Book review: The Art of Creative Thinking

Title: The Art of Creative Thinking

Author: Rod Judkins

Summary:

There is no right way to do anything. You must carve your own path and work on it. This book aims to offer an overview of many helpful creative thinking approaches as well as a study of the methods that are used by creative people. These techniques can be adopted by everyone.

According to the book, creativity is about constructing oneself for a better future and seizing opportunities. To feel inadequate, to doubt, to not know, to ask questions, to fail, is the best and only way to learn, grow, progress, and move forward. Make mistakes to improve yourself. We are disappointed when things go wrong, but creative individuals get back up and try again. Embrace competition to make yourself better. Along the way, the author shares the story of the most successful class in educational history (in which every single student won a Nobel prize).

Review:

The book is filled with creative people and their examples. From artists, musicians, designers, and entrepreneurs, you'll find innovations done with their unique vision, like Zaha Hadid and Salvador Dalí. A small part of their journey is shared, which shows their success by being creative. While reading the book, some of the stories might even relate to you.

My suggestion would be to not just read about these exceptional personalities but also search for their works, which are mentioned in the book. You'll come to know how creative they were in their field. How they worked and conveyed their art. You can pick this book and start reading from any chapter; you'll definitely learn something new and find some answers to your questions.

The absence of the index page was the first thing I noticed when reading the book. The author suggests not reading the book in a linear way. The chapters are short, around 2–5 pages. They are quick to read and easy to grasp. Every chapter will take you on a different journey. It allows you to find your true potential. The book has many creative illustrations that connect to the instances given. There are quotes at the end of the chapter that conclude the shared stories of these famous personalities. The quotes can be the conclusion of the chapter for some, but for others, they can open doors for creativity, inspiration, and hope to keep finding your path to success.

At the end of each chapter, questions are asked about whether you agree or disagree with the current chapter. Whatever you choose, it will lead you to another chapter of a particular page. Although it may seem confusing, the author is actually being creative in his own way and wants you to experience it too. There are exercises given at the end of the book that will encourage you to do certain things in a certain way but may not produce any specific outcome.

The art of creative thinking allows you to explore your own kind of creativity. You'll find that being creative takes you and your mistakes from failed plans to successful ones. You'll learn to make the most of your environment by immersing yourself in it through your creative mindset. Sometimes you need to play around with ideas and create wonders rather than thinking of failure. What I learned from this book is that you need time to build up your ability to do things. You need to identify the areas of focus that excites you to work and become completely immersed in them.

Final thought:

This book serves as self-help for me. Every anecdote shared will teach you many things in life. But in some parts, you may disagree with the author.

If you want quick inspiration, this book is for you, and I highly recommend it. This book might change your way of perceiving things around you. I'll turn to this book whenever I need encouragement or a creative boost. Go on a little adventure in this book and find your own creative way of thinking.

A paragraph from the book: