Author: Daniella Krysa (Chronicle Books, 2014)
Creative Block took me a while to read. Not because it was difficult or heavy or even long. It took me a while to read it because every time I finished an interview (which is how the book is divided) I wanted to digest the descriptions of how to move beyond those dreaded creative walls we all hit. Not only did Daniella Krysa help to put together some of the best ideas on how to ‘unblock’ yourself, but she also gathered a fantastic collection of imagery and narrative to follow alongside.
The book follows a very simple pattern, as eluded to above: there are a series of 50 interviews with artists that work with different mediums. Each interview is set alongside beautiful images of their work and is capped off with their method of unblocking their brain from creative strife.
The unblocking techniques are obviously some of the most interesting parts and, in the interest of being thorough, I attempted as many as I could. Naturally, not all worked equally well for me. After all, we all have our own unique ways of getting around a mental block. But because of their diversity, there were a lot of successes. They varied from short and concise (“For my challenge I would like you to illustrate yourself as an animal. For example: are you a chilled-out, lazy sloth?”) to being quite long (such as Kate Pugsley’s which I won’t repeat in full, but involved layering compositions of shapes in varying colors).
On its own, Creative Block stands out as being a great read to get a meaningful conversation about creativity going. It shows readers innovative art being done by 50 successful artists – exciting you merely by showing the images of their work. It also ignites one’s creative instincts by reading the artist interviews, which probe into the depths of questions beyond those around creative blocks, such as, “How do you curb your inner critic?”. When you add in the helpful tools to overcome creative standstills, it makes the book that much stronger.
Moreover, instead of being a self-help book, it politely asks the reader to participate and in that participation, learn something about yourself, about how your creative brain works, and how you can ‘unstick’ it, if need be. Some of the projects on their own were fun enough that, even if you weren’t stuck, they might be a good way to just get you thinking in a different direction.
All in all , Creative Block: Advice and Projects from 50 Successful Artists was wonderfully succinct and filled with lovely imagery that perfectly accentuated each interview with each artist – while adding the element of interaction really put it in a category of its own. It is truly a great quick read (if you don’t try all the unblocking tips at once!) and makes for a fun resource to return to when you are feeling stuck, or are just looking for that little spark of inspiration.
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For more information, visit the Chronicle Books website.
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Jeremy Senko is happily lost in the world of theoretical architecture and design. He is forever a student at heart, consistently reading, experiencing and learning about the world he inhabits. More specifically, he works as an Interior Designer in Vancouver and plays an active part in bettering the environments we live in.
