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Creativity Quotes

    “Creativity is often misunderstood.  People often think of it in terms of artistic work – unbridled, unguided effort that leads to beautiful effect.  If you look deeper, however, you’ll find that some of the most inspiring art forms – haikus, sonatas, religious paintings – are fraught with constraints.” ~ Marissa Mayer, via Talk Like TED

      “It may be more important to be awake than to be successful, balanced, or healthy.  What does it mean to be awake? Perhaps to be living with a lively imagination, responding honestly and courageously to opportunity and avoiding the temptation to follow mere habit or collective values.  It means to be an individual, in every instance manifesting the originality of who we are.  This is the ultimate form of creativity – following the lead of the deep soul as we make a life.”

      Thomas Moore, Original Self | ★ Featured on this book list.

      Whatcha Gonna Do With That Duck? [Book]

        Whatcha Gonna Do With That Duck by Seth Godin

        By: Seth Godin

        From this Book: 28 Quotes

        Book Overview:  Made for dipping into again and again, Whatcha Gonna Do with That Duck? brings together the very best of Seth Godin’s acclaimed blog and is a classic for fans both old and new. ‘Getting your ducks in a row is a fine thing to do. But deciding what you are going to do with that duck is a far more important issue.’ Since he started blogging in the early 1990s, he has written more than two million words and shaped the way we think about marketing, leadership, careers, inno­vation, creativity, and more. Much of his writing is inspirational and some is incendiary. Collected here are six years of his best, most entertaining, and most poignant blog posts, plus a few bonus ebooks.

        Buy from Amazon!  Not on Audible…

        Great on Kindle. Great Experience. Great Value. The Kindle edition of this book comes highly recommended on Amazon.

        Post(s) Inspired by this Book:

        1. Top 15 Quotes from Whatcha Gonna Do With That Duck by Seth Godin
        2. Seth Godin Quote on Quitting—Quitting More So You Can Focus More On What Matters [Plus 30 Things to Consider Quitting] (Beyond the Quote 71/365)

          “My feeling is that the more often you create and share ideas, the better you get at it.  The process of manipulating and ultimately spreading ideas improves both the quality and the quantity of what you create; at least it does for me.” ~ Seth Godin, Whatcha Gonna Do With That Duck?

            “Ninety-nine percent of the time, in my experience, the hard part about creativity isn’t coming up with something no one has ever thought of before.  The hard part is actually executing the thing you’ve thought of.  The devil doesn’t need an advocate.  The brave need supporters, not critics.” ~ Seth Godin, Whatcha Gonna Do With That Duck?

              “If we want to make meaning, we need to make art.  Cook, write, draw, doodle, paint, scrapbook, take pictures, collage, knit, rebuild an engine, sculpt, dance, decorate, act, sing – it doesn’t matter.  As long as we’re creating, we’re cultivating meaning.” ~ Brené Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection

                “‘I’m not very creative’ doesn’t work.  There’s no such thing as creative people and non-creative people.  There are only people who use their creativity and people who don’t.  Unused creativity doesn’t just disappear.  It lives within us until it’s expressed, neglected to death, or suffocated by resentment and fear.” ~ Brené Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection

                The War of Art [Book]

                  The War of Art - Steven Pressfield

                  By: Steven Pressfield

                  From this Book: 6 Quotes

                  Book Overview:  What keeps so many of us from doing what we long to do? Why is there a naysayer within? How can we avoid the roadblocks of any creative endeavor—be it starting up a dream business venture, writing a novel, or painting a masterpiece?  Bestselling novelist Steven Pressfield identifies the enemy that every one of us must face, outlines a battle plan to conquer this internal foe, then pinpoints just how to achieve the greatest success.

                  Buy from Amazon!  Not on Audible…

                  Great on Kindle. Great Experience. Great Value. The Kindle edition of this book comes highly recommended on Amazon.

                  Post(s) Inspired by this Book:

                  1. The Five Areas of My Life That I Block Out Time For So That I May Perform At My Best.
                  2. How Being Faced with Death Changes our Priorities in Life [Excerpt]
                  3. Steven Pressfield Quote on Creative Work and How To Overcome The Resistance To Express It (Beyond the Quote 189/365)

                    “Look in your own heart. Unless I’m crazy, right now a still small voice is piping up, telling you as it has ten thousand times, the calling that is yours and yours alone. You know it. No one has to tell you. And unless I’m crazy, you’re no closer to taking action on it than you were yesterday or will be tomorrow. You think Resistance isn’t real? Resistance will bury you.” ~ Steven Pressfield, The War of Art

                      “If you want to make a masterpiece, you have to be willing to create a little garbage along the way.” ~ James Clear, Blog

                        “Finding your creative genius is easy: do the work, finish something, get feedback, find ways to improve, show up again tomorrow. Repeat for ten years. Or twenty. Or thirty.” ~ James Clear, Blog

                          “You can think of creativity as applied imagination.” ~ Ken Robinson, The Element

                            “If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original.” ~ Ken Robinson, The Element

                              “I think it’s important to remember that making art is a process. It is never finished. The occupation itself is one of process, exploration, and experimentation. It is one of questioning and examining. Each thing you make is part of a continuum, and you are always developing. You don’t always get it right, but I find that approaching everything as a work in progress allows you to take the good with the bad. You’re never going to please everyone. Take what you can from criticism, and let go of the rest. When it comes to constructive criticism, I welcome that and think it is important to have people you can discuss your work with who will give you honest and constructive feedback. It’s not always what you want to hear, but that is often exactly what is needed. It can be very confronting, but very useful.” ~ Mel Robson, Brain Pickings