Creative Reading #1

Hello,

Since I love reading books about creativity, artists, art, journaling, art journaling, or photography, and many other crafts and trades, I thought I might as well start a new section specifically about these creative reading discoveries. The books I'll review are in no particular order of preference or importance. I have just decided to kill two birds with one stone by writing about them to keep track of my reading (I read a lot and I tend to forget very quickly all the benefits of the book) and also to share new reading with you as some of these good reads have been recommended by fellow bloggers I follow. The more we share about our reading, the more we can learn from one another.

Today, I'd like to write about:

On Amazon

Elle Luna is a San Francisco-based artist, designer, and writer. She once wrote a blog post about her experience with "The crossroads of Should and Must" and then, decided to expand on this post and turn it into a book to develop her experience and thoughts. 

The content of the book is very much like its cover, colorful, but yet, straight to the point. Her message comes across all the more straightforwardly as she uses color and visual journaling as well as bang-on-target quotes to illustrate her points. It makes you want to grab a journal and splash some colors too. 

Very simply but powerfully, Elle Luna walks us from her "pre-artist" days to the core of the questions that creativity and becoming real ask, especially for those who make a point to live next to their creative self and don't dare or don't know which first step to take. Through a few pictures, we get to get a glimpse of her studio (always a favorite part!).

She debunks the usual pitfalls, myths and lame excuses that we may have about our hesitations to dare be more who we really are, while providing prompts and creative exercises to help us move to the next step and remaining realistic as to how to reach the goals that are important to us.  

Getting at such a crossroads in life is a place we reach (sometimes several times in a lifetime), where choices are made, in full awareness or not, actively or passively. The crossroads of Should and Must is probably the most important one not to miss when we get there. Here is a short extract about these 2 very different paths:

"Should is how other people want us to live our lives. (....) When we choose Should, we're choosing to live our life for someone or something other than ourselves.""Must is different. Must is who we are, what we believe, and what we do when we are alone with our truest, most authentic self."

Elle Luna's book is starting to become popular in great part because it comes straight from her own experience and it is this vulnerability and honesty that makes her words even stronger for the reader. It is the width and depth of the experience that Elle Luna successfully managed to share as a precious compass for anyone who wants to dare greatly on the same trailblazing path. 

All in all, I devoured this book and it will definitely stay close to my bedside so I can dive back into it from time to time. I learned a few very useful tips and made a few realizations that have helped me on my journey to a more meaningful life.

Here is an interview by Elle Luna, if you want to learn more...

I'll be back soon with another creative reading sharing... Summer's in so I finally have time to read! If you have some great creative reading to share, please share in the comments.

Sabrina S.