5 comments about The Creative Fire.

1. This CD is full of insights and stories to help a person understand the nature of creativity. The application of her insight can apply to painters, poets and those of us just trying to create a happy life. As always her stories are relevant and interesting. The time flies by while listening to the author explain difficult concepts, giving this CD the illusion of being shorter than it really is. I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 because some of the stories were also in Women who Run with the Wolves and I would have preferred all new stories.



2. This brilliant analysis of the origins of creativity and its cycles and how to rekindle it is one of the greatest treasures I have ever listened to or read. Written and spoken by famed poet and Jungian psychologist Clarissa Pinkola Estes.
   
   Estes voice is like hot chocolate- warm, nourishing, reassuring. Her kindness is as enveloping as her genius. She is the genuine article, her words are a rare and unique gift. Its depth and richness has so many dimensions, I have listened to it over and over, never tiring of it and picking up more insights each time.
   
   Before this CD, I felt blind to the literary arts. Estes has gently prised my eyes open.
   
   Can a word turn a river? Can a sentence move a mountain? I would never have thought so until I heard this. Now at least I think it is possible.
   
   This is the tonic that many creative people need. I highly recommend it and her other works.



3. Estes understands the depths and labyrinthine maze of the creative process, what it demands and how it transforms those who give themselves to it. She speaks of creativity in a way that can't help but lead the listener to deeper self-reconciliation, healing, and compassion.



4. This is a highly helpful and beautiful 3-CD series that is both healing and restorative on top of being easy to understand. Add in Dr Estes appropriate moments of dry humour and you have a must for anyone wanting to deal with issues about creatvitiy.



5. One of the most inspiring and liberating concepts I've ever come across. Being a graphic designer and one who enjoys painting, ceramics, beading and other crafts, The Creative Fire has stoked the embers of my soul into a blazing inferno. I would recommend these audio CD's to anyone with a creative flair or anyone who wishes to discover the artist within. (review by Clarissa Witten)

5 comments about Are You Ready to Succeed? Unconventional Strategies to Achieving Personal Mastery in Business and Life.

1. For all of those people who bought Eat Pray and Love with the notion that it would change their lives, buy this book! Srikumar Rao's gentle introductions and guided exercises allow you to contemplate what you want to change in your life and actually work at doing it. I was amazed at the changes I noticed in my thinking and my life in the space of a few months. Do not rush through this book. Let it guide you to finding the real you.



2. Before enlightenment, chop wood carry water.
   After enlightenment, chop wood carry water.*
   
   I read the book's title as meaning "You're successful, are you ready for that?" rather than "Do you want to succeed?" emphasizing the word "ready". And just as reaching enlightenment does not obviate the need to perform the more mundane chores of life, being ready to succeed does not obviate earning a living or making friends. You can do both but if you're not ready to see your success, you won't realize that you are successful and you won't be as happy as you could be.
   
   Rao only indirectly writes about increasing the material and social markers of success, i.e. how wealthy you are or how many friends you have. He stresses that we need to give less importance to these markers and to appreciate what we already have. (And when adversity strikes, we should appreciate that it wasn't worse.) Success breeds success but only if you nurture it properly and that's what he writes about.
   
   Rao's techniques are simple and effective. He first gives examples of what he calls mental models, or predetermined thinking patterns. For example when you are preparing for meetings you always assume that people will argue with you, this predetermined pattern in which you think is a negative mental model. Rao wants us to become conscious of our mental models, especially the negative ones. Next he wants us to detach ourselves from them. He has us create an imaginary friend, who's actually not a friend but an unbiased observer. We're to imagine this friend to describe what we're saying or thinking.
   
   Rao offers many more exercises, with the later exercises building on the earlier ones. The best thing about "Are you Ready to Succeed?" is that the exercises are practical and not too New Age-ish.
   
   Vincent Poirier, Dublin
   *Thanks to Eric for the "Buddhist saying". VP



3. Excellent exercises to re-think one's current life and work situation. Carried through, these lessons can have a profound impact on those struggling with serenity and purpose.



