Creativity: Seven Keys to Unlock your Creative Self

by David Gauntlett

This is a lively and thought-provoking book about how to do creativity, unlock your potential, and make a difference. The artists, musicians, and writers we think of as ’very creative’ are just like us, except that they have spent time developing and realising ideas, and have found the confidence to share them with the world. None of this comes naturally. This wide-ranging book offers research, advice, and philosophy to fuel your understanding and passion for creativity. David Gauntlett draws on his own experiences of making music and experimenting with digital media alongside 25 years of researching creativity. Including insights from a diverse array of creators, this book highlights the vitality of the individual creative voice in a world where social media offers a weird mix of inspiration and suffocation, and our struggles for social justice are equally hopeful and upsetting. Creativity shows how vulnerability, experimentation, and courage can enable us to become bold and engaging creators.

272 pages, Paperback

Published October 24, 2022

About the author

David Gauntlett is Professor of Media and Communications at the University of Westminster, London. He is the author of several books on media audiences and identities, including Moving Experiences (1995, 2005) and Creative Explorations (2007). He produces Theory.org.uk, the award-winning website on media, gender and identity.

Reviews

[Amelia Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those wanting to embrace their creative selves, here is some sound advice -- f you are an artist, create art in whichever medium you love. If you are a musician, make music. If you are a writer, write. Make the time to do and then do it. But how do we embrace our creativity and make the doing happen?

I found this book helpful in breaking through my personal barriers in a number of areas and unlocked ideas I want to try and play with. This is a book I will return to when I need fresh insight and a kick up the butt to just do it!

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting survey of this attribute.