"A person's license to create is irrevocable, and it opens to every corner of daily life," writes Shaun McNiff, Dean of Endicott College in Massachusetts and a creative arts therapist for 28 years. His previous books include Art as Medicine: Creating a Therapy of the Imagination and Earth Angels: Engaging the Sacred in Everyday Things. Now he writes: "The education of imagination involves giving up what I call ego control. It requires an inclination to step into the unknown as well as the ability to persist when there is no end in sight."
Trusting the creative process of experimentation, improvisation, and constant re-framing is the antidote to creative blocks such as fear of self-disclosure, low self-confidence, and anxiety over what others will think. McNiff reveals that the path of imagination is similar to the spiritual path where one can learn from mistakes, recognize teachers everywhere, and benefit from disciplined practice.
The author points out that we can all become creators in our homes and workplaces. He spins out ideas on making the most of the shapes, patterns, and colors surrounding us. By gathering and arranging things, we can playfully express our feelings towards our possessions. In yet another practical and profound book, McNiff captures the spiritual dimensions of creativity and conveys hundreds of ways to nurture imagination in daily life.
