Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide
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- Create Date：2021-03-27 13:16:37
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：John Cleese
- ISBN：1786332256
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Summary
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We can all be more creative。 John Cleese shows us how。
Creativity is usually regarded as a mysterious， rare gift that only a few possess。 John Cleese begs to differ， and in this short， immensely practical and often very amusing guide he shows it's a skill that anyone can acquire。 Drawing on his lifelong experience as a writer， he shares his insights into the nature of the creative process， and offers advice on how to get your own inventive juices flowing。
What do you need to do to get yourself in the right frame of mind？ When do you know that you've come up with something that might be worth pursuing？ What do you do if you think you've hit a brick wall？
Not only does he explain the way your mind works as you search for inspiration， he also shows that， regardless of the task you've set yourself， you can learn to be better at coming up with a promising idea， refining it and knowing when you're ready to act on it。
We can all unlock new reserves of creativity within ourselves。 John Cleese shows us how。
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'Humorous and practical 。。。 Whether you're hoping to write a novel or paint a masterpiece， you're sure to feel inspired' OK Magazine
'His candor is endearing 。。。 An upbeat guide to the creative process' Kirkus
'A jovial romp 。。。 Cleese fans will enjoy， and writers and other artists will breeze through， picking up a few nuggets of wisdom along the way' The Festival Review
'A sincere and thoughtful guide to creativity， and a very useful book' Graham Norton
'Wise words on the serious business of being silly' Sunday Business Post
We can all be more creative。 John Cleese shows us how。
Creativity is usually regarded as a mysterious， rare gift that only a few possess。 John Cleese begs to differ， and in this short， immensely practical and often very amusing guide he shows it's a skill that anyone can acquire。 Drawing on his lifelong experience as a writer， he shares his insights into the nature of the creative process， and offers advice on how to get your own inventive juices flowing。
What do you need to do to get yourself in the right frame of mind？ When do you know that you've come up with something that might be worth pursuing？ What do you do if you think you've hit a brick wall？
Not only does he explain the way your mind works as you search for inspiration， he also shows that， regardless of the task you've set yourself， you can learn to be better at coming up with a promising idea， refining it and knowing when you're ready to act on it。
We can all unlock new reserves of creativity within ourselves。 John Cleese shows us how。
____________________________
'Humorous and practical 。。。 Whether you're hoping to write a novel or paint a masterpiece， you're sure to feel inspired' OK Magazine
'His candor is endearing 。。。 An upbeat guide to the creative process' Kirkus
'A jovial romp 。。。 Cleese fans will enjoy， and writers and other artists will breeze through， picking up a few nuggets of wisdom along the way' The Festival Review
'A sincere and thoughtful guide to creativity， and a very useful book' Graham Norton
'Wise words on the serious business of being silly' Sunday Business Post
Reviews
Michael Leheny
，
An amusing inspirational tome on artistic endeavor。 In a sense it reads something like a daily meditation for artists。 If you start to despair because the ideas aren't coming fast and furious， John Cleese explains from experience what is going on， how to combat it and when to listen to the writer's block。 An amusing inspirational tome on artistic endeavor。 In a sense it reads something like a daily meditation for artists。 If you start to despair because the ideas aren't coming fast and furious， John Cleese explains from experience what is going on， how to combat it and when to listen to the writer's block。 。。。more
Petro Kacur
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Short and cheerful indeed。 There are a few nuggets， most of which have been said before。 But as André Gide wrote: “Everything that needs to be said has already been said。 But since no one was listening， everything must be said again。”Here are a few: "Another myth is that creativity is something you have to be both with。 This isn't the case。 Anyone can be creative。 "So I began to realize that my unconscious was working on stuff all the time， without my being consciously aware of it。 This intellig Short and cheerful indeed。 There are a few nuggets， most of which have been said before。 But as André Gide wrote: “Everything that needs to be said has already been said。 But since no one was listening， everything must be said again。”Here are a few: "Another myth is that creativity is something you have to be both with。 This isn't the case。 Anyone can be creative。 "So I began to realize that my unconscious was working on stuff all the time， without my being consciously aware of it。 This intelligent unconscious of ours， then， is astoundingly powerful。"The language of the unconscious is not verbal。 It's like the language of dreams。 It shows you images， it gives you feelings， it nudges you around without you immediately knowing what it's getting at。 "When you're being creative there is no such thing as a mistake。 "Creative people are much better at tolerating the vague sense of worry that we all get when we leave something unresolved。 Play like a child。 Become so absorbed in what you are doing that you are not distracted。 Explore as if you do not know where you are going。 。。。more
