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Conscious Creativity: The Workbook: experiment, explore, create

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Drawing on the success of her breakout book Conscious Creativity , artist Philippa Stanton dares you to throw away technique and open the door to free creative movement with this hands-on workbook.

Acknowledging the power of chance and experimentation, this is a safe space in which to scribble, sketch, tear, scratch, fold, weave – anything that Philippa’s playful prompts inspire you to do. There are no rules choose an activity at the back of the book or start at the beginning; pick an exercise on light and shadow, paint your own colour chart or build a collage of found items, whatever makes your creative juices flow .

Packed with simple suggestions to open our eyes to the beauty of ordinary things, this workbook draws on themes including randomness , colour , texture and the senses to encourage us to connect with things we might not normally notice. Breathtaking original photography acts as a catalyst to inspire us to take a chance with new ideas, follow up coincidences and find new ways of expressing our creativity.

Prompts encourage you to take risks and express yourself impulsively, from drawing random spontaneous lines on a page to writing a not to a stranger to creating a textured collage out of sticky tape and other found objects.

Conscious The Workbook is a liberating place to be random, get things wrong and make a beautiful mess .

128 pages, Paperback

Published October 6, 2020

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88 people want to read

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Philippa Stanton

2 books12 followers

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5 stars
15 (30%)
4 stars
25 (51%)
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7 (14%)
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2 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
Profile Image for Alicia Bayer.
Author 10 books252 followers
October 21, 2020
This is a beautiful, fun workbook to stretch your creativity. It's gorgeously illustrated with bright and colorful stock images and packed with prompts very similar to "wreck this journal" kind of things with a little more focus on artists and artistry. In all honesty, I got a little tired of all the pages I was supposed to rip out and do something with (leave it in the pocket of clothing in a store, for instance) that struck me as more random and less artistic, but even those were still fun.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.
Profile Image for Maritina Mela.
493 reviews98 followers
October 29, 2020
This is a book about embracing spontaneousness, imperfection and thinking outside the box in order to be a better creator.

What drew me to it, was the cover and the interesting subject.

That being said, most of the advices seem unorthodox and I can't tell what you can accomplish by following most of them. What can I as a creator accomplish by ruining my books on purpose? What can I get by mixing coffee, salt and water and other stuff like that.

Plus, this is one of those books with several blank pages that make you 'do the job your own' (kinda like that episode from Family Guy, where Brian writes a best seller that consists mainly of a bunch of blank pages) so even those 'advices' mentioned above, are very short and vague, but hey, it makes reading it much faster.

I don't feel I gained anything by reading it, but I appreciate the intend behind it and of course, the photographs which are definitely the best part of the book. That's the main reason I won't give it a bad rating, because as a photography book, it's actually pretty decent.

If you made it this far, congratulations!
'Til next time, take care!


I received a free e-book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Glen.
316 reviews94 followers
October 11, 2020
A book about experimenting and expressing creativity. I love books like this. I enjoy looking over exercises, claiming some to work through and others to ignore. I have several such books on my ‘e’ shelf.

Abstract was my favorite chapter, followed closely by Color. When I do my photography, I like looking through the lens, finding patterns and abstraction. As I read through the exercises in this book, I noted a couple of exercises that really appealed to me. One was the pyramid exercise from the Color chapter, as well as a couple from the Abstract chapter.

Really, there were a lot of smart exercises in all the chapters. I highly recommend it, and I highly recommend that you cut up the pages, glue, scribble, dame and wet this workbook and have fun doing it.

This book was an ARC and was provided in exchange for this review.
Profile Image for The Sassy Bookworm.
4,069 reviews2,873 followers
October 19, 2020
This was a fun book that helps you grow in creativity. The digital version is a little limiting, so I would suggest buying a physical copy to get the most out of it. Still, there were a lot of great exercises and tips that got my creative juices flowing!

*ARC from NetGalley*
Profile Image for Annie.
4,738 reviews88 followers
November 7, 2020
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Conscious Creativity: The Workbook is a companion volume to Philippa Stanton's Conscious Creativity . Released 6th Oct 2020 from Quarto on their Leaping Hare imprint, it's 128 pages and available in paperback format.

This is a companion book, but it works perfectly well as a standalone. It *is* a workbook however, so much/most of the content is guided exercises and less content is devoted to actual technique tutorials. The exercises are grouped roughly thematically: creating (freely, without an agenda), practice, observation, texture, colour, other senses and synaesthesia, and abstract comprehension and synergy.

Each of the chapters contain guided creativity prompts for looking at objects, finding similarities between form and function and opening a creative conduit to expression without throttling or limiting ourselves by internal expectations. The point is to free the reader's creativity and expression. The book is very colourful and appealing with high contrast graphics and lots of pages on which to paint - draw - write - and express. These are -not- limited to graphic arts or painting or drawing or sketching or the like. There are some exercises which will provide some takeaways for the graphic artist, certainly, but the majority are holistic in nature and will have broad applicability to writing, thinking, and being.