4. As someone who has been a writer and teacher in the personal development and spirituality realm for many years, I love this book. It is so direct and straightforward, and quite profound in its simplicity. Srikumar Rao offers a step-by-step exploration into who you are, what you believe, and how what you believe is impacting your success. He offers this deep personal work in a language that is accessible to anyone. And his writing style gives the reader complete confidence that they can do the work! Thank you, Srikumar, for this accessible and powerful book!



5. "Life is short. And uncertain. It is like a drop of water skittering around on a lotus leaf. You never know when it will drop off and disappear. So each day is too precious to waste. And each day that you are not radiantly alive and brimming with cheer is a day wasted"
   
   Who wouldn't be interested in what this man has to say, right? You'd have to lack a pulse not to want - better, profoundly yearn for - the life affirming perspective and deep joy in being alive he describes.
   
   But have you or I got the vision, guts and discipline to commit to what it's going to take? That's the central question this book poses on every glorious and uplifting page.
   
   Like Stephen Covey's "Seven Habits", Rao proposes that meaningful change happens from the inside out: You'll recall Covey's first 3 habits are about "Personal Victory".
   
   This book is more powerful because it doesn't deal with practices - "habits" - for cognitive behavioural change, like Covey. No, Rao challenges the fundamental fabric of our life experience: our very consciousness.
   
   In one sound bite, the rallying cry of this book is: "live a conscious life".
   
   I'm excited by this. As someone who has lived in a coma - mindlessly propelled by the "conveyor belt of life" - and has jumped off, this resonates very deeply with me.
   
   But this isn't a quick fix. Rao invites you on a very tough spiritual journey that will last a life time.
   
   Brutally simplified, he invites you to become conscious of your self-limiting, self-defeating models of the world, your judgmental critical dialogue, and to develop insight to shift these, partly using the meditative practice of mindfulness.
   
   The outcome: "Gradually, you get to the point where you can control what you are consciously comfortable with letting into your mind. And that is how you start straightening out of your life"
   
   But that's not the tough part. What comes next is far more challenging. What if you believed the Universe wasn't "a dumb, insentient mass" but "a conscious entity that is intimately intertwined with you and not separate from you. It wants to give you what you desire and you can influence it"
   
   Wow! If that was your operating principle, just imagine how different would life be? How much more time and energy would you spend focusing on and manifesting what you want in life instead of worrying and complaining about what you don't want?
   
   Most of the rest of book is dedicated to building the "Benevolent Universe" model. Rao coaches us on how to let go of guilt, blame, destructive habits and anxiety about what we can't control. This all uses up valuable energy and makes us feel powerless: far better to channel energy into constructive and resourceful practices that serve us.
   
   Specifically he shows us how to use the "Law of Increase", the reality that "Whatever you are truly grateful for and appreciate will increase in your life" and how to manifest our deepest desires simply by being resolutely and single-mindedly focused on them with a deep conviction that they are already ours.
   
   Freedom and happiness? We already have them: they're inside, not outside us.
   
   Thinking we have to "acquire" something to be free or happy is misguided, according to Rao: "The talons of our addiction shred our minds and wreck repose... There is nothing you have to get in order to be happy"
   
   Why go on this journey at all?
   
   Because fundamental to our purpose is contribution: the unique gifts we're on the road to discovering and manifesting in the world will contribute to the greater good: literally make the world a better place.
   
   "When you stop explicitly focusing on yourself, on what you want and don't have, and start focusing on how you can be of service to a larger community, then you set loose some very powerful forces"
   
   The reward of accepting the challenge in this book is enlightenment: a deep understanding of your purpose in life and the insight to manifest it.
   
   It will make a leader of you, if you let it.

5 comments about The Artist's Way at Work: Riding the Dragon.

1. This is the second Julia Cameron book I have read. It is very much like Artist's Way except it is for the artist in the work place. All of Cameron's books talk about the artist within but it is for those who are looking for self. Self is what you are going to find. It is getting rid of what is unimportant and focusing in on the important making a complete and happier person. I am not quite done with this book but have devoured it and shared it as I did with her first book.



2. Reading the book for a masters level creativity class so I started out a skeptic. While much of the reading in the class has turned out to be very interesting, this book just hasn't struck any chords for me.
   
