Creative Resources and Creative Journeys - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the inquiring mind of
children's book author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks,
Guest Columnist

I'm fascinated by the process of creativity. The TV shows I most enjoy are the ones that document the creative process in action, whether in fashion design, cooking, interior design, dance or music. I believe that creativity is a spiritual endeavor, something that arises from and engages the spirit or soul, and I find the creative journeys of others inspiring to my own.

A couple of years ago, I researched master's programs that I thought might deepen my creative experience. I didn't ultimately choose to pursue a degree, but I found an almost irresistible Recommended Reading List at one institution of higher learning that offers an M.A. in Engaged Humanities with an emphasis in Depth Psychology.

I realized that even without pursuing a degree, I could still read the recommended texts on my own--but I discovered it wasn't as easily done as considered! I needed accountability. What if I read these resources NOT on my own, but with a group of like-minded writers, musicians, designers and other artists I could discuss them with?

I started last year by leading an online group through Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way, an experience that turned out to be enlightening, productive and downright joyful. It did take time and thought, however, and when we finished the book everyone needed a break, including me. I'm not quite ready to get started on a new book with a new group yet, but I'm ready to start thinking about other books and to start looking for creative souls who might be interested in joining me once again in a creative journey.

Here's a list of some titles that intrigue me. Some are classics I've heard about for a long time and even have on my bookshelf but have never read. Others are new to me, but sound intriguing. All are on that Recommended Reading List I mentioned earlier. Please let me know if you're interested in joining me in an in-depth reading and discussion of a book on creativity, and which of the following you would be most interested in--or others you'd like to suggest:

The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life, Twyla Tharp
Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Stoking the Creative Fires: 9 Ways to Rekindle Passion and Imagination, Phil Cousineau
The Call to Create: Listening to the Muse in Art and Everyday Life, Linda Schierse Leonard
Sparks of Genius: The 13 Thinking Tools of the World's Most Creative People, Robert and Michelle Root-Bernstein
Free Play: Improvistaion in Life and Art, Stephen Nachmanovitch

It will probably be May or June before I get a reading/study group started, but it takes some organizing, so if you're interested, let me know!