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Living Artfully: Create the Life You Imagine
Many people today are looking outside themselves for well-being and happiness when what they're searching for has been inside them all along." -- Sandra MagsamenLiving artfully is expressing who you are through the moments that you create. "Living Artfully" reminds us to explore and experience life with more heart, meaning, purpose, and joy. It asks us to imagine, to dream big, to believe in ourselves, to celebrate the people in our lives, make each day count, dance when the spirit moves us, laugh out loud, and let our voices be heard.
In this beautiful, life-changing book, acclaimed artist and entrepreneur Sandra Magsamen will transform everything you think you know about art, creativity, and personal fulfillment. And she'll show you that you've already got just what you need in your own two hands to create the life of joy and beauty that you want -- for yourself and others.
"Living Artfully" puts you in direct touch with your own imagination, where the only rule is there are no rules. Warm, encouraging, always good-humored, it is full of inspiring stories about people who pursue their own creative impulses and are rewarded with unexpected and delightful results. By following the ten principles of Living Artfully -- Magsamen's own dynamic process of creative thinking and being -- you will embark on an exciting personal journey of self-discovery. You'll learn how to connect with everyone in your life in inventive new ways, through everyday things, caring gestures, meaningful moments, and simple gifts that really make a difference. You'll also discover how, where, and when you can use your own creative language -- the images, words, sounds, foods, or crafts through which you mosteasily express yourself.
To Sandra Magsamen, Living Artfully is connection. It's the ultimate form of communication. It's recognizing and embracing your own powerful, creative abilities. And the first step on the journey to Living Artfully is to rediscover the gifts of imagination, curiosity, and playfulness -- gifts that you already possess. Each chapter presents a wealth of practical and fun ideas that you can tailor to suit your own circumstances and preferences and that will jump-start your imagination and free dormant or forgotten talents. By giving yourself permission to be yourself, you'll embark on a personal renaissance, connecting with your inherent sense of fun and optimism and discovering that even simple tasks of everyday life can become perfect, natural outlets for your newfound creativity.
Filled with Sandra's stunning, four-color, signature artwork, "Living Artfully" is not a how-to book but a why-to -- uplifting, motivational, and fun. It is also a guide into a new cultural movement in which people choose to live with a creative purpose, celebrating the people, places, and moments that make life truly meaningful.
In this beautiful, life-changing book, acclaimed artist and entrepreneur Sandra Magsamen will transform everything you think you know about art, creativity, and personal fulfillment. And she'll show you that you've already got just what you need in your own two hands to create the life of joy and beauty that you want -- for yourself and others.
"Living Artfully" puts you in direct touch with your own imagination, where the only rule is there are no rules. Warm, encouraging, always good-humored, it is full of inspiring stories about people who pursue their own creative impulses and are rewarded with unexpected and delightful results. By following the ten principles of Living Artfully -- Magsamen's own dynamic process of creative thinking and being -- you will embark on an exciting personal journey of self-discovery. You'll learn how to connect with everyone in your life in inventive new ways, through everyday things, caring gestures, meaningful moments, and simple gifts that really make a difference. You'll also discover how, where, and when you can use your own creative language -- the images, words, sounds, foods, or crafts through which you mosteasily express yourself.
To Sandra Magsamen, Living Artfully is connection. It's the ultimate form of communication. It's recognizing and embracing your own powerful, creative abilities. And the first step on the journey to Living Artfully is to rediscover the gifts of imagination, curiosity, and playfulness -- gifts that you already possess. Each chapter presents a wealth of practical and fun ideas that you can tailor to suit your own circumstances and preferences and that will jump-start your imagination and free dormant or forgotten talents. By giving yourself permission to be yourself, you'll embark on a personal renaissance, connecting with your inherent sense of fun and optimism and discovering that even simple tasks of everyday life can become perfect, natural outlets for your newfound creativity.
