Ignite Your Creative Spark

Ignite that inner fire with the 30 engaging exercises, fun activities, inspirational images, and motivating ideas in this book. Learn what your Little Spark of creative passion looks like, how to capture it, and how to make room for it in your life. Use this guide as a month-long creative roadmap, or just dip into the exercises as your time and inclination allow. Either way, you will change your life.

This volume is a playful collection of practical and whimsical creativity advice for graphic designers and other creative people. Its purpose is to spark ideas, encourage artists to find the inspiration around them and to act as a guide to each designer's creative path.

We’ve been conditioned to think about creative genius as a dichotomy: dreamers versus doers, creativity versus discipline, the spark versus the grind. But what if we’re wrong? What if it’s the spark and the grind? We love people whose creative genius arrives in sudden sparks of inspiration. Think of Archimedes in his bathtub or Newton under his apple tree. But we also admire people who work incredibly hard and long for their creative breakthroughs. Think of Edison in his lab, grinding through hundreds of failed variations on the lightbulb. We remember his words in tough times: “Genius is 1 percent inspiration, 99 percent perspiration.” Now Erik Wahl, a visual artist, speaker, and entre­preneur, helps us unite the yin and yang of creativity— the dynamic new ideas with the dogged effort. He shows why we won’t get far if we rely on the spark without the grind, or the grind without the spark. What the world really needs are the creators who can hold the two in balance. Fortunately, it’s possible to get good at both, as Wahl knows from experience. After his corporate career sud­denly ended, he pursued a spark—to paint photorealistic portraits—and ground it out until he got good enough to make very good art very quickly. That’s the basis of his riveting live shows, which have captivated skeptical audiences who never expected to be inspired by art—and taught them to embrace creativity in a whole new way. This book offers surprising insights and practical advice about how to fan the sparks and make the grind more productive. Wahl deftly synthesizes the wisdom of other artists, philosophers, scientists, and business visionaries throughout history, along with his own views. Here’s how he sums up his approach: The world needs people who enjoy swimming in ideas until they discover a great one. The world also needs doers who have a gift for activation, a.k.a. “getting s*** done.” But the most potent individual creators in any industry or environment have learned how to be both. They’ve learned how to spark their grind and they’ve learned how to grind their sparks. As a result, they not only make things happen, they make great things. If you want to ensure constant creativity in your life and produce your most innovative work—this is your guide.

Creativity in a box: accessible prompts in a pick-me-up package that are applicable to any type of creative pursuit, be it visual art, music, writing, or any other practice that requires idea-generation. It's the gift of inspiration, with effective strategies to spark creativity and get unstuck. Includes 50 faux matchsticks with printed prompts. Fans of Spark Adventure, Spark Happiness, or The Creativity Project will love this gift. This gift is ideal for: • Artists and Musicians • Writers • Creative Business People

There is a widespread misconception that people are either born creative or not. But that is just that - a misconception! Every single person is capable of great creativity, and it isn't limited to the realm of art either. People exercise creativity in every aspect of their daily lives, like finding creative ways to beat traffic, or coming up with unconventional ways to eat a slice of pizza, for example. Whether you have never witnessed your own creativity before, or you're just experiencing an unshakable dry spell, this book will help in bringing forth the inspired creative that exists inside of us all. Believe it or not, unleashing creativity is really just a matter of changing the way you think and see things around you, and that's exactly what I'm going to teach you in this book. So stop listening to people who tell you to "just think outside the box" and start listening to me. I'm going to provide you with a newfound perspective as well as a full supply of actual exercises and techniques to get your creative juices flowing. Let's get started!

Attention all creatives: learn how to power up your creativity! If you’re longing to take your vision, energy, and output to the next level, this book is the resource you need to make it happen. Author Rachael Taylor—successful artist, pattern designer, entrepreneur, and cofounder of the Make It In Design online education platform—shares creative motivation and guidance that will help you achieve your goals and thrive. Identify how to begin, find and sustain inspiration, and cultivate creative courage Clarify your vision and consider how you need to evolve Stay motivated and establish creative longevity Shift gears to set sights on your next goal as you reach each destination Create with intention and acknowledge—and embrace—your creative power Whether you’re just starting out on your creative path, or you’re looking to fruitfully channel your creative practice toward a career or side hustle, Power Up Your Creativity offers practical advice and support for upping your creative game and achieving your dreams. So, what are you waiting for?

Everyone has a bit of creativity inside them, waiting to burn brighter. Sometimes all they need is encouragement. At other times, they need skills or know-how. This fill-in-the-blank, do-it-yourself guidebook will give tween girls all these things and more as they discover what it means to be creative. Full color. Consumable.

“Tips for finding and nourishing the inner artist . . . chock-full of concrete, hands-on tips that can help the newbie develop habits of creativity.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) You were born with a creative spark inside. Do you look at yourself now and wonder if the spark has gone out? Ignite that inner fire with the 30 engaging exercises, fun activities, inspirational images, and motivating ideas in this book. Learn what your Little Spark of creative passion looks like, how to capture it, and how to make room for it in your life. Read the book cover-to-cover and use it as a month-long creative roadmap, or just dip into the exercises as your time and inclination allow. Either way, you will change your life. “An interactive workbook for igniting creativity. It’s peppered with tales from dancers, yogis, artists and more, and is filled with fun ideas.”—Associated Press “One of those books with its own energy and enthusiasm that literally lights you up!”—David Romanellii, author of Life Lessons from the Oldest and Wisest “The book’s design beautifully weaves together text, blank write-in spaces, stellar photos and a host of other charming design elements. A sparkling blueprint for stimulating creativity.”—Kirkus Reviews “The color photographs and layout of the book are particularly pleasing and inspiring . . . A beneficial and enjoyable title for people who need a bit of a nudge to try something creative, or those who used to paint, write, or sew, who want to do it again.”—Library Journal “For any person you know who wants to make stuff, any kind of stuff, that is an authentic expression of themselves.”—Quilt Journalist Newsletter

Cultivating Your Creative Life: How to Find Balance, Beauty, and Success as an Artist is a multifaceted book where creativity and wonder intermingle to show how to live a creative and balanced life while moving toward your goals.