Ignite Your Creativity

Posted by Lynn Koolish on Oct 22nd 2014

Who among us doesn’t want to feel more creative? To feel like there’s nothing holding us back, nothing preventing us from expressing ourselves. This wonderful book is about cultivating that creative life and igniting your inner spark of creativity which can get lost in the day-to-day busy-ness of life.

In The Little Spark, Carrie Bloomston provides 30 creative Sparks—exercises, activities, and lessons. You can use them as an intensive 30-day roadmap to creativity or you can do them at any time and in any order. As she says:

“Do what works for you. As you explore each Spark you’ll be motivated, exhilarated, and brought in touch with yourself. You’ll grow more confident about your ability and be ready to receive the gifts of a creative life—joy, connection, meaning, and contentment—gifts that come from doing something with passion. It will change your life.”

What I like about this book is that it doesn’t matter who you are or what you do. Reading this book and doing the exercises is like having your very own creativity coach cheering you on, helping you quiet those inner voices that can hold you back. You will feel encouraged and empowered to try things you never thought you could do; to do things you want to do, without worrying about what anyone else might think.

One of my favorite parts of the book is when Carrie relates a time she was expressing her concerns about some upcoming projects to a woman she knows. Carrie was afraid because other people had told her how hard these projects would be. The woman’s response was:

“That’s their story—their experience: Each time someone tells you her story, you put it on and wear it like a coat. Many of those coats don’t fit you and yet you are wearing them. Why are you wearing everyone else’s coat? Take off their coats. Give them back. What does your coat look like? Your story is yours. It may be completely different from theirs.”

Think about all the coats you may be wearing—from your parents, from friends, from things you’ve read. Then think about what it would feel like to take off all these ill-fitting coats. That is how this book will make you feel.

As Carrie says “Just start!” This book shows you how.