The Amazing Dr. Maisel!

Who are the role models for your creative role models? Chances are, one of them is Eric Maisel, Ph.D. He's a creativity coach with a psychotherapist's background who has written over 30 books (fiction and nonfiction). How does he do it? I suspect it has to do with what he calls his "innate wackiness"!

I'll give you a quick look at just three of his many books on creativity. All three of these include great exercises.

The Creativity Book: A Year's Worth of Inspiration and Guidance

For me, following the weekly format of the book would be like eating only one corn chip a week. I gobbled up the whole book within a few weeks!

Here's one of my favorite quotes from the closing paragraph of the book: "I pray that you couple your creative efforts with the other elements of a life worth living: intimate relating and compassionate action in the world."

A Life in the Arts: Practical Guidance and Inspiration for Creative and Performing Artists

This workbook addresses practical considerations that you might see in other creativity books, such as combining art and business, but Maisel also covers the grittier topics that we don't like to think about. These are topics such as depression, anxiety, isolation, and rage. I can tell you from personal experience how grateful many artists will be to see these issues covered so openly!

In this book, Maisel also covers a topic that I haven't seen anywhere else, and that is, how does a person leave (or scale back on) the arts if needed or desired. The reason could be physical, as with an injured dancer, or emotional, as with a case of burn-out. Whatever the reason, Maisel spells out a plan for easing your way out and dealing with the feelings of loss that go with it.

Fearless Creating: A Step-by-Step Guide to Starting and Completing Your Work of Art

The coach in me found Maisel's explanation of appropriate and inappropriate clarity to be of particular interest.

If you've been actively creative for any length of time, you know that anxiety can't be ignored; it must be dealt with. The Appendix on "Anxiety Management Strategies" in this book provides many useful techniques for dealing with anxiety before, during, and after the creative process.

Check Out Dr. Maisel's site at http://www.ericmaisel.com/!

My best to you,
Susan

P.S. Last call for complimentary email support (once a week for four weeks) for your 2008 resolutions! Email me at scleaver@dejazzd.com to get started.

***All of Susan's creative4life posts are copyright of Susan Cleaver***

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