Ronald J。
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This was a short， enjoyable read。 The premise is “you can teach people how to create circumstances in which they will become creative。 Our unconscious is incredibly powerful when it comes to creativity。 Stop thinking （too much） may be the right prescription。 Cleese points out: “Because so much of creativity is about the unconscious， there is a limit to what you can say about it！ …Only two differences between the creative and the uncreative architects。 The first was that the creative architects k This was a short， enjoyable read。 The premise is “you can teach people how to create circumstances in which they will become creative。 Our unconscious is incredibly powerful when it comes to creativity。 Stop thinking （too much） may be the right prescription。 Cleese points out: “Because so much of creativity is about the unconscious， there is a limit to what you can say about it！ …Only two differences between the creative and the uncreative architects。 The first was that the creative architects knew how to play。 Second creative architects always deferred making decisions for as long as they were allowed。” Don’t fear mistakes， there’s no such thing when you’re being creative。 Clarity is another creativity killer。 If it’s a new idea， how could you possibly understand it—and everything that will flow from it—right away？ Creativity takes place in an “atmosphere of uncertainty and gentle confusion。” You bring your critical thinking in later。 I also found this useful: “Your thoughts follow your mood。 Feeling creative isn’t exactly an emotion。 It’s a frame of mind。 General rule， when people become absolutely certain that they know what they’re doing， their creativity plummets。 They think they have nothing more to learn。” A great primer on creativity。MemorableAnthropologist Gregory Bateson， “You can’t have a new idea ’til you’ve got rid of an old one。” Writing is easy。 Writing well is difficult。 “Brevity is the soul of wit。” It is also the soul of not boring people。 “kill my darlings，” from William Faulkner。 Writer， show people your work， there are four questions you need to ask:Where were you bored？ Where could you not understand what was going on？ Where did you not find things credible？ Was there anything that you found emotionally confusing？The people you have asked will probably suggest their solutions too。 Ignore these completely。 Unless they are writers themselves。 Then…listen carefully。 。。。more
Pamela Cooper
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This book is required reading for any parent， teacher， facilitators， and anyone who communicates any form of instruction or sharing of ideas with anybody。 The contents is simple。 The process is well-explained。 Play is the basis for creativity。
Thomas Hunt
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A nice short and positive take on creativity by John Cleese。 fun to read。 you can hear his voice throughout and encouraging a light book with wide margins。
Meghan
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I rarely say this， but I wish this book had been longer。 It's surprisingly short in length。 I rarely say this， but I wish this book had been longer。 It's surprisingly short in length。 。。。more
Ryan Miller
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It’s a booklet， not a book， but Cleese moves beyond the normal drivel of creative self-help books to examine how we can operate when we get out of the brain’s way and let it work。
Milototo
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Единствената ми забележка е， че е много кратка！！！！
Amin Motin
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Agreed with every word， just not enough of them！I already knew most of what John writes about in this book and for those who don't it will be a nice introduction to the whole subject。However， it's a very short read and I'd have liked a more in depth coverage of the subject。 Wanting more is probably a good sign！ Agreed with every word， just not enough of them！I already knew most of what John writes about in this book and for those who don't it will be a nice introduction to the whole subject。However， it's a very short read and I'd have liked a more in depth coverage of the subject。 Wanting more is probably a good sign！ 。。。more
Annie
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A light， happy read。 Regardless of whether you take his advice or not， his expressions are worth the time of reading this short book。
Amy Potts Ostrowski
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Quick， to the point， and fun。 Best hour of my weekend！
STEPHEN PLETKO
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XXXXX [Wink wink nudge nudge] Want to get an insider’s view on the creative process？ Then， read this bookXXXXX“And you can teach creativity。 Or perhaps I should say， more accurately， you can teach people how to create circumstances in which they will become creative。And that’s what this little book is all about。”The above （in italics） comes from this book by John Cleese。 He is an actor， comedian， screenwriter， producer， and author。 He co-founded the legendary Monty Python， the comedy troupe r XXXXX [Wink wink nudge nudge] Want to get an insider’s view on the creative process？ Then， read this bookXXXXX“And you can teach creativity。 Or perhaps I should say， more accurately， you can teach people how to create circumstances in which they will become creative。And that’s what this little book is all about。”The above （in italics） comes from this book by John Cleese。 He is an actor， comedian， screenwriter， producer， and author。 