Your Creative Power

Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

YOUR CREATIVE POWER How to Use Imagination BY ALEX OSBORJSf CHARLES SCRIMERS SOWS, MEW YORK CHARLES SCWBNERS SONS, Ltd., LONDON 1948 This book is dedicated to BRUCE BARTON in appreciation of our 30 years as partners and friends . . . A. F. O. ABOUT THE AUTHOR . . . by Samuel Hopkins Adams Hamilton College graduates have the habit of keeping an attentive eye upon their fellow alumni. Thus, although he graduated eighteen years after me, I knew of Alex Osborn long before he had any inkling of my interest. There was another Alex in that able class of 1909, Alex antler Woollcott, whom I had sponsored into a newspaper job upon his graduation. Only a few years thereafter he was a notable in the newspaper and theatre worlds. About the time of his early success, we met at the home of Laurette Taylor, where one met everybody. Aleck buttonholed me What do you know about my classmate Alex Osborn Nothing I answered. Weil, youd better. Why What am I supposed to do about this Osborn Nothing, Nobody has to do anything about him. Hell do it, himself AH right I said. Tm open to conviction. What is he doing Aleck was a bit vague about that. His friend and class mate had been teacher, reporter, had taken a shot at maga zine writing, had touched upon banking and a few other lines, and was something in factory management. It isnt what hes doing its what he fe Woollcott insisted. When the subject next came up between us, Alex Osborn was well on his way to becoming head of the great advertis ing firm of Batten, Barton, Durstine and Osbom, and I had come to know and admire him personally as one of the most versatile, vigorous, and provocative minds among my wide range of acquaintances, His classmate recalled tome our conversation of years before. What clo you think of Osbom now he demanded with rather the air of having patented, or, at least, invented him. You were right 1 admitted, I am always right, said Aleck Woollcott blandly ix ABOUT THE BOOK . . . hy Alex Osborn Ten years ago, the editor of a leading magazine invited me to lunch. I had been one of his contributors, but we had never met. lie broke the ice by asking, What is your hobby, Mr. Osbom Imagination, I replied. He paused, then wrote on the back of an envelope, u Mv HOBBY Is IMAGINATION. Mr. Osborn, he said, you must do a book on that. Its a job that has been waiting to be done all these years. There is no subject of greater importance. You must give it the time and energy and thoroughness it deserves. That remark started this book. Although I earned my masters degree in practical psy chology and have devotee most of my life to the psychology of advertising, I cannot claim to be a psychologist. Nor have I tried to write as a psychologist, I have felt free to take figurative liberties with academic concepts. For instance, I realize that imagination is an integral part of mans mind fxxly function and yet, for the sake of clarity and read ability, I refer to imagination as if it were an entity of itself. My frequent use of the term brainstorm may bother the reader at first. Although Chapter 33 will fully explain, an inkling of its meaning may be helpful here Brainstorm is used mainly to label the kind of conference where a few people sit clown together for an hour or so solely to use their creative imaginations solely to suggest ideas on a specific . subject right then and there. During the past ton years, in quest of material andinsight, -I have interviewed hundreds of people and have read hun dreds of books, speeches and articles, I am indebted to all who talked with me and to all whose writings I read. Many of their names will be found in the index, My .. special thanks go to those whose books were most helpful, and this list includes Julius Boraas Teaching to Think, Alexis Carrel Man the Unknown, James B, Conant xi xfi On C ndfer standing Science, Robert P...

Your Creative Power is a guide to harnessing and expressing your creative potential and leadership in the workplace.

*** Finalist in the National Indie Excellence Awards Self-Help Category for 2010! ***

"A fascinating account of human experience at its best." -- Mihá Csízentmihái, author of Flow Creativity has long been thought to be an individual gift, best pursued alone; schools, organizations, and whole industries are built on this idea. But what if the most common beliefs about how creativity works are wrong? Group Genius tears down some of the most popular myths about creativity, revealing that creativity is always collaborative -- even when you're alone. Sharing the results of his own acclaimed research on jazz groups, theater ensembles, and conversation analysis, Keith Sawyer shows us how to be more creative in collaborative group settings, how to change organizational dynamics for the better, and how to tap into our own reserves of creativity.

When Marcus Whitney moved to Nashville in 2000, he was a college dropout with a one-year-old and a baby on the way. He waited tables and lived in a week-to-week efficiency hotel. From the outside, Marcus looked like the furthest thing from a budding entrepreneur. But inside, he knew entrepreneurship was his path to a better life. Two decades later, Marcus has founded two innovative companies in the healthcare space, exited a tech marketing company, and co-owns Nashville's new Major League Soccer team. In Create and Orchestrate, Marcus walks you through his unlikely journey from waiting tables to building companies. He demystifies much of what keeps people from pursuing entrepreneurship and explains why it's the only vocation that allows you to control your time by using your creativity. When you control your time, you can claim your full power by matching up what you're great at with the problems you see in the world. The world needs more entrepreneurs who can offer fresh solutions. Create and Orchestrate will give you the confidence to say: Why not me?

Would you believe me if I told you that you're a witch? A crafty enchanter born with the abilities to create beauty, read secret languages, heal the heart and attract the attention of the strange and wonderful? The serendipitous event of this grimoire making its way into your hands is evidence of the buzzing creative power calling out from within you. It's time, Art Witch. This inspirational grimoire invites you to the shimmering primordial crossroad of the imagination where art and magick meet. Discover the basics of art magick: what art magick could be, how to enrich your life with art magick, how to cast potent spells for yourself, loved ones and community, and enjoy the energizing thrill of a creative magickal practice to call your own. Learn how to: Enchant art tools and materials to produce soulful creations. Create sacred spaces, altars and magickal allies for healing, fun and growth. Harness color, celestial aid, poetry and personal symbols to create layers of meaning. Banish creative doubt and strengthen your intuitive instincts. Choose art forms and context for robust spell craft. Uncover your gifts and enchant your world with a wide variety of media. With step-by step instructions and illustrations for over 15 projects, Art Magick reveals how to make an array of bewitched objects and establish your very own art magick practice, including your own pop oracle set, scrying mirrors, magickal mandalas, protection plushies, healing weavings, ensorceled altar boxes, print process sigils, manifestation mobiles, spirit statuary, dream incubation eggs, otherworldly wands and more. Whether you are a curious beginner, experienced crafter, dabbling magician or recovering creative, Art Witch, Molly Roberts will be your guide as you explore a colorful animated world that lies just beneath the surface—a world where your imagination and personal power collide to create real magick. Are you ready to awaken the Art Witch within?

With the goal of helping teachers discover how best to nurture children's creative potential, Creative Power explores the practices and strategies needed to understand writers and writing. It examines the nature of children's writing and provides a wealth of information and ideas about the language, interests, and creative capabilities of children.