Imagine This (e-book) (used book) | Maxine Clair | bookbook.eu

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.