Creative Development

In a world desperate for a glimpse of authenticity, Nobody Knows What They're Doing is a breath of fresh air that reveals the truths hiding between the lines of Instagram-friendly aphorisms and behind the words of the most inspirational TED talks. An honest look at the reality of creativity and the joy and difficulty of crafting good (and bad) art, this book is a must-listen for every exhausted creative, every starry-eyed dreamer, and every artist who is trying to make their way in the world - and keep a roof over their head while they do it.

This provocative book reveals why sitting in front of a light box can increase your creativity more than listening to a Bach concerto as example. The author Shelley H. Carson, a Harvard psychologist, explains that creativity isn't something only scientists, investors, artists, writers, and musicians enjoy; in fact, all of us use our creative brains every day at home and at work. Each of us has the ability to increase our mental functioning and creativity by learning to move flexibly among several brain states.

In the busyness of today’s world, it's common for stress and burnout to leave you feeling disconnected from the joy, freedom, and inspiration you once knew. You may want to improve your mental health but feel uncertain about where to begin. This book invites you on a journey to reconnect with your creativity and improve your mental well-being through the inspiring stories of 26 amazing individuals from St. Louis, MO.

In 1955, Crockett Johnson introduced one of the world’s most beloved and enduring young adventurers, Harold and his purple crayon. Today, we need Harold and his penchant for creative solutions more than ever. In Purple Crayons, Ross Ellenhorn looks to Johnson’s classic for insights and answers that can help us understand our current condition and point the way towards solutions for healing.

Julia Cameron has transformed the creative lives of millions, showing them that creativity is their uniquely human birthright. But long before the tools of The Artist’s Way changed the conversation around creativity, Julia developed and used them in her own life. Floor Sample is the story behind an artistic life—detailing Julia's years in New York, her time as a writer for Rolling Stone, her turbulent marriage to Martin Scorsese, and her painful struggle with alcohol, which ultimately led her to recovery and the methods that would form the backbone of The Artist’s Way.

Do you feel like your creative potential is buried under a mountain of digital distractions? Are you constantly battling information overload, struggling to focus on what truly matters? Have you ever wondered how you can integrate technology into your creative life without feeling overwhelmed? Author Nafeez Imtiaz understands these challenges all too well. With years of experience in digital minimalism and creative productivity, Nafeez has helped countless individuals transform their chaotic digital lives into havens of simplicity and focus.

The people who are most innovative feel free to make anything up, understand that nobody’s in charge, and aren’t concerned about unfairness or inequality. As some people grow fearful and frantic in today's complex world, Dan Sullivan has identified three fundamental mindsets that let you happily ignore and avoid all of this self-created fear and worry.

A companion to the popular website APracticalWedding.com and A Practical Wedding Planner, A Practical Wedding helps you sort through the basics to create the wedding you want - without going broke or crazy in the process. After all, what really matters on your wedding day is not so much how it looked, as how it felt. In this refreshing guide, expert Meg Keene shares her secrets to planning a beautiful celebration that reflects your taste and your relationship.

A black mamba is one of the most dangerous snakes in the world. It has the fastest strike in the snake kingdom and its venom is highly toxic to humans. The black mamba is also an incredibly powerful animal. Lastly, this species has proven itself intelligent by being able to adapt its hunting style based on new surroundings. After considering all of these extraordinary qualities, it is not surprising that Kobe Bryant used this wonderful creature to give shape and name to his incredible and invincible mentality, which led him to success.

Do you want to write stories that catch your readers and never let go? Have you ever wondered how to create a book as magical as Ella Enchanted, as touching as Dave at Night, as captivating as Fairest? Well, now you can find out! In Writing Magic, Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine shares her secrets of great writing. She shows how you, too, can get terrific ideas for stories, invent great beginnings and endings, write sparkling dialogue, develop memorable characters - and much, much more.

As a first-time parent, Kyl Myers had one aspect dialed in from the start: not being beholden to the boy-girl binary, disparities, or stereotypes from the day a child is born. With no wish to eliminate gender but rather gender discrimination, Kyl and her husband, Brent, ventured off on a parenting path less traveled. Raising a confident, compassionate, and self-aware person was all that mattered.

Through her writings and workshops, Julia Cameron has inspired millions to pursue their dreams. In the tradition of Heart Steps, Blessings reveals the keys she uses to reconnect herself with the source of her creative spirit. Focusing on gratitude and recognizing the power to change one's surrounding world by changing one's thinking, Cameron explains how she surrenders to the "deeper flow of life rather than willfully forcing artificial solutions." of life rather than willfully forcing artificial solutions." Readers will understand the secrets of a life that is rich, beautiful, intricate, and valuable.

In the tradition of A Whole New Mind and The War of Art, graffiti artist and corporate thought leader Erik Wahl explores the power of creativity to achieve superior performance. Somehow we've come to believe that creativity is reserved for the chosen few: the poets, the painters, the writers. The truth is creativity is in all of us and re-discovering it is the key to unlocking your fullest potential.

Craftivism, or the space where art and activism meet, is a powerful, ever-evolving social justice movement that continues to grow and diversify as more voices and mediums take part in it. In Let's Move the Needle, Shannon Downey, an outspoken voice in the craftivist movement for over a decade, provides a roadmap and accessible toolkit for burgeoning art activists.

Joy's rise from single mother of three to the nation's most celebrated female inventor is truly what dreams are made of. Full of twists and turns, work and love, obstacles encountered and overcome, Inventing Joy is a binge-worthy book in every aspect. Dive in and be swept along for the ride as she relives her incredible and inspiring journey to joy. But there's more: Throughout her story, Joy points out her very own personal lightbulb moments - lessons she learned the hard way and principles she still relies on today.

This audiobook is for highly sensitive people who have felt out of place in the modern world. It provides a narrative that describes how they fit into a lineage of creatives throughout history. Jacob Nordby offers a bold new definition of success in the modern era. "The only success now is living and creating a work-of-art life: unique, rich with meaning, naked of anything we don't care about, and ruthless about carving out something absolutely real from a world that has gorged itself on fakeness and become critically ill from it."

If you want to discover surprisingly simple yet effective ways to deal with tantrums and how to raise your child to his or her full potential, then pay attention...Maria Montessori changed the way the world understood education by emphasizing that young children can start early and learn through creative exploration. With a focus on child-driven engagement and carefully presented learning opportunities, you can use the Montessori Method and discipline to help your child get ahead and stay there.

Heather Shumaker has sparked much discussion with her "renegade rules for raising competent and compassionate kids". In this follow-up book, she takes on new hot-button issues like banning homework, technology use, and skipping kindergarten. Shumaker offers broader guidance on how parents can control their own anger and move from an overscheduled life to one of more free play.

Do you want to be mentally strong? Do you want to make the right decision in every circumstance of your existence? Do you need to achieve your objectives by turning into a tough individual? You are about to learn some of the best-kept secrets of handling any situation that life tosses your way with calm and reason and bring peace to your life no matter the chaos coming your way. Learn why mental toughness is a state of mind that you need to thrive in a world that is full of drama, manipulation, and strife.

At the age of just 19, JW Murphey didn't have access to large amounts of private security industry experience, a bunch of cash, an audiobook, or the Internet to help him start his security guard company. But, he didn't want to spend years as another cog inside of a large security corporation. Instead of staying employed with a big corporation, he struck out on his own and started his own security agency. How to Start a Security Guard Company book includes Murphey's creative strategies for building a private security agency with a minimal up-front investment.