   Some of the poeple in the class seem to appreciate it so it gets an extra star... but I'd suggest reading some of it before picking it up. If it works for ya, go for it. Otherwise, be cautious.



3. These books were ordered to be used in a weekly group discussion. The response was well received.



4. This excellent book has been og enormous help to me in making me aware of all the things I put up with, and what it was I really wanted ! A great investment in living a happier life!



5. What an incredible book and the DVD with printable workbook is a MUST! There are so many insights from successful artist's that show us the strength behind the methods taught. Thank you Mark Bryan and Julia Cameron for bringing the world of a working artist and those with creative ideas to a place where the thought process can be described in terms that help so much for the end goal of success at what we do. Understanding creative minds for what they are and how the process of work relates to all minds creative process is a huge benefit for all.
   Artists don't come in one shape or color, nor do they in 10, but in infinity of preferences, passions, drivers, careers, and personalities. Artist's Way At Work helps us to see how mutually driven all people are to make the most of the creative genius within, and how to keep it thriving, successful, and happy.
   The nonlinear walk of The Artist Way At Work by Mark Bryan has taken the original work of the Artist's Way to ten years later, in addition to a level where we get to see how all people are `creative' equally in the struggle. The direction in which we move towards this individual creativity in common steps is defined in a way that promotes the ability to overcome traps as a common problem between all creative minds not limited to just writers, painters, singers, and dancers, but also the creativity that feeds the flow in all businesses from scientists to production plants. He teaches us that the psyche of the human dilemma which includes living a paradox creatively and trying to balance real life can be common between all people no matter what job type is involved. He provides structure to work with the well founded "3 C's".
   Mark Bryan is a warm, funny and charismatic man with such passion to drive artists to meet with success. We can overcome our paradox through the ongoing use of the teachable, trackable success doing the daily reflections, reframe our failures, and leverage our strengths. His work has led many, including myself, to a far great future. Using his methods daily will inevitably help to consistently overcome what stops us from true creative genius and will lead to both happy and well lives.
   His innovative methods to bring artistically creative people to this place of peace, with quality in life, are highly recommended.

5 comments about Shadow Dance: Liberating the Power & Creativity of Your Dark Side.

1. While I admire the author's sincerity, I found the writing to be bogged down with righteousness and preachiness. His writing relies more on quotes than speaking from the heart. I thought the exercises were useful and wished there were more of them. I had hoped for a much deeper and more personal exploration into my own Shadow.



2. This book is typical of David Richo's work: pretty good. His writing is very very scholarly and intellectual. I often wish he'd step out of his head more often and more frequently share how what he's saying directly can effect me as a person. (For application of work presented here the reader might also want to read Susan Campbell's "Getting Real", as that would give you the skills to own your anger in the moment, for example). As a therapist, I often find that some clients know a lot about whats going wrong, but they need skill building to go along with the insight. He starts applying the shadow material, and the book really gets going, only at about page 150. I felt there was too much background material on how the shadow works, which leaves me afraid to offer this book to a client; Its boring in the beginning. All in all, its a really great expository work on Jungian theory and the Shadow, and he does a great job applying Shadow concepts to real life. I love how he frames projections, and I think this is one of the better works on understanding how projection works in our lives. From a theoretical perspective I learned a lot about the shadow and applications to other cultures and sometimes my own life. After reading this book I felt intellectually overwhelmed, tired, and smarter. Fundamentally a great scholarly work, even though not really a true self-help book.



3. This is an excellent book for self-exploration and self-development. It provides a thorough explanation of the concept of the shadow in Jungian theory and introduces us to various practical exercises to explore our own shadow. Though I'm not really a Jungian, this was a very interesting book that gave me lots to think about. If you'd like a more simplistic but nevertheless absolutely excellent explanation of the psyche, try reading "The Ever-Transcending Spirit" by Toru Sato. It is an amazing book that explains almost everything you wondered about in a concise and down to earth way! Five stars may not be enough for this one.



