Mindfulness for creativity...

A little more than a book review

About a month ago I was contacted by the publishers of Dr. Danny Penman's new book, Mindfulness for creativity and asked if I'd be interested in writing a review of the book, I thought "Yes" that sounds like a book I'd like to read: 

A book that was especially written to help enhance creativity and improving decision making and happiness at work and home, sounded like it would be exactly what I needed, after what has been a very challenging year for me personally....

But I must admit: I struggled getting into this book at first...found the language difficult and repetitive, and the concept of using breathing techniques and meditation to improve creativity both far fetched and alien....

Still, I persevered, and although, cynical as I am, I'm still not convinced about the benefits of the meditation exercises described in the book, on creativity and productivity

....however the author described some situations that I could really relate to, like my seemingly inability to live in the present...always dwelling on the past or planning for the future....

And I've embraced the "habit releaser" exercises from the book: Making small and regular changes to my routine, to break up my habits and make more time to appreciate the here and now....

Taking the time to go for a walk, somewhere new, appreciate my surroundings and appreciate my senses and take note of my feelings...

And, I've found that giving my mind these little breathing spaces, has, like Dr. Penman states: "given me clarity of thought" and "anchored my awareness"...making me more aware of the purposes of my daily life and in turn, helped me open up to new opportunities and ideas...

Little exercises, like THE COFFEE MEDITATION, where you are encouraged to take the time to truly focus on the experience of something as simple as making and drinking a cup of coffee: Making a mental note of the smells and tastes and sensations involved, also appealed to me....

...as taking such an everyday experience and elevating it to a sensory revelation, not only seemed manageable, but also felt grounded enough for the cynic in me to take on board...

And applying this mindset to more of my daily tasks has made me more focused on what I am actually doing, not just going through the motions of getting things done...

I may not be ready, at this moment in time, to truly embrace the level of mindfulness that this book is trying to teach, but no doubt, it's got me thinking more about the benefits of being more present in the moment and sometimes slowing down to truly appreciate life...

And as for boosting my creativity, I concur with the authors sentiment that hushing down the "noise in my mind", the endless rotation of thoughts and planning that seems to occupy my mental state at all times, would be beneficial to allowing new ideas and thus creativity to blossom:

"To be truly creative you need to master 3 skills: Firstly you need an open and disciplined mind that can gather and then integrate new ideas and information....Secondly , you need to actually notice new ideas as they emerge from the noisy background of your mind....thirdly, you need the courage to follow your ideas wherever they should lead and the resilience to cope with the inevitable setbacks and criticism."

If anything, this book has at the very least made me aware of how I am , on a daily basis, sabotaging my creative life, by being too busy to listen out for the new ideas, that a simple walk in the woods and living in the moment can reveal....

So, maybe I will give Dr. Penman's meditation and breathing exercises another chance...and if you are a little less cynical than me, you may find this book a big help in managing the everyday stresses and boosting your creativity...

It's worth a try? No?

Mindfulness for creativity, "how to adapt, create and thrive in a frantic world" by Dr. Danny Penman is out tomorrow , for sale in all good bookshops.