WINNER OF THE PORCHLIGHT BUSINESS BOOK AWARD • “A delightful, compelling book that offers a dazzling array of practical, thoughtful exercises designed to spark creativity, help solve problems, foster connection, and make our lives better.”—Gretchen Rubin, New York Times bestselling author and host of the Happier podcast In an era of ambiguous, messy problems—as well as extraordinary opportunities for positive change—it’s vital to have both an inquisitive mind and the ability to act with intention. Creative Acts for Curious People is filled with ways to build those skills with resilience, care, and confidence. At Stanford University’s world-renowned Hasso Plattner Institute of Design, aka “the d.school,” students and faculty, experts and seekers bring together diverse perspectives to tackle ambitious projects; this book contains the experiences designed to help them do it. A provocative and highly visual companion, it’s a definitive resource for people who aim to draw on their curiosity and creativity in the face of uncertainty. Teeming with ideas about discovery, learning, and leading the way through unknown creative territory, Creative Acts for Curious People includes memorable stories and more than eighty innovative exercises. Curated by executive director Sarah Stein Greenberg, after being honed in the classrooms of the d.school, these exercises originated in some of the world’s most inventive and unconventional minds, including those of d.school and IDEO founder David M. Kelley, ReadyMade magazine founder Grace Hawthorne, innovative choreographer Aleta Hayes, Google chief innovation evangelist Frederik G. Pferdt, and many more. To bring fresh approaches to any challenge–world changing or close to home–you can draw on exercises such as Expert Eyes to hone observation skills, How to Talk to Strangers to foster understanding, and Designing Tools for Teams to build creative leadership. The activities are at once lighthearted, surprising, tough, and impactful–and reveal how the hidden dynamics of design can drive more vibrant ways of making, feeling, exploring, experimenting, and collaborating at work and in life. This book will help you develop the behaviors and deepen the mindsets that can turn your curiosity into ideas, and your ideas into action.

Being a good artist doesn't make you a successful artist - being good at business does. In this book I teach the starving artist how to become a successful artist by becoming a good businessperson. I describe how and why to build a creative company and increase its value. I do that by telling my own story of evolution from a photojournalist working alone to running a successful production company. My story is not unique: the lessons I learned can apply to any artist working for themselves. And I talk with other artists about that here -case studies where artists from different fields talk about just starting out and about making it, or not. Creativity is your business, but no one is waiting for you to show up. You need to show up for yourself. There is a way to make your art work for you. I show you how. - Creativity is your business, but no one is going to pay you for something they can't sell. - Artists don't need to suffer. All the case studies in this book are stories told by creatives happy about what they are doing, even when it's hard on them. But they do it for their business and you can do it for yours. - You need a team, whatever work you do. And you are not alone. - The most successful person I interviewed for a case study in this book said, "Reading case studies in business school, I thought to myself, 'What a waste of time learning about other people.' But it was just the opposite. You're destined to repeat the mistakes of the past if you haven't learned from what others have done." Each chapter includes a call to action, and the final chapters are just that: concrete plans to make a real difference in the lives of the reader, if they are willing. That's what I learned to do, even when I didn't think I needed to.

____________________________ We can all be more creative. John Cleese shows us how. Creativity is usually regarded as a mysterious, rare gift that only a few possess. John Cleese begs to differ, and in this short, immensely practical and often very amusing guide he shows it's a skill that anyone can acquire. Drawing on his lifelong experience as a writer, he shares his insights into the nature of the creative process, and offers advice on how to get your own inventive juices flowing. ____________________________ 'Humorous and practical ... Whether you're hoping to write a novel or paint a masterpiece, you're sure to feel inspired' OK Magazine 'His candor is endearing ... An upbeat guide to the creative process' Kirkus 'A jovial romp ... Cleese fans will enjoy, and writers and other artists will breeze through, picking up a few nuggets of wisdom along the way' The Festival Review 'A sincere and thoughtful guide to creativity, and a very useful book' Graham Norton 'Wise words on the serious business of being silly' Sunday Business Post

