Free (nook/Kindle) Imagine This: Creating the Work You Love [DIY Talent Motivation]

[ATDrake]

Imagine This: Creating the Work You Love by award-winning literary fiction author Maxine Clair, some of whose novels we've previously received free in the past, is her semi-memoir-ish non-fiction motivational self-help guide for both aspiring artistic and hobbyist types to help unlock their inner creative potential and also become more expressive in everyday life, free courtesy of publisher Agate's Bolden imprint.

This apparently uses a mix of personal anecdotes told in a literary fashion alongside insights and meditations into the artistic process and tips for building awareness of creative moments and may seem a little more New Age-y than one of those more directly practical sorts of exercise-type books might be, but getting a varied approach might be useful for looking at things from new angles, or even just as a Gentle Reader getting a look behind-the-scenes of the author's novels, if you happened to enjoy the stories and were curious as to what may have helped shape them. YMMV.

Currently free, probably just until the weekend @ B&N (may also drop in the UK), Amazon UK (slated to drop in the main store), and might also show up later as a DRM-free PDF available worldwide directly @ the publisher's webcatalogue page, as Agate freebies sometimes do.

Description
Maxine Clair, award-winning author of the critically acclaimed short-story collection Rattlebone and novel October Suite, has assembled a deeply inspirational yet practical book that will help readers access their inner creativity with new-found enthusiasm and focused determination. Part guide to craft and part memoir, Imagine This is a beautifully written set of deeply personal stories from which Clair draws examples of how we can be aware of the now, keep ourselves motivated, and create work of which we will be proud. Just as in her lauded fiction, Clair's writing is elegant and poetic, only now it is distilled into constructive tips and executable daily plans for anyone seeking inspiration in everyday life.

Imagine This explains how some of us, even at a young age, consciously chose the vehicle through which we'd express our magnificence—be it business, art, science, or elsewhere. While others of us have dutifully plied a trade in arenas that society has suggested are worthwhile, with self-expression only fixed on a hobby. Both, Clair maintains, can contribute to a good life. Occasionally, however, a moment comes that is sufficiently insistent on deep examination. Within it we find the unspent energy, the unsung verses, unused and under-developed neural pathways that point us toward something greater and more fulfilling. In that moment, we float the possibility not only of a new, a more, and greater self-expression, but also the possibility for expression of a greater Self. But then the moment is gone.

Clair writes that for many of us, finding and experiencing this expression is not a conscious process. We are operating in the dark, believing that life happens to us. In some cases we take creative activity for granted, and in others our intellect and ego override our hearts as we carry out a directive that serves in the short-term, but falls short in the final analysis of fulfillment. A flourishing creative expression requires that we become conscious of being conscious.

Imagine This shows readers how to be aware of these moments and how our inner creativity is always seeking an outlet. By combining captivating memoir with step-by-step advice, Clair helps us find and develop our own unique and personal creative outlets. Ultimately, this expression of Self is both an imperative and a promise for anyone seeking to move beyond survival, and to thriving in a life of joy and fulfillment.