Be, Awake, Create: Mindful Practices to Spark Creativity
Author: Rebekah Younger, MFA
Publisher: Reveal Press
Publication Date: June 1, 2019
Length: 264 Pages
About the Author
Rebekah Younger has created artwork, knit clothing, interiors, businesses, communities, and books. She brings her love of creating to all aspects of her life and shares it with others through teaching mindful creativity.
Activities to Spark Your Creativity
This book offers contemplations, mindfulness practices, and art activities to spark creativity. Each chapter is written to invite self-reflection and creative expression through "hands-on" learning. The print version of this book is a workbook/journal that allows the reader to record responses on the pages. If you read a digital copy, the author suggests the use of a journal or notebook to record written and artistic responses to the prompts.
My Thoughts
Creativity is defined as "the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.; originality, progressiveness, or imagination" (Dictionary.com).
Ms. Younger has done an excellent job in developing exercises, activities and prompts that encourage creativity. She considers herself a "creator" and uses her creative talents in everything she does. This book is not limited to the visual arts. The author encourages the reader to discover creative ways to express herself in art, music, dance, writing, photography, sewing, and other activities.
Mindfulness meditation is used to develop an awareness of our environment and the world around us. Meditation helps the creator stay focused and be awake to things that might be overlooked. A creator has a mindset that is open to new ideas and ways of doing things.
A few years ago, Ms. Younger had heart by-pass surgery and spent many months recovering. During this time, photography became a tool for her recovery. She used her camera to record images of ordinary things around her that she had previously taken for granted. She developed a new way of looking and seeing things that brought her joy and fulfillment.
I think the ideas in this book will definitely spark creativity in the hearts and minds of the readers. The more you put into the activities, the more you will get out of this excellent book. Highly recommended!
MY RATING: 5 STARS OUT OF 5
FYI ~ I got a free digital copy of this book to review from NetGalley.
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