He co-founded the legendary Monty Python， the comedy troupe responsible for the sketch show “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” and wrote and performed in several high profile movies。 Cleese co-wrote and starred in the now classic sitcom “Fawlty Towers。” He has appeared in many other films， from “James Bond” to “Harry Potter，” and has guest starred in numerous TV shows。Cleese draws on his long， accomplished career to offer a slim compendium on what worked for him with respect to creativity。 He also offers advice on how to get your own creative ideas flowing。The final chapter gives eleven suggestions on how to become creative。 For this， he draws on his own experience as a writer。Finally， this book demonstrates that “brevity is the soul of wit。” That is， this book is not a long （and boring} thick book on creativity but is an original， to-the-point guide that’s enjoyable to read and learn from。In conclusion， this is a truly upbeat tome on the creative process—a short and cheerful guide！！（2020; introduction; 3 chapters; main narrative 105 pages）XXXXX 。。。more
April-lyn
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This was much shorter than I wanted it to be！ But had some helpful tidbits。 Particularly this: "We [he and Graham Chapman] came to understand that the blockages weren't an interruption in the process， they were part of it。。。。 my fallow periods [are] preparatory to the fertile ones， and therefore [are] an inseparable part of the whole creative process。"Only complaint: it ended abruptly with no concluding thoughts。 Call me old-fashioned but I want my books to have a conclusion， even short ones。 This was much shorter than I wanted it to be！ But had some helpful tidbits。 Particularly this: "We [he and Graham Chapman] came to understand that the blockages weren't an interruption in the process， they were part of it。。。。 my fallow periods [are] preparatory to the fertile ones， and therefore [are] an inseparable part of the whole creative process。"Only complaint: it ended abruptly with no concluding thoughts。 Call me old-fashioned but I want my books to have a conclusion， even short ones。 。。。more
Bryan Wood
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A great little book on creativity。 There’s nothing particularly earth shattering about the book， but it’s a good reminder to slow down and create。
Dave Gerhart
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This is a super quick read。 There are some really good "nuggets" of wisdom in this book。 I enjoyed it but if you are looking for a book on creativity， I would suggest one of the Austin Kleon books。 This is a super quick read。 There are some really good "nuggets" of wisdom in this book。 I enjoyed it but if you are looking for a book on creativity， I would suggest one of the Austin Kleon books。 。。。more
Kurt Weber
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I was expecting something humorous， I got a useful treatise。
Cynthia Egbert
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Did I just give a book that is really just a glorified essay in disguise a four-star rating？ Yes， I did。 I loved the many ideas， yes， some trite and overdone， that came together in this one little volume for me to reference and enjoy over and over again。 Some of these ideas led to a new scripture study and more than a few meditation sessions。 I walked into the library and happened to see this one on my way to pick up my holds and grabbed it on a whim and I am so glad that I did。 Glad enough， in Did I just give a book that is really just a glorified essay in disguise a four-star rating？ Yes， I did。 I loved the many ideas， yes， some trite and overdone， that came together in this one little volume for me to reference and enjoy over and over again。 Some of these ideas led to a new scripture study and more than a few meditation sessions。 I walked into the library and happened to see this one on my way to pick up my holds and grabbed it on a whim and I am so glad that I did。 Glad enough， in fact， to order myself my own copy when I was halfway finished reading。 Also， I can hear John Cleese's voice in this writing and I always love that。 Here are a few tastes， I will not try to offer up everything that I highlighted but I wanted to share a few things。"There's a myth that creativity is something you have to be born with。 This isn't the case。 Anyone can be creative。""And you can teach creativity。 Or perhaps I should say， more accurately， you can teach people how to create circumstances in which they will become creative。""If you find the notion of borrowing from other artists like this a bit dodgy， look up a fellow called Shakespeare。 He stole all his plots， and then wrote rather creatively。""Remember， the unconscious is totally unpredictable。""Blockages aren't an interruption of the process， they were a part of it。 For example， when you eat， the bit where the fork returns empty to your plate isn't failure。 It's part of the eating process。""The anthropologist Gregory Bateson once said， 'You can't have a new idea 'til you've got rid of an old one。'""The trouble is that most people want to BE right。 The very best people， however， what to know IF they're right。" 。。。more
Quinn Johnson
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Some amazing points made in this book， especially for being so short。 Had the opportunity to reference some better sources for schools of thought on types of thinking。
Brittany Mazzola Leath
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This is indeed short and cheerful but didn’t hold my interest。 I frequently found myself putting it down but thinking to myself that I should just finish the darn thing since it is just at about 100 pages。
Katrina Sark
