Book Review: The Creative Seed - How To Enrich Your Life Through Creativity by Lilian Wissink

by Janine Fitzpatrick Creativity is something many of us strive to incorporate in our lives. For some it is a burning passion, for others it's a secret held close to the hearts, while in some cases it's just a niggling feeling that there is "something more" we would like to be doing in life.

In The Creative Seed - How To enrich Your Life Through Creativity Lilian Wissink, a Counselling Psychologist, gives us a template for how to introduce more creativity into our world.

The first half of the book is devoted to helping unearth which sphere of creativity is best for the individual reader. In activities ranging from exploring childhood memories, creating timelines of significant creative moments in our life to working out what we value most, Wissink helps to trigger a sense of which area of creativity speaks most loudly to us. Along the way she debunks a number of creative myths such as; you have to be born creative, it's a secondary pursuit after the bills are paid, you've got to mad to be creative, it's a mysterious journey available only to select few and you've got to start your creative life early. Wissink crosses off each myth with a well-thought response which gives hope to all those who have put their creative selves on the back-burner.

In Part Two of The Creative Seed Wissink draws on her psychology background to give clear strategies for engaging in the ups and downs of a creative life. Dealing with the negativity of friends and family, combating our own inner critic, overcoming procrastination and dealing with stress Wissink has a plan for all of the key issues faced when attempting to introduce more creativity into an already overloaded life.

The Creative Seed reminded me of the importance of finding space to be more creative. It also broke down the creative process itself and the obstacles which stand in the way of achieving a creative life. It inspired a sense that it is possible to find the "something more" and unearth the creative passion no matter what your age or experience.

Janine Fitzpatrick blogs at  Shambolic Living where readers get to feel far happier about their lives when they experience the chaos of hers. She is coming to terms with being the mother of two teenagers, has given up on the dream of a tidy house and still plans to write a book one day.