After I finished my Ph.D. at the University of Chicago, I tried very hard to do what I was ‘supposed’ to do—interview for an academic teaching position at some sort of prestigious university. But I couldn’t do it. Instead, I moved to the wilderness of northwest Montana. Here’s what happened instead: I developed self-reliance. In…
In alphabetical order, 17 potent, inspiring, and relatively unknown books on the power of art, imagination, learning, and metaphor. (These are books not commonly known, so that’s why some popular books on creativity and imagination aren’t listed.) Enjoy. THE AESTHETIC DIMENSION: Towards a Critique of Marxist Aesthetics by Herbert Marcuse ALONE WITH THE ALONE: Creative…
In her book, If You Want to Write, Brenda Ueland wrote: When we ignore the imagination, we stop living from our center, from the creative fountain, and we live from the periphery, from externals. Imagination brings possibility. As educator Maxine Greene said, “The role of imagination is to awaken, to disclose the ordinarily unseen, unheard,…
When we do the most creative work that we can possibly do, we get to the true heart of who we are. Creating requires openness, flexibility, and ‘not knowing’: Hold beginner’s mind: Step back from what’s happening so you can see what wants to emerge. Work with what’s available: encourage what’s under the surface to…
6 questions to ask when you’re stuck: How can I give myself and this project more space? What do I really love or feel passionate about? If I wasn’t stuck, what would I do? Where is the most beautiful, nurturing place I can take a walk right now? Is there a tiny action step I…
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