Scan barcode
Reviews
How Creativity Rules the World: The Art and Business of Turning Your Ideas into Gold by Maria Brito
kari_f's review
informative
reflective
4.0
I really enjoy reading about creativity from a variety of creators, because I think it’s fascinating to see where those individuals pull their creativity from and how they have harnessed it to make amazing things. When I saw this one available as an advanced reader copy, I was excited to dive in!
Some things I loved:
⚡️ The book addressed many of the common misconceptions people have about creativity, as well as sharing a variety of stories about past creatives and the results of scientific studies done on the topic.
⚡️ The “a day in the life” descriptions of modern and past artists that show how important hard work and structure are when it comes to allowing creativity to flow.
⚡️ Most of the chapters have a section with specific and practical actions one can take to work on a specific area of unlocking creativity, and these are really helpful for self-reflection, self-awareness, and getting creative juices flowing.
Some things I didn’t love:
⚡️ Right from the get go, the book talks about the monetary value of creativity. I can appreciate creativity from an entrepreneurial perspective, but this is a theme that was brought up several times. I didn’t need to see the progression from an idea to its eventual dollar amount or net worth, and those little facts kind of cheapened the value of creativity to me a bit. (Maybe this is more on me, since the cover addresses turning creative ideas into gold. I just felt like was too much of the focus.)
I feel like this book has really useful information, and I got a bit out of it, but I don’t think I was the target demographic for this one. If you’re someone looking at connections between creativity and entrepreneurship, this is the book for you!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
Some things I loved:
⚡️ The book addressed many of the common misconceptions people have about creativity, as well as sharing a variety of stories about past creatives and the results of scientific studies done on the topic.
⚡️ The “a day in the life” descriptions of modern and past artists that show how important hard work and structure are when it comes to allowing creativity to flow.
⚡️ Most of the chapters have a section with specific and practical actions one can take to work on a specific area of unlocking creativity, and these are really helpful for self-reflection, self-awareness, and getting creative juices flowing.
Some things I didn’t love:
⚡️ Right from the get go, the book talks about the monetary value of creativity. I can appreciate creativity from an entrepreneurial perspective, but this is a theme that was brought up several times. I didn’t need to see the progression from an idea to its eventual dollar amount or net worth, and those little facts kind of cheapened the value of creativity to me a bit. (Maybe this is more on me, since the cover addresses turning creative ideas into gold. I just felt like was too much of the focus.)
I feel like this book has really useful information, and I got a bit out of it, but I don’t think I was the target demographic for this one. If you’re someone looking at connections between creativity and entrepreneurship, this is the book for you!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
chelsaat's review
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
If you’re like me, you maybe once thought that creativity is an inherent trait in people. Some people have it, some don’t. But that isn’t true, and Maria Brito is here to prove it to you. Anyone can learn to be more creative! It just takes practice and a reset of the mind.
I’ve worked with Maria for many years (and full disclosure, I did get to read this book in advance), so I know firsthand how incredible she is at pivoting her career when something isn’t working, or how she’s not afraid to take risks and try new things. It’s inspiring, really. Maria is an expert when it comes to the art world and the business world, and the marriage of the two = a winning formula on how to make it in any field.
My favorite thing about this book, other than the real-life examples from artists and entrepreneurs on specific skills and habits to cultivate creativity, is the “Alchemy Lab” at the end of each chapter. These are actionable, concrete steps to make each habit in this book a reality. I’ve done a few of them and can attest to their effectiveness.
This really is the perfect book for the era we’re in now - people are in a rut, quitting their jobs, realizing how meaningless life is if you’re not doing something you love. This book will encourage you to make that next leap in life, and show you how to do it in a way that’s not so scary.
Creativity really does rule the world. But anyone can be creative.
I’ve worked with Maria for many years (and full disclosure, I did get to read this book in advance), so I know firsthand how incredible she is at pivoting her career when something isn’t working, or how she’s not afraid to take risks and try new things. It’s inspiring, really. Maria is an expert when it comes to the art world and the business world, and the marriage of the two = a winning formula on how to make it in any field.
My favorite thing about this book, other than the real-life examples from artists and entrepreneurs on specific skills and habits to cultivate creativity, is the “Alchemy Lab” at the end of each chapter. These are actionable, concrete steps to make each habit in this book a reality. I’ve done a few of them and can attest to their effectiveness.
This really is the perfect book for the era we’re in now - people are in a rut, quitting their jobs, realizing how meaningless life is if you’re not doing something you love. This book will encourage you to make that next leap in life, and show you how to do it in a way that’s not so scary.
Creativity really does rule the world. But anyone can be creative.
More...