I was walking with my friend in a bookstore, and one book captured my attention. It was “Unleashing The Artist Within: Breaking through Blocks and Restoring Creative Purpose.”
The book is written by Eric Maisel, Ph.D., a creativity coach, trainer, and retired family therapist.
It’s a guide for creative people made of 12 chapters and a conclusion. In this book, “Maisel” shares some practical techniques and advice as well as some of his clients’ or trainees’ personal experiences with creativity and how they overcame different obstacles.
The chapters I liked the most were the second chapter, “Breaking through Everyday Resistance,” and the eleventh, “Picking, Protecting, and Honoring Your Creative Space.”
Resistance is something rarely addressed because the concept is not very popular unless you are in the psychology field. He uses a practical exercise, “breaking the egg,” who also represents a great metaphor for overcoming resistance.
“Picture an egg. If you want to crack that egg because you are baking a cake, you tap it carefully on the side of a bowl or countertop, it breaks, and you drop the contents of the egg into the bowl of flour. There’s nothing simpler. But if the egg is just sitting there and you are not baking a cake, its shell is going to feel formidable. There is something almost scary about cracking an egg for no good reason, something that is squeamish, like a violation of the egg, something very dramatic about breaking that hard shell and having the contents ooze out. “
What I also found important in this book is that he addresses the importance of setting boundaries with others, taking yourself seriously, and becoming disciplined to achieve what you want.
I know that Maisel could not summarize all his knowledge through this book because sometimes it takes more to unleash your creativity. There are many reasons for the problems, and seeking help to overcome them is always a good choice.
I totally recommend this book for creatives and people interested in creativity.