I was impressed with this book; I did not expect it to be this good. This book delved into many areas of philosophy, psychology, and art; and it connected many dots in a way that I found both motivating and authentic in Sartre's sense if authenticity.

Erich Fromm has described some people as "searching" in his writings related to "having or being." I perceive myself as searching, in my quest of being, and I sense that this book has got me closer to something more authentic.

If you too are searching, this book may be worth your time, in the stoic sense of time's value.

The writing and ideas are very balanced. Counterpoints to suggestions help you stay grounded while still providing motivation to seek your answers in new ways.

Duh

as a dancer that was struggling with the weight of constant improvement, i found myself beginning to hate my art form out of frustration. this book came to me at a perfect time when i was realizing my overzealous work ethic was getting in the way of experiencing the action of dancing. this book gave me peace and revelations about the creation of art and how i was engaging with it.

Ο συγγραφέας είναι μουσικός και προσπαθεί να προσεγγίσει φιλοσοφικά την έννοια του αυτοσχεδιασμού αποδομώντας την και κατά καποιο τρόπο αποκαλύπτοντας οτι τελικά δεν είναι κάτι τρομερό να μάθουμε να εκαφράζουμε αυτό που έχουμε μέσα μας. Κάτι που έτσι κι αλλιώς κάνουμε σε διάφορες πτυχές της καθημερινότητας, καθώς όλες μας οι κινήσεις είναι μικροί ή μεγάλοι αυτοσχεδιασμοί. Στην τεχνη όμως και ειδικά στη μουσική είμαστε μαγκωμένοι, θεωρώντας ότι δεν "το χουμε".
Προσωπικά όντας μουσικός, το βρήκα πολύ καλό, σου δίνει μια σειρά επιχειρήματα και μεθόδους να βρεις τα κουμπιά που θα σε λύσουν ή θα σε βοηθήσουν να λύσεις τους μαθητές σου.

One of the most surprising books I have ever read. I thought I was reading about creativity, but Nachmanovitch goes much further. Maybe it is all about creativity, but maybe creativity is a lot bigger than we assume and has a more central part to play in what it means to be a human being than we often give it credit for in our lives and thoughts about being human. Not many books do I walk away from changed. Thank you, Stephen.

Man do I love this book. No really. I've read it four times at different points in my life and each time I find something new and awesome. If, for some reason, you want to know my philosophy on creativity and the purpose of art, this is the book to start with.

An absolute must read for everyone who wants to make change. In their life and in the world. What does it mean to b Creative? Why is it important to play? Why are constraints great for ideation? Why are creativity and important part of personal growth?

This book gives you a lot to think about. Read it. Reflect on it. Read it again 2-3 months into the future and you’ll get a different insight.

That’s What males a great book.

Personal Notes:


- To act creatively, you must embrace play and improvisation
- Shed rule books, technique, and planning for being in the moment and listening to your inner child as muse
- All of culture affirms some realities and denies others, creativity is seeing through assumptions, bypassing disciplines.
- To create, we need both technique and freedom from technique. Balance of imagination/discipline, passion/precision
- Make space, perform rituals to enter into a mind space (the magic circle) to have creativity flow
- Structure and conscious limits ignite spontaneity. “Bricolage” - making do with the material at hand.
- Mistakes can and should be embraced and delved into to form new patterns and practices
- Constant affliction between “us this good enough?” And “is this commercial enough?”
- Procrastination and addiction are both manifestations of self-doubt, enters you into a loop of doing or not doing.
- Creative blocks come from when your inner editor judges work before your inner muse can create it
- Buddhist 5 Fears: fear of loss of life, fear of loss of livelihood, fear of loss of reputation, fear of unusual states of mind, fear of speaking before assembly.
- Originality does not being being unlike others, but being your own center and origin

An essential read for anyone creative, and pairs well with The Artist’s Way; in fact, Nachmanovitch lays out some concepts around creativity much better than Julia Cameron does. Reading this is really helping me let go of music as a career so that I may regain it as a love and passion. It’s worth just reading it, but ultimately, it derails most of what I learned in school, and I can’t help wondering if I’d embodied this outlook sooner what my life would look like. Oh well!!

یکی از بهترین کتاب هایی بود که در زمینه هنر و خلاقیت خوندم
مطمئنم بارها و بارها بهش برمیگردم
5 ستاره ی کامل

I was assigned this book for a class, and I really enjoyed it. The first section, especially, is so lovely. Nachmanovitch goes into improvisation and asserts that everyone has the skill of improvisation; that we engage in it every time we have a conversation.

In fact, the whole book is trying for that: to say that creativity and improvisation and art is a natural state, and that it would be incorrect to relegate it only to the realm of professional/serious artists.

I thought the middle of the book dragged a little, but it's so short I didn't mind continuing, and I was glad I hadn't DNFed it when I got to the last two sections.

Free Play is wonderful to re-read, or to just revisit some of my underlinings. It continually speaks to me anew. It is always a source of inspiration.