. My usual genres: thrillers, autobiographies and business books.
Authors: you had better hook me into the mystery, keep me guessing with plot twists and compelling characters.
OR tell me exactly how it is from your own lived experience in a way that enthralls and emotionally connects me to your story.
OR deliver actionable insights that I can rapidly implement to solve problems and ask better questions ... because productivity matters. Right?
This book managed to serve up ALL of these delights, within the first few pages.
It will capture your attention from the first sentence and keep you engaged through the closing credits. A book that you can also dip in and out of for constant inspiration. More than that, if you dare to get in the game, you won't just have a different perspective, you will be different.
Don't get me wrong. There is plenty in this book to keep you satisfied and engaged if you were only to read this in the traditional fashion. In my opinion, reading without daring to tackle the challenges and activities would be like cracking open a bottle of vintage wine only to sniff the cork.
This book requires much more of you, and that is the gift. Everything is intentional, including the bias to action, encouraging you to learn out loud to speed up your creative recovery.
Not only will you find out how to
- Prepare your creative canvas: reclaim your identity, turn difficulty into opportunity, define your value
- Develop creative practice: access a toolkit and framework to help you seek, feel, make and give (and keep repeating the process)
- Make your creative masterpiece: bring your ideas to life (micro and macro)
but it will become increasingly clear why you should prioritise your creativity over productivity if you really want to be productive AND purposeful (and have a lot more fun along the way).
In the context of an Everyday Creative, Dixon asserts that 'making' is not "limited to physical objects or artefacts. Not restricted to performances of commercial projects. You can make a moment. Make a relationship. Make a career. But to do so requires a shift in your being."
"Making is about movement; it's the natural expression of our unique human potential and breathes new energy into our work and life."
After the year 2020,
who doesn't want and need
to MAKE A LITTLE MAGIC?
Stop searching for the best book to read, here's the only book you will need right now.
Read it yourself to reenergise. Surprise a loved one. Gift to a stranger.
Oh, and after jumping ahead to the section on democratising creativity and reading a few pages, I bought 14 extra copies and the audiobook. I couldn't love this book anymore. My top rated leadership and personal development book of 2020.
October 26, 2020
If you know Mykel Dixon you should definitely read his latest book Everyday Creative because it is the closest you can get to spending time with him in lockdowned Melbourne.
And if you don't know him yet then you should definitely read his book: it's like having a creativity genius in your pocket who continuously inspires you and challenges you.
Different people will for sure find the biggest inspiration in different parts of the book. For me it was in the chapter on courage.
"And here's the brutal, beautiful truth. You were never invited to play. You don't belong on that stage. And you are nowhere near ready. You never will be. No-one is." Mykel Dixon.
It resonated so much that I had it engraved on the tablet I use for my keynotes.
Thanks Mykel!
And if you don't know him yet then you should definitely read his book: it's like having a creativity genius in your pocket who continuously inspires you and challenges you.
Different people will for sure find the biggest inspiration in different parts of the book. For me it was in the chapter on courage.
"And here's the brutal, beautiful truth. You were never invited to play. You don't belong on that stage. And you are nowhere near ready. You never will be. No-one is." Mykel Dixon.
It resonated so much that I had it engraved on the tablet I use for my keynotes.
Thanks Mykel!
October 1, 2020
If there was ever a time that we needed a little magic in our professional lives, that time would be right now #thankyoucovid. But don’t be mistaken, this book isn’t just about making magic at work; Everyday Creative is much bigger than that so strap yourself in and get ready for delightfully surprising ride.
If you have seen, heard or follow Myke, you will know that he doesn’t do things by halves. His latest creation, Everyday Creative, is packed full of relatable stories, thought provoking theories, and the right balance of activity and work to challenge your thinking, dismantle your internalised narrative and conditioning, and uncover the magic that is within. With hilariously good (and informative) footnotes plus a website with extra materials, behind the scenes videos and stories to bring the contents of the book to life Myke leaves no stone unturned and creates a safe space for you to reach for the stars.