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p。7 – By creativity I simply mean new ways of thinking about things。 p。8 – And you can teach creativity。 Or perhaps I should say， more accurately， you can teach people how to create the circumstances in which they will become creative。p。21 – Children at play are totally spontaneous。 They are not trying to avoid making mistakes。 They don’t observe rules。 It would be stupid to say to them， “No， you’re not doing that right。” At the same time， because their play has no purpose， they feel utterly fre p。7 – By creativity I simply mean new ways of thinking about things。 p。8 – And you can teach creativity。 Or perhaps I should say， more accurately， you can teach people how to create the circumstances in which they will become creative。p。21 – Children at play are totally spontaneous。 They are not trying to avoid making mistakes。 They don’t observe rules。 It would be stupid to say to them， “No， you’re not doing that right。” At the same time， because their play has no purpose， they feel utterly free from anxiety （perhaps because adults are keeping an eye on the real world for them）。Most adults， by contrast， find it hard to be playful—no doubt because they have to take care of all the responsibilities that come with an adult’s life。 Creative adults， however， have not forgotten how to play。p。22 – But creative people are much better at tolerating the vague sense of worry that we all get when we leave something unresolved。The greatest killer of creativity is interruption。 It pulls your mind away from what you want to be thinking about。 Research has shown that， after an interruption， it can take eight minutes for you to return to your previous state of consciousness， and up to twenty minutes to get back into a state of deep focus。Let me reassure you。 When you're being creative there is no such thing as a mistake。p。23 – You create boundaries of space to stop others interrupting you。 You shut the door and put up a “DO NOT DISTURB” sign; or you go and hide somewhere people won’t bother you。You create boundaries of time by arranging for a specific period to preserve your boundaries of space。 You might， for example， decide to create a specific play period for say ninety minutes。 You treat those ninety minutes with huge respect and don't allow any interruptions。 And knowing that this chunk of time is sacred， you can then start to play。 p。24 – Once you start chasing away any distracting thoughts， you’ll discover， just like in meditation， that the longer you sit there， the more your mind slows and calms down and settles。 Once that starts to happen you can begin to focus on the problem you’ve chosen to think about。Hints and Suggestionsp。49 – Seeking a second opinion: when you show people your work， there are 4 questions you need to ask: 1。 Where were you bored？2。 Where could you not understand what was going on？ 3。 Where did you not find things credible？4。 Was there anything that you found emotionally confusing？ 。。。more
Dan Howarth
，
Cost me 99p on Kindle。 Does exactly what it says on the tin， it's short， it's fun and there are a few interesting anecdotes and lessons。 Worth a read if you can pick it up cheaply。 Cost me 99p on Kindle。 Does exactly what it says on the tin， it's short， it's fun and there are a few interesting anecdotes and lessons。 Worth a read if you can pick it up cheaply。 。。。more
Steve Alink
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Lovely little book。 It will help me think， feel， dream differently in my work as IT specialist and also in my writing。 To be more playful and to only make decisions at the last moment， so creativity may help me make the best decision。
Elizabeth
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A wonderful little book I picked up at the library that is a nice juicy boost for any artist， creative-type， or person who wishes to be more so。 I read it cover to cover in an hour and took away quite a few good tips。
Oliver Blue
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This book was really good！ It had a lot of good tips on how to be a better writer and how to be more creative。 I thought that the "Kill your darlings" part at the end was really helpful。 I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about creativity！ This book was really good！ It had a lot of good tips on how to be a better writer and how to be more creative。 I thought that the "Kill your darlings" part at the end was really helpful。 I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about creativity！ 。。。more
Sam Daitzman
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Short focused helpCreativity: A short and very helpful， cheerful guide does what it promises。 Good job all around。 4 more words required。
Mary Bird
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It’s cute。 It’s really more of， like， a pamphlet than a book， and it’s VERY brief。 Still， always good to hear from good ol’ Mr。 Cleese。
Joakim Achrén
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Got off to a good start but then fell flat towards the end， which I have to say came too soon。
Paula
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A great little reminder about how to be more creative from a guy who knows！ It ends rather abruptly， but no matter。 It was a great way to march in March！
Eric Keegan
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Some of the complaints I read on here are that the book is too short， that it’s too quick of a read。 John details inside how distraction is the death of creation。 If the book were any longer， there wouldn’t be time to go out and apply the wonderful teachings。 Really a fantastic read and essential for any writer！
Dan Chancellor
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