Monday, June 11, 2012

The Accidental Creative - Book Review


by Todd Henry



When you were a child, did you draw pictures, write songs or dance simply for the joy it brought you?

You may have ended up with a job/career in a creative field, or maybe not. Still, if you are finding yourself trying to have a continual creative flow, The Accidental Creative by Tom Henry can set you down the right path.

Henry believes that with some planning, you can have your well of creativity full and ready to dip into when you need it.

This book is truly for people who do creative work for a living. Large portions are devoted to working with a team and getting your boss to understand how to let a creative employee flourish.

However, if you create in your non-work hours, you will also find many useful techniques to implement into your schedule.

One of the most important things touched on is how we need blocks of quiet time in order to let new ideas in. Henry reminds us of how easy it is these days to have a constant stimulation. Time that is easily frittered away with Facebook and YouTube videos is time that can instead be used to re-charge your brain and let in a flood of new ideas.

We all have the same number of hours each day and if you’re trying to fit in creating, it can be an additional challenge. Here you’ll find the best ways to manage your time and energy. Broken down into ten chapters, this book covers how to properly use hours, chose your projects and focus on the areas where you can be the most productive.

Henry makes sure you’re clear on the fact that this is going to be hard work. If you want to be at your creative best, you’ll have to be a bit brutal in paring down projects and being realistic with your goals. Following through with The Accidental Creative, however, will have you on a journey putting your best creative foot forward.

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