Filled with Sandra's stunning, four-color, signature artwork, "Living Artfully" is not a how-to book but a why-to -- uplifting, motivational, and fun. It is also a guide into a new cultural movement in which people choose to live with a creative purpose, celebrating the people, places, and moments that make life truly meaningful.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2006
12 people are currently reading
416 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
August 27, 2016
Relentlessly positive, cheerful optimistic, and encouraging about expressing your creativity, imagination, and playfulness. There are personal stories, eye-catching graphics, hand-written notes, and artful ideas. Magsamen reminds us that we are creative being and "To live artfully is to live life fully, with meaning and a purpose -- to bring beauty into being". I felt inspired and upbeat! But Magsamen is definitely writing to a female audience in America, with cultural assumptions about shared experiences and traditions.
January 22, 2008
This is a piece of fluff all about how all of us are creative, wonderful beings. While I do actually believe that all of us are creative, wonderful beings, I worry about people who need a book as insubstantial as this one to convince them. I don't know, maybe this book would be useful for people who never thought about all the possible ways to be creative, but it wasn't at all helpful or enlightening to me. The writing is so fluffy that I barely had to concentrate to read it. It was easier reading than a magazine article and probably only really needed to be that long.
January 5, 2023
If you are running out of ideas to make a hand-made gift, you definitely should read this. Personally, I feel like this book contains repetitive entries and too many examples.
May 15, 2017
Not only is the book beautiful, the writing is too. This book is going into my top ten list of books on creativity. I found it inspirational as well as practical. Though I skimmed over some of the lists at the ends of chapters (the practical), it was only because I am farther along in my journey of creative living. This book speaks to all levels; the practiced creative, as well as though just beginning to realize their creative potential.
December 28, 2021
the author has a great attitude and there are some good personal stories, however the points are very repetitive, almost like a high schooler writing an essay and needing to reach a page count. i can’t see how anyone would feel inspired after reading this book.
December 28, 2021
A delightful and inspiration loaded book... so many ideas to stimulate creativity. The illustrations were also visually pleasing and colorful... It is one of those books you can open anywhere and find a tid bit of joy.
March 5, 2024
A lot of the examples for ideas to add creativity and meaning to everyday life aren't applicable for me, but this is still such a sweet book. I'm so glad the author wrote this! The part that stuck out to me the most, is that the purpose of creativity is to connect meaningfully with fellow people.
June 2, 2020
A little syrupy and heteronormative for my taste, but that's pretty much what I expected going in. Chapters 5-6 are skippable and maybe even a little painful to read for folks who don't have families pulled from a Hallmark movie. It reads like an extremely long Mother's Day or Good Housekeeping article. The first few chapters were good for a fluffy, low-brainpower skim.
July 11, 2016
Spotted this book on the shelf @ Goodwill & was instantly drawn to it.
I consider myself to be a creative person, but last year I found my inspiration & motivation lacking.
I was really hoping that this book would rekindle my creative spirit, but it did not. I am not entirely sure what I was expecting, but this book just didn't do "it" for me.
I really like the preface that we are *ALL* creative, whether it be knitting, sewing, flower arrangements, gardening, cooking, etc. It's true & I am constantly amazed by what people who are always telling me how creative I am create themselves.
The book had some good quotes & anecdotes & a few new (to me) ideas, but mostly it was full of things that are pretty run of the mill. I ended up reading a couple of chapters & then setting it aside.
Anyway, with it being the 'New Year', one of my "missions" is to read all the books on my bookshelf (though this may take more than just a year ;), keeping the ones I LOVE & passing on any that I don't. Started with this one and *really* had to FORCE MYSELF TO FINISH.
Definitely passing this one on....
I consider myself to be a creative person, but last year I found my inspiration & motivation lacking.
I was really hoping that this book would rekindle my creative spirit, but it did not. I am not entirely sure what I was expecting, but this book just didn't do "it" for me.
I really like the preface that we are *ALL* creative, whether it be knitting, sewing, flower arrangements, gardening, cooking, etc. It's true & I am constantly amazed by what people who are always telling me how creative I am create themselves.