"With its gentle affirmations, inspirational quotes, fill-in-the-blank lists and tasks — write yourself a thank-you letter, describe yourself at 80, for example — The Artist’s Way proposes an egalitarian view of creativity: Everyone’s got it."—The New York Times "Morning Pages have become a household name, a shorthand for unlocking your creative potential"—Vogue Over four million copies sold! Since its first publication, The Artist's Way phenomena has inspired the genius of Elizabeth Gilbert and millions of readers to embark on a creative journey and find a deeper connection to process and purpose. Julia Cameron's novel approach guides readers in uncovering problems areas and pressure points that may be restricting their creative flow and offers techniques to free up any areas where they might be stuck, opening up opportunities for self-growth and self-discovery. The program begins with Cameron’s most vital tools for creative recovery – The Morning Pages, a daily writing ritual of three pages of stream-of-conscious, and The Artist Date, a dedicated block of time to nurture your inner artist. From there, she shares hundreds of exercises, activities, and prompts to help readers thoroughly explore each chapter. She also offers guidance on starting a “Creative Cluster” of fellow artists who will support you in your creative endeavors. A revolutionary program for personal renewal, The Artist's Way will help get you back on track, rediscover your passions, and take the steps you need to change your life.

Whether you are a business executive or a home worker, an entrepreneur or freelancer, Jose Silva's UltraMind Systems ESP for Business Success gives you the winning mindset you need to succeed. *Oprah Winfrey said: "The more we can tune in to our intuition, the better off we are." * Steve Jobs called it "more powerful than intellect." * Albert Einstein said it is "the sacred gift." Your knowledge, mind power, and inner strength will give you the only real job security that exists. This book will help you: Make better decisions Improve efficiency Boost your confidence Communicate better Find hidden information Anticipate the future Plan for what lies ahead Create a better world The UltraMind ESP System is the culmination of the life work of Silva Method founder José Silva. Start today, because the greatest discovery you will ever make is the power of your own mind.

You are unknowingly part of an underground army that gives the world new things every day. New designs, new looks, new features, and new ways for old things to work. Most of the world doesn’t know where they come from, they just love to have them. Billions of dollars a year depend on creative people and thousands of companies hire them. This is where you come in. This is why the world needs you. Right now. Simply put, this book is about the business side of creativity, written for creative people, by creative people. Get a job you love, keep a job you have, get paid more for your talent. Whether you want a solo career, your own business, a position at a well-known company, or a promotion from within, this book will be your guide. This book also provides a comprehensive list of creative jobs in design, career best practices, and advice from experts in their field, helping talented creative people to: • Understand the vast universe of creative occupations in design • Choose which career path to follow • Master the social and business politics of the creative world • Learn the truth about the Design industry (the good, the bad, and the ugly) from people who are already making money doing it The amount of people who hope to turn their creativity into a professional career wildly outnumber the very select few who actually end up doing so. Why? The biggest reason many amazingly gifted people never pursue a career in creativity is that they don’t know where to start or how to do so. Thus, they never realize that they too can be one of the many people out in the world making a (rather good) living by doing something they love. Creativity is as genetic as eye color. It's hardcoded baby. Built in. Irreversible. Irresistible. Don't try to shake it. Embrace your talent, find the right job, get paid for your talent. This book is about so much more than money. It's about love. Loving what you do. Loving what you create. Loving where you work. There are very few people that can create something out of nothing. Use this book as a guide to focus your efforts in finding the right creative job. Don't stop wondering. Don't stop asking questions. And don't stop looking until your Monday mornings are as enjoyable as your Friday afternoons. It might not be easy to find, but that job exists.

IDEO founder and Stanford d.school creator David Kelley and his brother Tom Kelley, IDEO partner and the author of the bestselling The Art of Innovation, have written a powerful and compelling book on unleashing the creativity that lies within each and every one of us. Too often, companies and individuals assume that creativity and innovation are the domain of the "creative types." But two of the leading experts in innovation, design, and creativity on the planet show us that each and every one of us is creative. In an incredibly entertaining and inspiring narrative that draws on countless stories from their work at IDEO, the Stanford d.school, and with many of the world's top companies, David and Tom Kelley identify the principles and strategies that will allow us to tap into our creative potential in our work lives, and in our personal lives, and allow us to innovate in terms of how we approach and solve problems. It is a book that will help each of us be more productive and successful in our lives and in our careers.