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Highly inspiring. Wip
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Cirque du Soleil: The Spark - Igniting the Creative Fire that Lives Within Us All
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Creativity and innovation are widely recognized as essential to success in business, and so many aspects of our lives. For over two decades, Cirque du Soleil has been a world-renowned laboratory of creativity, enthralling audiences around the world by fusing dazzling acrobatics, staging and choreography, and music, along with beautiful costumes and technical effects to inspire and create magical, almost otherworldly theatrical experiences. In The Spark , Cirque's former president of creative content, Lyn Heward, invites readers inside the world and ideas of Cirque du Soleil through the story of an ordinary man searching for meaning in his work and life.
Like so many other people in their careers, sports agent Frank Castle has lost the passion he once had for his job. But a chance encounter with an inspiring Cirque du Soleil director takes him inside Cirque du Soleil to meet the artists, directors, designers, and technicians who create, shape, and perform in their acclaimed shows. As the story unfolds, the artists reveal surprising secrets about the sparks that ignite their creativity — from the pressure of deadlines and the exhilaration that comes from risking it all, to the chance encounters and everyday occurrences that have changed the way they live and work. As Frank comes to discover, every one of us is creative — wherever we work or whatever our job title is — but it’s up to us to tap into that powerful force.
As The Spark makes clear, there is no single formula for creative success–each of us must unlock the power of our imagination in our own way. An inspiring tale that draws on behind-the-scenes stories from the most creative people in entertainment as well as some out-of-this-world Cirque du Soleil magic, The Spark is an unparalleled guide on how to make creativity a part of everything you do.
Lyn Heward is the former President and COO of Cirque du Soleil’s Creative Content Division and is currently acting as executive producer for a variety of special projects. John U. Bacon, a veteran journalist and public speaker, has won numerous national writing awards and is the author of three books.
Like so many other people in their careers, sports agent Frank Castle has lost the passion he once had for his job. But a chance encounter with an inspiring Cirque du Soleil director takes him inside Cirque du Soleil to meet the artists, directors, designers, and technicians who create, shape, and perform in their acclaimed shows. As the story unfolds, the artists reveal surprising secrets about the sparks that ignite their creativity — from the pressure of deadlines and the exhilaration that comes from risking it all, to the chance encounters and everyday occurrences that have changed the way they live and work. As Frank comes to discover, every one of us is creative — wherever we work or whatever our job title is — but it’s up to us to tap into that powerful force.
As The Spark makes clear, there is no single formula for creative success–each of us must unlock the power of our imagination in our own way. An inspiring tale that draws on behind-the-scenes stories from the most creative people in entertainment as well as some out-of-this-world Cirque du Soleil magic, The Spark is an unparalleled guide on how to make creativity a part of everything you do.
Lyn Heward is the former President and COO of Cirque du Soleil’s Creative Content Division and is currently acting as executive producer for a variety of special projects. John U. Bacon, a veteran journalist and public speaker, has won numerous national writing awards and is the author of three books.
135 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1,2006
This edition
- Format
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135 pages, Hardcover
- Published
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April 11, 2006 by Doubleday
- ISBN
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9780385516518
- ASIN
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0385516517
- Language
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English
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Rating(4 / 5.0, 100 votes)
5 stars
34(34%)
4 stars
32(32%)
3 stars
34(34%)
2 stars
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A work of fiction. A Cirque-themed self-help book that reads like it was written by an algorithm. A weird amalgam of clumsy public relations and cloudy boot-strap "wisdom."
It did kinda make me want to watch one of their shows though ...
It did kinda make me want to watch one of their shows though ...
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I thought this was going to be a little more inspiring, but the behind the scenes reveals of how the magic is created in Cirque de Soliel shows (very very cool stuff indeed) was dried out by the business book style presentation. They tell a little story (stop me if you've heard this one) of a bored privileged business-y guy being escorted and coached through their whole process, and he learns to re-value creativity and take risks, and he sighs deeply then says, wow, not only can I be a better businessman, but I can have a better life. It's the kind of guy that can take a month leave, and when returning, decide not to proceed as his boss suggests, but propose his own way forward and be told, sure... and then it's so successful the business benefits. Can we learn a lot from a guy like this with seemingly so few actual barriers and responsibilities? My fault I guess for not looking closer before reading.
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Tells the true story of a businessman who stumbles into an experience trying cirque acts and meeting the performers and show supporters. I liked the part about taking responsibility, but the rest was a bit fluffy.
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Two stars may be harsher than I intend. If I judged by the number of times I stopped to re-read a powerful sentence, then the short and impactful book would garner loftier praise. Unfortunately, I felt that much of the inspiration that is communicated in the book gets lost in the premise.