4. This book is excellent. I have read many self-improvement type books; most of them are written well but are superficial, or are deep and insightful, but are not written well at all. This book by Richio is the exception - it is well written AND very deep and insightful. The book is about recognizing the "shadow" element in us, bringing it to light, and then "befriending" it; that is, coming in terms with it and figuring out how to live a purposeful life despite our shortcomings. The perspective of the author is that of a Jungian psychologist with a slight Buddhist tinge. His analysis and explanations of why we act the way we do are right on target and I learned much from reading this book. The author has included several exercises at the end of each chapter, and almost all of them are very good and by going through them I learned many things about myself I did not know. While working through this book I kept a notebook, and wrote down several quotes from the book and wrote out all the exercises; altogether I wrote out about 250 pages! I found it best to go through this book very slowly, and don't rush through the exercises. I HIGHLY recommend this excellent and extremely insightful book, and I am very interested in reading more books by this author. If you are interested in doing your own self examination, buy this book now...you will gain many insights into your self, your hidden self, and the motivations which underlie your day to day behavior.



5. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2MYI4ASBHLWR8 Threads, Knots, Tapestries: How A Tribal Connection Is Revealed Through Dreams And Synchronicities

5 comments about Coloring Mandalas 3: Circles of the Sacred Feminine (Coloring Mandalas).

1. Be daring to lose yourself in a mandala. One never knows what to expect. Open your heart, mind and soul. You will not be disappointed. Learn from these forms and then learn to create your own!



2. I have utilized the first two books in this Mandala series for meditative reflection as I colored with pencils. The third one has images that are not as condusive to meditation and are somewhat disconcerting. I am attracted to repetitive designs reminiscent of Rose stained glass windows. Some of these images were just odd. Some were ugly. There are many other books out there with better designs for contemplation.



3. I am reliving by childhood by coloring these intricate designs. Supposedly, the designs were to help me find my inner self. Well, it is still lost but when I am bored (which isn't often) I will start one of these designs. They are great when I am watching a football game and it is between plays--I color to ease by hyperactive old brain.



4. These books are magical! I love the creativity and the "place" I go into when I am coloring a mandala. So relaxing......like a meditation. I think they make a perfect gift for all ages.I am so grateful to my girlfriend who gave me one after I had surgery. My husband joins me in the evening with his own book and it is far more enjoyable than watching T.V.



5. Great assortment of sacred feminine mandalas. I use them in creative writing workshops and they are always a hit. Thanks for putting together such a great collection!

No comments about The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything.

5 comments about Fearless Creating: A Step-by-Step Guide To Starting and Completing Your Work of Art.

1. I teach Creativity at a University so I am constantly on the lookout for new and improved texts to use in my courses. For over ten years I have used this same book because I have not found a better one.
   
   I give the students a choice between this and Julia Cameron The Artist's Way. The latter is more "spiritual" in tone ("inner" this and "within" that, and let your "higher self" speak, etc.) and Fearless Craeting is more "secular" ( the occasional PG swear word, painting naked, etc.) so they appeal to different types of students. They are still the 2 best books I know to actually enhance your creativity. (Nor have the authors in my opinions, surpassed them in their subsequent books.)
   
   The only drawback is that the student only have to pay $15.00 for this text. They are used to paying $95.00 so this can be upsetting to them.



2. The author encourages us to recognize that making mistakes is part of creating. Experimenting, finding what works and what doesn't work, and going on is the process of creativity.
   This book is useful for the beginning and the experienced artist.



3. Buying this book is simply the first step on a journey toward meaning. Taking action begins there, and will continue as you give yourself permission to create.



4. A timeless book suggesting ways for self confidence with one's artistic work. It is most important for recognizing the value of anxiety as a stimulus to work one's art. It offers self-directed suggestions for deepening the ability to apply oneself.



5. This book is helpful on many levels. First as a philosophical treatise on creative acts, then a well indexed guide to specific processes. The side tabs are intriguing, but I did't try baking the potato, imagining it was enough.
   
   
   
   
   
   

5 comments about Creative Whack Pack.

1. When you're stuck, this helps get you unstuck. The cards force you to change your train of thought - helpful for when you can't seem to think of anything new. I write a lot of press releases on somewhat mundane and repetitive topics, and the whack pack has inspired some new ideas and made the task less tedious.



