Imagination in Action: Secrets for Unleashing Creative Expression

(Paperback)

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The theory and practice of creativity-culled from the lifetime of experiences of an esteemed art educator/therapist. With proven techniques he's discovered for jump-starting the creative process. A guide to the theory and practice of creativity, with proven techniques for jump-starting the creative process-from an esteemed art educator and therapist There are art teachers-and then there's ShaunMcNiff. An accomplished painter himself, he has spent a career helping people access their creative potential through expressive arts therapy. Now, he is sharing the secrets he's learned fromobserving his own creative process as well as that of others-both those who identify as artists and those who don't. The result is nothing less than a master class in creativity by one of the great creative theorists and practitioners of our time. "This is intended as a practical text," Shaun says, "a creativity primer, striving to capture the essential things that have been of use to me and others." The wealth of instruction he provides here in these essential things will be indispensable to artists of all stripes, as well as to all who strive to express themselves with honesty and authenticity using any of the media life makes available.

Reviews

"Imagination in Action is that rare book that can serve equally the experienced artist in need of a creative tune-up as well as the wary beginner about to dip a toe into any of the expressive arts. Shaun McNiff, as he has done throughout his long career, dances us forward, inspiring, supporting, gently challenging, and pointing out how the journey can be even more enjoyable and full of life."Pat B. Allen, author of Art Is a Spiritual Path

"McNiff weaves his philosophy of art therapy, creativity, and studio practice with practical, hands-on activities for therapists, teachers, and individuals. The book reads as if you are by his side in his studio classroom as he integrates vivid stories and keen knowledge with decades-long observations. This is an essential book for anyone who believes in the power of art to transform the world."Deborah Putnoi, author of The Drawing Mind

Author Bio

SHAUN MCNIFF is internationally recognized as a leading figure in the field of Art Therapy, and he is the founder of the graduate program at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, from which the field of Expressive Arts Therapy emerged. Now a university professor at Lesley, he is himself a visual artist as well as the author of numerous other books, including Art As Medicine, Trust the Process, and Creating with Others.