Although the coupling of the "Big Idea" of the book with the fringe mystery and depth of Cirque Du Soleil is a fantastic pairing for story-telling, I actually found the story unbelievable, droll, and a little condescending. If the book had taken the tact of outlining qualities of embracing inspiration and creativity, the Big Idea, and correlated that to the people at Cirque, then it would have succeeded. If the book had taken the opposite approach to giving insight into the world of Cirque without directly calling out each point the Author made, it would have succeeded. As it is, the faux memoir of a fictional person interacting with real Cirque employees is highly unbelievable and a little annoying. No one speaks so formally and immediately expresses the depth that each of the interviews with the Cirque employees express. Their monologues are pedantic and, although truly insightful, don't play well with the story created to express them.
If you can set aside the wrapping of an unbelievable story with the lessons therein, this is a great book. It has many highlight-worthy passages, and accomplishes its objective of causing you to question the routine and stagnancy in your life or profession. It was impossible for me to read without having serious reflection about where my creative energy has gone lately.
Worth the read, especially if you're feeling introspective or less creative, inspired, or passionate about your work than you used to. Also it is a very quick read. Just don't pay too much attention to the awkward story the lessons are presented in.
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I picked this book up after watching Zarkana at the Aria hotel and casino in Las Vegas. Although not their most intense show, it was still pretty damn good. I left wanting to learn more about the production and the process of creating these incredible shows.
It is a well-written book that starts off with high energy, positive quotes, and interesting characters. Feeding off all that energy, the writer begins to question his own career and lull he has gotten to in life. It's actually more of a self-help book more than anything else. You follow him on his journey to spice up his creative/business life with the help of the circus and its many characters he comes across.
Ultimately, the book beats the shit out of you with nothing but positive messages and never really lets you breath. I love self-help books, but this just went on and on and on with the same message. The author interviews various individuals from the circus and they all say the same thing. The problem with this is you never really get a sense of individuality, you get a sense of a cult. Also, it just doesn't sound believable. It sounds as if the author visited the camp, learned a couple of the tricks and went home and added the interviews and interactions later, giving no depth whatsoever to the "dialogue".
Overall I was disappointed with the book. I think the subject is great, and hope one day somebody captures the nitty-gritty life of the circus and not just all the positive fluff.
It is a well-written book that starts off with high energy, positive quotes, and interesting characters. Feeding off all that energy, the writer begins to question his own career and lull he has gotten to in life. It's actually more of a self-help book more than anything else. You follow him on his journey to spice up his creative/business life with the help of the circus and its many characters he comes across.
Ultimately, the book beats the shit out of you with nothing but positive messages and never really lets you breath. I love self-help books, but this just went on and on and on with the same message. The author interviews various individuals from the circus and they all say the same thing. The problem with this is you never really get a sense of individuality, you get a sense of a cult. Also, it just doesn't sound believable. It sounds as if the author visited the camp, learned a couple of the tricks and went home and added the interviews and interactions later, giving no depth whatsoever to the "dialogue".
Overall I was disappointed with the book. I think the subject is great, and hope one day somebody captures the nitty-gritty life of the circus and not just all the positive fluff.
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If you've ever been to a Cirque du Soleil show, you can tell their performers are unusual human beings who infuse an ecstatic passion to the audience, not only because of their stunts but -most importantly- because of the passion they emanate. Is there something that we can learn from them in order to lead more creative lives and enlighten others with joie-de-vivre? Well, there is. And a lot.
In order to live fully, you need to take risks: you have to trust that real feats come from taking leaps of faith. How do you jump off a cliff without worrying? It's simple, you got to get rid of all your preconceptions. Then, you'll set the mood for a real change. That's why you need to embrace adversity as a chance for enhancement because when an obstacle arises, your plans fall apart and that's when real creativity surges. To build something new, the old has to collapse.
Regarding work life, you need to make sure you're in a position that truly ignites the fire within you. If your current work environment doesn't allow you to be yourself, then something's wrong with it. Try and change your mindset about it; however, if all the imagination in the world doesn't transform the ordinary into extraordinary, if you still feel you're not in an ambiance that allows you to break your own boundaries, then, it's time to move on... Life's not about being in a cage, it's about flying and singing a different song every day.
In order to live fully, you need to take risks: you have to trust that real feats come from taking leaps of faith. How do you jump off a cliff without worrying? It's simple, you got to get rid of all your preconceptions. Then, you'll set the mood for a real change. That's why you need to embrace adversity as a chance for enhancement because when an obstacle arises, your plans fall apart and that's when real creativity surges. To build something new, the old has to collapse.
Regarding work life, you need to make sure you're in a position that truly ignites the fire within you. If your current work environment doesn't allow you to be yourself, then something's wrong with it. Try and change your mindset about it; however, if all the imagination in the world doesn't transform the ordinary into extraordinary, if you still feel you're not in an ambiance that allows you to break your own boundaries, then, it's time to move on... Life's not about being in a cage, it's about flying and singing a different song every day.
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This is one book I can’t recommend enough for anyone who works with other employees. It gives great principles of leadership, community, and creativity in more of a parable form—you see yourself in the struggle of the main character and work through issues. So good!!
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