2. This book comes with poker-like cards to remind you think different all the time. You will find that it is the small book that you will reread again and again! To me, it is just like a tool. Every one should read to break the ordinary thoughts.



3. I have two sets of the Creative Whack Pack. It is a very useful tool in helping to get unstuck when brainstorming for ideas. I used it in a "Creative Decision-Making" class in my MBA studies and it was useful in helping a group of mixed thinkers (creative and very linear thinkers) become unstuck. Our team actually came up with several creative solutions to a couple of problems.
   
   It is also a valuable tool to use on one's own - sometimes it is fun just to pick a card and then use that as a basis for one's thinking for the day. This can be used in conjunction with the Innovators Whack Pack.



4. I got this as a gift at a Christmas party. It is the worst thing in the world. Maybe it is meant for people who can't think for themselves, I don't know. If you actually have a brain and can use it, then you don't need the whack pack.



5. I ordered this hoping it would be good for idea generation. I'm an experienced entrepreneur and hoped it would prompt some helpful exercises. I found it to be 2nd rate in terms of quality of ideas and applicability to business and product innovation. I did find the perfect pack, namely the IDEO Method Cards which give fantastic ideas for product design and customer role playing.
   
   I could be helpful for someone trying to rethink their careers and life, but not a rich source of ideas or well presented.

5 comments about If..., Volume 3: (Questions for the Game of Love).

1. I was intrigued by the title of the book, and a little curious after reading the disclaimer "We would like to add that some of the following
   questions are rather direct, and personal, and not everyone will choose to
   ponder them, but in no case do we intend offense.". I read it cover to cover, and the biggest thing I would tell anyone thinking of buying it on the basis of the title to think twice. The question "If you had to include one animal in your next lovemaking, what kind would it
   be?". You can find that one on page 115. This book is definitely about sex, with a few questions relating to love. If you want something that will start conversation, this is it. You may not, however, be happy with the results. Definitely for those entertaining alternative lifestyles, but not for anyone else.



2. The third in the "If" series of question books, this little ditty is all about love and relationship ethics. Would you? Could you? Will you? A perfect gift for anyone just starting out in one of those questionable relationships! Imagine the insight into a persons values in a few innocent yet thought provoking questions. Another benefit to this book is that it is a perfect way to break the ice about all those pet-peeves you might have in the bedroom, just answer the question and hope someone is listening! Hours of fun that might save you years of heartache.



3. I was shocked by most of the questions.
   
   For example:
   If you had to watch your lover or spouse have sex with someone else, but could determine who it would be, who would you choose?
   
   If you could have sex with one pagan god, which would it be?
   
   I don't consider myself a prude by any means but I feel this book is immoral and dangerous to anyone in a monogamous relationship.
   
   I returned it!



4. I got this book to bring to an all girls party and man did it get conversations going. Every group of gals need one to get a laugh and an insight into your friends' lives.



5. I thought this would be fun for a date or something. Fun questions to ask with a romantic/sexual side to them. I flipped through it and decided it would be better used as recycling material or leveling a wobbly table.

5 comments about The Van Gogh Blues: The Creative Person's Path Through Depression.

1. Finally, I found a book that might actually help me and some of my dearest loved ones. I adore this book; and would love to meet the author. This book is for every "artist" who struggles w/ the "blues" or depression, yet knows that traditional medicine and therapy won't help much. I'm going to revisit this review when I'm done w/the book (I'm only about 1/4 into it); but until then, I'll just say, I finally feel I'm on the right track. Even in just the first chapter, I knew, this book was for me. Even my husband picked it up and said, "Wow. This is so you!" (in a good way). I can't wait to share it w/ others that I know are troubled/plagued w/ similar issues. Hope this helps you in your search...



2. We all know the story of the brilliant yet tortured Van Gogh. His mind blowing creativity was only matched by bouts of deeply destructive depression. We've also become accustomed to hearing gossip about rock stars, artists, actors, and writers whose drug use, alcoholism, or suicide make the evening news. It seems the pairing of creativity and self destruction is a natural one.
   
   The Van Gogh Blues doesn't seek to break this stereotype. Instead, it looks to examine the reason why creative people tend to have such extreme highs and lows. The answer seems so obvious that most of us probably would never have thought of it.
   
   People who create tend to put all of their effort into their work. I do it myself, I can sit for hours and just type fully immersed in my own words and thoughts. Having such clarity of focus and such a single minded drive is fantastic.
   
   However, once the project is complete, the creating is done. Suddenly, there is no more purpose. The individual is suddenly lost without any sort of direction. I can relate. I always know it's time to get back to my writing when I start to get depressed. Over time, I've learned that I have to a project. I have to create.



3. Eric visited Rainmaker's Prayers blog during his virtual tour for his newly released book "The Van Gogh Blues: The Creative Person's Path Through Depression." Shinan asked some difficult questions and Eric gave some brilliant answers that we feel are important enough to share with the world. So I've included them in this customer review.
   
   
   
   Shinan Barclay : In the face of global warming/global cooling, Eric Maisel's book: "The Van Gogh Blues ," inspired me to compile an anthology entitled "Rainmaker's Prayers,Align with Global Harmony." How do I encourage clients and contributors to find and create meaning in their life?
   
   Eric Maisel: By helping them make the paradigm shift from finding meaning to making meaning. There is no meaning to find; it is not lost. There is only meaning to make; meaning is a choice. Once people really understand
   this distinction, they realize that they know enough already to make these choices and they can begin to stand behind their own meaning
   decisions.
   
   Shinan Barclay: With climate change and the extinction of thousands of species, many people feel hopeless and helpless. How do you encourage people to find meaning among the uncertainty and confusion of evironmental upheavals?
   
   Eric Maisel: By reminding them that they have a life to lead and they can lead it authentically or inauthentically. They are not in charge of the
   universe--no one is. They are in charge of only and precisely their own
   life. They can make their life a thing of moral beauty by their choices or they can watch more television. Until the world actually ends, we have
   the obligation to take charge of our life and aim it in the direction
   of our choosing; that is what "making ethics" means.
   
   Shinan Barclay: Some data says that major corporations control the media, i.e. television, newspapers and magazine, and that the American population is spoon-fed and numbed by "corporate propaganda." How can we create meaning in an inauthentic world?
   
   Eric: Only with great difficulty--but life is difficulty. There never was
   a guarantee that life would be easy. You think through what would
   amount to right action in this kind of environment--where you can make the
   most difference or any difference--and then you step in that
   direction, recognizing that you can't alter the world's configuration, All you can do is make yourself proud by your own efforts. You heroically
   try; that's it, period.
   
   Rainmaker's Prayers, Align with Global Harmony



4. With so many books being published about creativity, it may be repetitive to read about the same old reflections and the same suggestions to nurture your abilities. Eric Maisel has found a refreshing way to address creative people's issues. With the Van Gogh Blues, he presents his approach to deal with the anxiety and depression creative persons tend to feel at different points in their lives.
   
   While he doesn't shun the medical take on depression, he brings an existential understanding of the situation. This view expresses that a creator that repeatedly makes meaning, hold on to that meaning in his life (life's work meaning and meaningful day-to-day life)will have a better chance of dealing with an inclination to depression.
   
   Eric Maisel covers the field as to how meaning can be created using other's artists biographies, emails from contemporary creators and his experience as a creativity coach (which might be the coolest job in the world, I think). The book's question could be: As creatives, how can we create meaning in life? This way, the books appeals to more than only the depressed artists. To top it off, the author writes in a clear but not-dumbed-down way, ideal to the sophisticated, intellectual reader who appreciates good writing.
   
   Even for a person who constantly reads on creativity and life purpose, I found this book brings new ideas and a fresh take on what assails the creative person.



5. I am not fond of "self-help" books, which always become so quickly redundant, even when they make sense. This book, however, really hit home at a number of points regarding finding meaning in existence, supporting creativity, and understanding addiction from a different perspective (at least for me). I even went online and looked up creativity coaches in my area! For more of my rants, raves, and recommendations, please check out my book blog at allthepage.today.com