The book had some good quotes & anecdotes & a few new (to me) ideas, but mostly it was full of things that are pretty run of the mill. I ended up reading a couple of chapters & then setting it aside.
Anyway, with it being the 'New Year', one of my "missions" is to read all the books on my bookshelf (though this may take more than just a year ;), keeping the ones I LOVE & passing on any that I don't. Started with this one and *really* had to FORCE MYSELF TO FINISH.
Definitely passing this one on....
March 29, 2009
I REALLY wanted to read this book. It was an interesting read, but not exactly what I expected. She did include ideas to get you started, but it was mostly quotes and snippets from her life, along with her telling us to imagine our lives and what we could do to add art to it. I was hoping for more suggestions, pictures, examples. Get this from the library like I did, before you decide to buy it.
August 19, 2012
This book was horrible. I don't know where I got the recommendation for this one but I believed it was going to give hints on how to make more "art" in your life, how to be more crafty and artistic.
This is mainly a self help book-guess I missed the description for that one.
I didn't even appreciate the manner of help it gave-I do not want to hear stories of other people's experiences (is that what self help books usually do?) Complete waste of time.
This is mainly a self help book-guess I missed the description for that one.
I didn't even appreciate the manner of help it gave-I do not want to hear stories of other people's experiences (is that what self help books usually do?) Complete waste of time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2017
An inspirational book for living a creative life. There are inspirational quotes and stories as well as specific action/project suggestions. Not sure if it's one I will be likely to go back to again but it was enjoyable while I read it.
Book Pairings:
Elizabeth Gilbert's Big Magic is also inspirational but with a bit more substance and not quite so prescriptive in the suggested activities..
Book Pairings:
Elizabeth Gilbert's Big Magic is also inspirational but with a bit more substance and not quite so prescriptive in the suggested activities..
October 2, 2007
Although this book has lots of fluff to it, I liked its message which seemed to go along with the way I have tried to live as an artist by sharing my art and my talent with others. I also like that it shows the many different ways of being artful that typically get lumped in with Martha Stewart types--making a home, being neighborly, home cooking and homemade things.
Living Artfully
Living Artfully
April 4, 2013
I really enjoyed this book. It is filled with wonder ideas for having and living a more creative life, for sharing life, for making life better for those around one, and one's self. All of the suggestions are "doable" and lead to even more creative expressions of kindness and love. Well worth the read and well worth engaging her ideas.
August 15, 2013
love! Love! love! This book served up the perfect reminder that each of us are creative inour own artful way.Creativity is really just away to effectively communicate gain thoughts, feelings impressicns to the This lock invites yaeeo create your own wa and not let fear stand in you way. at is beautifully Written with touching stories and Lovely ideas
April 2, 2009
This book was a recommendation in the O Magazine a couple summers ago. I didn't love it, but I think if you are looking for some exercises to help stimulate your creativity, it could be a helpful tool.
May 10, 2011
Exploring the creativity in everyday life and trying to exercise a more complete sense of the use of our creativity at any age....it will also make you think on how you are projecting your creative side of your life and how others might view you in that creative light and how you can make it shine
July 14, 2016
I enjoyed and wholeheartedly agree with the premise of the book. Everyday expressions are definitely art. I live that way! I felt the book could have been shorter though. It began to feel repetitive about halfway through.
February 17, 2008
I enjoyed this book and loved the little ideas of adding creativity and art to everyday life.
October 15, 2007
worth your time
January 4, 2008
Love Sandra's attitude, she is very inspirational for me.
June 27, 2008
GREAT book; I may have to blog about this one sometime. But really, helpful for us struggling creative folk.
September 11, 2012
Loved this book. Full of loads of ideas and inspiration on how to be creative in every area of your life.
June 12, 2013
this book held many fun and inspirational ideas on how to break from the routine and make life uniquely one's own.
August 11, 2013
Loved loved loved this!
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews