Cute inspiration for beginners.
Fowler’s self-help debut takes readers down the rabbit hole in search of creative courage.
Fowler, a certified creativity coach, says, “Imagination is one of my favorite destinations.” Using Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland as an allegory for the creative process, she hopes to inspire others to begin creative endeavors by throwing off the shackles of fear and procrastination. In this slim edition, she defines creative types as “Creativites.” In order to overcome artistic fears, Creativites should name the monsters that terrorize them into inaction: Dobie Doubter, Bully B*tch, Fluke Flinger, Poser Dozer, and Evil Dictator—the “creativity crushers” or mental roadblocks to artistic success. Dobie Doubter, for example, whispers cautionary tales into the Creativite’s ear, causing doubt that success is possible. Adult readers can finish this brisk, imaginative pep talk in an hour or two; however, the text may be more appealing to younger readers, as the narrative’s soft, childlike voice is easily accessible: “Fear tells us we can’t lose if we don’t play; we can’t fail if we don’t try. Now isn’t that just silly?” The book’s eye-catching layout features colorful page borders and pen-and-ink drawings reminiscent of Wonderland and its characters. For example, the beginning of a chapter about “grinning at fear” showcases the Cheshire Cat’s wide, toothy grin. The Wonderland analogy carries through to the end—no need to be afraid, because the Queen of Hearts won’t really hurt anyone—and the tone is both enthusiastic and humorous. Fowler’s rudimentary advice is basically what creative types already know; e.g., don’t compare yourself (or your work) to others, and yes, mistakes do happen. Describing the time she spilled paint on her artwork and turned the mess into a beautiful correction, she urges readers to “embrace the blob.” Fowler’s simplistic analogy would be more memorable if she had included some hands-on creative exercises. Nevertheless, readers looking for a short burst of creative inspiration may be prompted by this whimsical pat on the back.
Cute inspiration for beginners.Pub Date: June 11, 2015
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Aug. 12, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A highly readable account of how solid research and personal testing of self-help techniques saved a couple's marriage after...
Self-help advice and personal reflections on avoiding spousal fights while raising children.
Before her daughter was born, bestselling author Dunn (Why Is My Mother Getting a Tattoo?: And Other Questions I Wish I Never Had to Ask, 2009, etc.) enjoyed steady work and a happy marriage. However, once she became a mother, there never seemed to be enough time, sleep, and especially help from her husband. Little irritations became monumental obstacles between them, which led to major battles. Consequently, they turned to expensive couples' therapy to help them regain some peace in life. In a combination of memoir and advice that can be found in most couples' therapy self-help books, Dunn provides an inside look at her own vexing issues and the solutions she and her husband used to prevent them from appearing in divorce court. They struggled with age-old battles fought between men and women—e.g., frequency of sex, who does more housework, who should get up with the child in the middle of the night, why women need to have a clean house, why men need more alone time, and many more. What Dunn learned via therapy, talks with other parents, and research was that there is no perfect solution to the many dynamics that surface once couples become parents. But by using time-tested techniques, she and her husband learned to listen, show empathy, and adjust so that their former status as a happy couple could safely and peacefully morph into a happy family. Readers familiar with Dunn's honest and humorous writing will appreciate the behind-the-scenes look at her own semi-messy family life, and those who need guidance through the rough spots can glean advice while being entertained—all without spending lots of money on couples’ therapy.
A highly readable account of how solid research and personal testing of self-help techniques saved a couple's marriage after the birth of their child.Pub Date: March 21, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-316-26710-6
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Jan. 17, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The author's youthfulness helps to assure the inevitable comparison with the Anne Frank diary although over and above the...
Elie Wiesel spent his early years in a small Transylvanian town as one of four children.
He was the only one of the family to survive what Francois Maurois, in his introduction, calls the "human holocaust" of the persecution of the Jews, which began with the restrictions, the singularization of the yellow star, the enclosure within the ghetto, and went on to the mass deportations to the ovens of Auschwitz and Buchenwald. There are unforgettable and horrifying scenes here in this spare and sombre memoir of this experience of the hanging of a child, of his first farewell with his father who leaves him an inheritance of a knife and a spoon, and of his last goodbye at Buchenwald his father's corpse is already cold let alone the long months of survival under unconscionable conditions.
Pub Date: Jan. 16, 2006
ISBN: 0374500010
Page Count: 120
Publisher: Hill & Wang
Review Posted Online: Oct. 7, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2006
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