Product Description

Releasing the Creative Spirit : Unleashing the Creativity in Your Life

Come awake to a more creative life--By realizing clarity of mind, body and spirit.

Creativity is basic to the very fiber of our being, and not--as many suspect--solely the privilege of a gifted few. When we silence the voice of creativity that lives within us, we confine our spirit. Award-winning author Dan Wakefield helps us to examine our reasons for not creating--debunking the myths--and shows us the path to a fulfilling, creative life.

Drawing on examples from religion, philosophy, and literature, Wakefield teaches us that the key to unleashing our own inner creativity is in clarity of mind, body and spirit. Releasing the Creative Spirit gives us practical guidance to demystify the creative process and to help each of us achieve this clarity by:

* Breaking the Myths--Explode the myths that creativity is only for the artistic elite, that creators must suffer, and that science and business can not be creative pursuits.
* Emptying--Learn ways to recognize and move beyond the tired routines in your life that deaden the senses and soul.
* Filling Up--Experience new sensations through simple practices that revive natural perceptions and unlock hidden creative resources.
* Creating--Try hands-on, practical exercises to explore the mystery of creativity in your life from a spiritual perspective.

This passionate, personal guide draws on examples from the experiences of many creative people--Elaine Pagels (professor), Tom Wolfe (novelist), John Coltrane (jazz musician), Harold Kushner (rabbi), Danielle Levi-Alvares (yoga teacher), Stephen Hawking (physicist), and Phil Jackson (basketball coach), just to name a few--who each demonstrate one or more of the characteristics of someone who creates from the spirit. Creative People...

* Develop clarity as the source of creativity
* Take responsibility for their lives and work
* Regard age as an opportunity
* See obstacles as an invitation to create new solutions, techniques, and skills
* Recognize the body/mind/spirit connection
* Find surprising new ways to perform routine tasks
...and much more

This fresh exploration of the creative spirit includes hands-on exercises to help you unlock your creative powers, inviting you to experience the artistic grace and pleasure that can exist in our everyday lives. You may discover, as many others have, that with creativity comes more joy, more laughter, and more accomplishment than you previously thought possible.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #249370 in Books
• Published on: 2001-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

About the Author
Dan Wakefield is a novelist, journalist, and screenwriter. He has won a Rockefeller grant for creative writing and a National Endowment of the Arts Award. He is the author of many books, including The Story of Your Life: Writing a Spiritual Autobiography (Beacon Press) and Returning: A Spiritual Journey (Beacon). Wakefield is also author of "Spiritually Incorrect," an ongoing Beliefnet.com column. His memoir New York in the 50's is now a documentary film showing on The Sundance Channel. His novel Going All the Way was turned into a movie starring Ben Affleck.

Customer Reviews

Not bad
Years ago I read Wakefield's Returning and enjoyed the book.

Wakefield's book is a coaching guide on tapping into and using the creative process. I believe the exercises are valuable and interesting. Along the way, Wakefield interjects various stories by celebrities that offer various insights on the creative process; mostly however, I think this book operates in the 'support' category for those who are interested in accessing their creative spirit and then making it happen. Several of the stories Wakefield alludes demonstrate how aspiring artists are dissuaded from their craft by a negative experience or review. The author argues against letting this destroy the creative process and offers support to move beyond and through it. In other words, don't accept a life of mediocrity because some one else does not like your creation. Keep working at it until the breakthrough happens.

Overall, I think the book is worth the read if you are looking for tips to access your creative birthright.

Hey...haven't I read this before???? (a word of warning...)
I am a great admirer of Dan Wakefield's work, both as a novelist, and as a spiritual/self help writer - his bare-knuckle honesty easily makes him one of my favorite authors in that latter catagory. I have actually met Wakefield on a few different occassions when he has done book signings and talks around the Indianapolis area, and I have found that in addition to being a fine writer, he is quite a nice guy too! When I saw that a new Wakefiled book called "Releasing the Creative Spirit" was being released, I was eager to get my hands on a copy. However, once I DID get my hands on a copy...I realised that I'd had my hands on a copy all along!!! What on Earth am I talking about??? Well, this supposedly "new" book is actually a word-for-word reprinting on an earlier Wakefield book, 1996's "Creating From the Spirit"! A new publisher (the original was published through Random House) has simply given the book a new title, slapped on some more "modern" looking cover art - and marketed the book as if it were an all-new product! Even in the credits/copyright page for the "new version" it gives the copyright date as being 2001, with no clue given that this is actually a previoulsy-published work from seven years earlier! I mean, this is not even an updated or newly-revised edition of "Creating From the Spirit" - I have compared the two books side by side, and it is the EXACT same text from the 1996 edition! (funnily enough, Wakefield even makes reference at the end of Chapter One that the book is called "Creating From the Spirit"...and that's even in the "new" version!) How does this rate as an actual book? Quite well I must say - this book is an excellent resource for creative artists (writers, musicians, poets, actors, painters, dancers), particularly the more spiritually-minded artist. On the positive side; this reprinting/repackaging is at least of a very high qulaity, with easy-to-read print, strong binding, and better quality paper than the original paperback edition. Please read my review of the original book ("Creating From the Spirit") for a more in-depth view of the actual text (I remember that I rated it at 4 stars). While I remain an admirer of Wakefield and his work, this book seems like not much more than a scam to sell Wakefield fans the same book twice! (What's next? A new title and cover for his popular novel, "Going All the Way"?) Why else was the title AND cover art (not to mention the copyright/publishing date!) changed, if not to give the false appearance of a "new" and different book? Well, that's what happened to me folks, I bought the same book twice thinking that I was recieving a new Dan Wakefield book - and just to make matters worse...the new edition is more expensive than the original! Well, my advise would be to buy this if you have not previously read "Creating From the Spirit" - it really is a fine book! But, if you already have "Creating" in your collection, there is no reason to purchase it all over again...like I did!