Lazy Creativity is the complete guide to owning your creativity in a way that works with you because it is your creativity. Art Therapist, Author, Artist, and self-proclaimed lazy person Kyle Bernier provides a detailed handbook of the creative process, starting with building a creative mindset, to making the first (literal or figurative) mark, all the way to the creation of a finished project. In his work as an art therapist and researcher, Bernier noticed a strong desire in most people to become more creative, coupled with a strong fear of getting started. The learning curve appears too steep for many people. Bernier helps break things down so your creativity becomes more approachable. This book serves as a detailed roadmap for tackling our own creativity from the moment an idea pops into our heads - the proverbial lightbulb moment, to putting finishing touches on a project and transitioning to the next great idea. For established creatives, creative novices, or people looking to pivot to something new, this user-friendly manual addresses roadblocks everyone working to better their creative selves will inevitably encounter and provides empathy, instruction, and motivation for pushing through these obstacles to reach your creative potential. You don't need to be an artist to gain this books value - this book is applicable to all forms of creativity.
With a limited amount of resources, time, and energy available, and an increase of stressors, creativity has never been more important to living a bold life, full of beauty. By combining practical optimism with self-aware humor, Bernier encourages us to find and unlock our own creative selves to build a creative life worth living. Recognizing and addressing real barriers to creativity, including anxiety, fear, limited resources, a lack of motivation, and doubt, Bernier outlines his struggles and triumphs with finding his own creativity. He then shows how we can overpower these barriers using what we all already have inside all of us - creativity.
Bernier's creativity walkthrough starts with the beginning stages of creativity and addresses what to do with an initial idea in the Getting Started section, which goes oversteps for creating a Creative Mindset, overcoming doubt and fear, and addressing the importance of creativity. This section is followed by ideas for Continuing creativity, which provides direction for creating a sustainable creative practice, doing more with less, and pushing through dips in motivation. The book concludes with detailed steps for Moving Forward - this section addresses taking creative ownership of your work, knowing when to call a project "done," and guidance on how to move onto your next idea. Along the way there are interactive exercises to practice your own creativity and reflect on your own unique skill set.
Lazy Creativity presents a multilayered and approachable invitation to creative self-awareness and exploration. This book is perfect for those who are looking to immediately use creativity to add beauty to your lives, to problem-solve more efficiently, and to interact with the world around you more fully by opening yourself up to creativity all around and within us. Once you're able to see the creativity around you, you're better able to see where your creativity fits in. Lazy Creativity elevates your awareness to the big and small creativity around you so you can live the most fulfilling life you can.