There are a great number of activities included here; not all will appeal to all readers, obviously. There are a number of intriguing tutorials which I will try out (writing a note to a stranger and tucking it into a pocket in a piece of clothing in a shop appeals to me very much).

This would make a super gift for a creative friend, possibly in conjunction with some writing or arts supplies. It would also make an intriguing selection for the studio library, maker's groups, or other activity based groups.

Four stars. Definitely full of interesting possibilities.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Profile Image for Leyla Johnson.
1,357 reviews16 followers
November 11, 2020
A real workbook for opening up to creativity. Lots of exercises, using many different mediums and ideas to find a way into creativity
The spark are introduced by random practices, texture, colour, observation abstract and more and it is a practical book
A good starting point
Profile Image for Karen.
1,869 reviews89 followers
October 19, 2020
This visually stunning book will inspire you to experiment and take creative chances. Stanton's book is divided into 7 sections:

* creating with no agenda
* random practice
* seeing, finding and observing
* texture
* colour
* The senses and synesthesia
* abstract

Each section highlights a few practices you can try that challenge you to think differently, be curious and have fun while trying new ways to approach creativity.

I couldn't even pick a section that was my favorite because each of them have their unique joys and there is so much inspiration in each section. I loved looking at all of her examples. I loved each of the provocations.

This book reminded me of Keri Smith's books in idea and concept and how daring it is, but this journal is much more visual and it was absolutely stunning to look at. I cannot recommend it enough.

with gratitude to Quarto Publishing Group and netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for April Gray.
1,389 reviews9 followers
December 30, 2020
I loved Stanton's book Conscious Creativity, and this workbook is the perfect companion to it. The aim is to inspire you to explore your creativity, and the workbook has lots of prompts and projects to help you do that, using different themes: being impulsive, destroying things, experimenting with no expectation of success, and more. I love Stanton's approach to breaking us out of our ruts, and would recommend this book to any artist or crafter who needs/wants some new inspiration. The workbook is meant to be used as part of the process, with prompts to cut pages, draw on the pages, then letting rain alter the medium used, attach things to pages, etc, much in the way of the Wreck This Journal series, but it stays fresh. The photos throughout are lovely, and give the reader a boost of creativity. This book is good on its own, and will be even better alongside Conscious Creativity!

#ConsciousCreativityTheWorkbook #NetGalley
Profile Image for Johanna Sawyer.
3,476 reviews41 followers
October 10, 2020
So this is my first time seeing a journal like this. I guess it’s meant for people who may be having a creativity roadblock and it gets the juices flowing again. In digital form it’s much harder for me to be creative so I suggest you buy this in paperback.

What did I like? So this was an unexpected workbook, and really it’s just about how creative you want to be. I thought it would be more crafty but it’s geared toward creative. An interesting idea for sure since this was my first peek at one.

Would I recommend or buy? It’s a creative idea and if your looking for more ways to do that then this is ideal. I’m not that creative but it was definitely enlightening.

I received a copy to read and voluntarily left a review.
2,934 reviews261 followers
October 7, 2020
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great book!

The digital version is a little harder to navigate but it's a good book!

There's activities that include picking plants, tearing out book pages, and writing exercises. There's cutting things out and folding pages and all sorts of fun things! Some are short projects and some are over months. There's a nice variety of mindful exercises and things to take you out of the ordinary schedule.

It's a fun book with lots of creative tasks!
Profile Image for Brandi.
1,412 reviews35 followers
October 19, 2020
Throw all conventional artistic boundaries out the window! I loved the challenges offered in this collection of creativity exercises. I love art, but am also bound by lines, symmetry, patterns and expectations. This workbook was a wonderful stretch for me to break outside of those lines in an effort to loose the creative in me. All senses are invited and there is absolutely no right or wrong. It’s a perfect exercise for someone trying to expand their creativity.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own, freely given.
Profile Image for Anne.
Author 15 books286 followers
October 17, 2020
The subtitle says it all: experiment, explore, create! I might also add the word express. If you’re looking for a way to let your innate creativity bubble forth, this is IT! And if you don’t think you’re creative? This is still the book for you, because it will loosen you up, help you let go of your left brained rational thinking, and move you towards fearless creating In a fun and non-threatening way. I am going to be giving this as gifts to my many friends this holiday season!
539 reviews
November 19, 2020
This inspiring book is filled with unusual exercises to help you become more creative. Focusing on the senses, texture, paper and mixing materials, this is a book which you can open at any page if you're stuck for ideas. Some activities are extremely simple, such as the observation ones, but others require more thought, such as making a collage. The beautiful photos will make you want to start straightaway!

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Profile Image for Ellie.
99 reviews
October 2, 2020
*Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a complimentary eARC for review purposes*

if you liked "wreck this journal" you will love this, it feels like WTJ's older sister. with more details on why you are doing the tasks
Profile Image for Angela.
Author 19 books106 followers
October 9, 2020
A fun book to keep and grow in creativity. Inspirational for those who need a kick in the pants when they are having a hard time feeling or being creative, like me. Great exercises and tips.
8 reviews
January 7, 2024
Found this only slightly inspiring. Some of the projects were hard to follow I was a bit disappointed
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews

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