Everyday Creative will reboot your internal dream machine, help you to reimagine your role as a leader, and inspire you to get creative to thrive in the new normal. From the moment you dive into this masterpiece there are activities to unleash your own creativity, but these can also be shared with your teams to help them uncover what matters to them as well. There are small steps you can do right away or if you dedicate a good chunk of time to the well-structured chapters you can really dive in and tinker under the bonnet to release something pretty amazing.
This book will inspire you, it will enliven you, but most of all it will make you feel something that you haven’t felt for a while. As we look for answers and seek the light at the end of the Covid tunnel, I would highly recommend showing up for this journey whether you think you are ready or not. Don’t be afraid to commit to doing the work, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at what comes out the other side. Everyday Creative will challenge you and help set the foundations for creating magic in both your personal and professional life for months and years to come.
If you have seen, heard or follow Myke, you will know that he doesn’t do things by halves. His latest creation, Everyday Creative, is packed full of relatable stories, thought provoking theories, and the right balance of activity and work to challenge your thinking, dismantle your internalised narrative and conditioning, and uncover the magic that is within. With hilariously good (and informative) footnotes plus a website with extra materials, behind the scenes videos and stories to bring the contents of the book to life Myke leaves no stone unturned and creates a safe space for you to reach for the stars.
Everyday Creative will reboot your internal dream machine, help you to reimagine your role as a leader, and inspire you to get creative to thrive in the new normal. From the moment you dive into this masterpiece there are activities to unleash your own creativity, but these can also be shared with your teams to help them uncover what matters to them as well. There are small steps you can do right away or if you dedicate a good chunk of time to the well-structured chapters you can really dive in and tinker under the bonnet to release something pretty amazing.
This book will inspire you, it will enliven you, but most of all it will make you feel something that you haven’t felt for a while. As we look for answers and seek the light at the end of the Covid tunnel, I would highly recommend showing up for this journey whether you think you are ready or not. Don’t be afraid to commit to doing the work, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at what comes out the other side. Everyday Creative will challenge you and help set the foundations for creating magic in both your personal and professional life for months and years to come.
June 27, 2021
Delightfully written book which asks the reader to challenge their mindset. I liked the way Myke describes the dance we undertake between ourselves and our potential.
Mykel Dixon persuasively argues that everyone has a unique capacity for creativity, when given the opportunity in the right context and with the right conditions. Indeed, many of us don’t have a creativity crisis – we have an identity crisis; about our perception of ourselves.
The author demands of us to draw a line in the sand and to jump over it – to experience the metaphorical act of pushing ourselves further. It was great to be reminded that in every moment there is an opportunity to flex your creative muscles.
The book is nicely formatted with some great graphics. It can be read end-to-end or dipped into when a creative prod is needed. I’ll be doing some dipping.
This book is perfect for frustrated creatives. Can you hear me? We are all creative. Some of us just haven’t realised it yet
Mykel Dixon persuasively argues that everyone has a unique capacity for creativity, when given the opportunity in the right context and with the right conditions. Indeed, many of us don’t have a creativity crisis – we have an identity crisis; about our perception of ourselves.
The author demands of us to draw a line in the sand and to jump over it – to experience the metaphorical act of pushing ourselves further. It was great to be reminded that in every moment there is an opportunity to flex your creative muscles.
The book is nicely formatted with some great graphics. It can be read end-to-end or dipped into when a creative prod is needed. I’ll be doing some dipping.
This book is perfect for frustrated creatives. Can you hear me? We are all creative. Some of us just haven’t realised it yet
October 16, 2024
This whole thing feels like a sales pitch but it undeniably whips up a sense of optimism. I found the tone grating but it also repackages some quality ideology and it has been pleasant to have the ideas presented here bubbling away in the back of my mind. Certainly pitched at those with enough privilege to take professional and personal risks. A quick read with good intent.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews