creative ability

A conflict over the creative process ensues when Chester, an egotistical cat, decides to produce a masterpiece.

"When community members work together with trucks and ships to clean up the town's riverfront, an artist and her child hammer, chisel, weld and zap the found materials into something beautiful"--OCLC.

"From the . . . author of Just Like You, High Fidelity, and Fever Pitch, a short . . . book about art, creativity, and the unlikely similarities between Victorian novelist Charles Dickens and modern American rock star Prince. Equipped with a fan's admiration and his trademark humor and wit, Nick Hornby invites us into his latest obsession: the cosmic link between two unlikely artists, geniuses in their own rights, spanning race, class, and centuries--each of whom electrified their different disciplines and whose legacy resounded far beyond their own time. When Prince's 1987 record Sign o' the Times was rereleased in 2020, the iconic album now came with dozens of songs that weren't on the original--Prince was endlessly prolific, recording 102 songs in 1986 alone. In awe, Hornby began to wonder, Who else ever produced this much? Who else ever worked that way? He soon found his answer in Victorian novelist and social critic Charles Dickens, who died more than a hundred years before Prince began making music. Examining the two artists' personal tragedies, social statuses, boundless productivity, and other parallels, both humorous and haunting, Hornby shows how these two unlikely men from different centuries 'lit up the world.' In the process, he creates a lively, stimulating rumination on the creativity, flamboyance, discipline, and soul it takes to produce great art"--Provided by publisher.

"A handsome, beautifully produced compilation of meditations and exercises to inspire us to find joy and expand the ways we engage with the people and places, the objects and tasks we encounter in our everyday lives. Long-time workplace advice columnist for The New York Times, Rob Walker, draws from his annual School for Visual Arts course and from interviews he conducted with men and women from a wide range of disciplines, has designed 131 exercises and meditations to encourage and guide us in rediscovering joy and creativity in our lives.      In a world ruled by distraction and increasing demands on our attention, it's never been more important to notice what matters to you. To stay eager, to connect, to find interest in the everyday, to notice what others overlook, these are skills that are both vital and delightful--and this gorgeously illustrated volume can help you acquire and hone these very skills. The short, playful entries that make up The Art of Noticing include "Look for Ghosts and Ruins," "Look Slowly," "Make It Art," "Compose a Personal Plaque." Here is a book that will provide inspiration to everyone, from the artist or designer developing an aesthetic to the techie looking to disrupt a new market. But, it will be its own joyful reward for anyone, in any walk of life, who takes a chance at noticing"--.

". . . a guide to the process of artistic self-discovery"--Provided by publisher.

"[The author puts forth] a simple process for discarding obsolete beliefs and cultivating independent thought [using] . . . leaders, artists, scientists, and entrepreneurs [as examples] . . . [Varol argues that] great thinkers operate unconstrained by the opinions of others--or their own past opinions. They can act on new information regardless of the beliefs they once held, or identities they once adopted. They distinguish fact from manipulation. And just as importantly, they act first instead of reacting--creating new ideas and opportunities for themselves and others"--Provided by publisher.

"Extraordinary reference book of over eighty famous painters, their lives, their loves, and their iconic paintings"-- Provided by publisher.

Eighteen-year-old Laila Piedra is a biracial aspiring author whose creative writing teacher always told her she has a special talent, so when he suddenly dies and is replaced by Nadiya Nazarenko, a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist who is sadistically critical and perpetually unimpressed, Laila grows obsessed with gaining the woman's approval and is led to believe she must choose between perfection and sanity, but rejecting her all-powerful mentor may be the only way for Laila to thrive.

"Do you like to eat in restaurants? Now you can build and run your own! Learn how to get inspired, problem-solve, and work with others as you create your restaurant"--Provided by publisher.

"Do you like to go to the post office? Now you can build and run your own! Learn how to get inspired, problem-solve, and work with others as you create your post office"--Provided by publisher.