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Living With A Creative Mind
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 3, 2014
A must read for any artist. I have been greatly influenced by this book.
February 21, 2015
As an artist, this book was truly enlightening and freeing. As someone who works with artists, it is equally enlightening and will be a handbook on my bookshelf for years to come. Turning on its head the idea of "artistic temperament," the Crabtrees look at nine dimensions of the mind (ego, attitude, thought, sense, focus, action, emotion, space, energy) and how the creative person's mind rides the polar, paradoxical tides of these dimensions rather than living a "balanced" life in each area. Creativity happens at the poles, so for the creative person to be balanced is almost anathema to them. Rather, they must learn to ride the tides than to allow the waves to overcome them. The Crabtrees looks at the "undercurrents" which seek to pull the creative person under the water, and give three ways to cultivate a productive creative life.
Christian artists should read with discernment, as it approaches the spiritual life with a bit of a relativistic bent—perhaps because the authors are writing to a wide audience. Though they see spirituality as one of the three solutions and believe the creative person must acknowledge something greater than themselves—they even go as far as "Creator God"—there would be much more for the creative person to gain if they had a true encounter with the One who endowed them with creativity, understands the vast recesses of the creative mind, and offers them redemption. Read this book in conjunction with Rory Noland's "The Heart of the Artist," especially if you are leading artists in ministry.
Christian artists should read with discernment, as it approaches the spiritual life with a bit of a relativistic bent—perhaps because the authors are writing to a wide audience. Though they see spirituality as one of the three solutions and believe the creative person must acknowledge something greater than themselves—they even go as far as "Creator God"—there would be much more for the creative person to gain if they had a true encounter with the One who endowed them with creativity, understands the vast recesses of the creative mind, and offers them redemption. Read this book in conjunction with Rory Noland's "The Heart of the Artist," especially if you are leading artists in ministry.
June 20, 2014
A very useful book and straight forward to read. It took me a while because I find reading theory very difficult. But it helped me understand the people around me and, possibly, myself. A must read for anyone who knows a creative person, works with/for, or is the boss, or lives with a creative person
May 6, 2017
A mixture of helpful and unhelpful information, in my opinion.
August 22, 2023
Teases apart the creative psyche and helps artists and their loved ones live it better—like learning to sail, rather than just dropping anchor. Recommended.
March 6, 2016
Haven't found this hugely relatable so far. The authors seem to be writing for a particular type of creative person, one more extroverted than is relevant to me.
There is definitely some truth in this book, but a lot of it is a bit alienating. Like the idea that a creative block occurs when the project requires more skill than the artist has. That's true, but there's many other reasons behind creative blocks.
There is definitely some truth in this book, but a lot of it is a bit alienating. Like the idea that a creative block occurs when the project requires more skill than the artist has. That's true, but there's many other reasons behind creative blocks.
April 4, 2014
Een boek voor iedere creatieve geest en eenieder die samenleeft met zo'n geest :-)
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews