On Becoming an Artist: Reinventing Yourself Through Mindful Creativity

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Lame

Not very becoming

Fun with Art

Doctoral Student, Music Education

Bad Writing, Thin Content, Self-Indulgence

On Becoming an Artist: Reinventing Yourself Through Mindful Creativity
Ellen Langer
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Creativity & Genius | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0345456300
Release Date: 2006-03-28

Book Description

“All it takes to become an artist is to start doing art.”
–from On Becoming an Artist

On Becoming an Artist is loaded with good news. Backed by her landmark scientific work on mindfulness and artistic nature, bestselling author and Harvard psychologist Ellen J. Langer shows us that creativity is not a rare gift that only some special few are born with, but rather an integral part of everyone’s makeup. All of us can express our creative impulses– authentically and uniquely–and, in the process, enrich our lives.

Why then do so many of us merely dream of someday painting, someday writing, someday making music? Why do we think the same old thoughts, harbor the same old prejudices, stay stuck in the same old mud? Who taught us to think “inside the box”?

No one is more qualified to answer these questions than Dr. Langer, who has explored their every facet for years. She describes dozens of fascinating experiments–her own and those of her colleagues–that are designed to study mindfulness and its relation to human creativity, and she shares the profound implications of the results–for our well-being, health, and happiness.

Langer reveals myriad insights, among them: We think we should already know what only firsthand experience can teach us. . . . In learning the ways that all roses are alike, we risk becoming blind to their differences. . . . If we are mindfully creative, the circumstances of the moment will tell us what to do. . . . Those of us who are less evaluatively inclined experience less guilt, less regret, less blame, and tend to like ourselves more. . . . Uncertainty gives us the freedom to discover meaning. . . . Finally, what we think we’re sure of may not even exist.

With the skill of a gifted logician, Langer demonstrates exactly how we undervalue ourselves and undermine our creativity. By example, she persuades us to have faith in our creative works, not because someone else approves of them but because they’re a true expression of ourselves. Her high-spirited, challenging book sparkles with wit and intelligence and inspires in us an infectious enthusiasm for our creations, our world, and ourselves. It can be of lifelong value to everyone who reads it.

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

Lame.......2007-07-26

I do wish people who know nothing about the reality of being an artist would stop supporting all the useless ideas that are floating around in the arts. It's all so easy and wonderful! The worst part though is her reference to Ingres "mistake"!! I assume her ignorance regarding visual language led to that conclusion, well and good that she doesn't understand but please stop writing books about what you don't know. I am sorry for anyone who picks up this book wanting to learn about painting. It is deadly.

Not very becoming.......2006-04-29

There is some value in this book. It offers a helpful emphasis on being attentive to the task at hand, being wholly involved with it as it really is. By looking at your own work without preconception, it becomes possible to grasp the happy accident or to use the flow of creativity to the fullest. Working without concern for what everyone else will say, it becomes possible to enjoy the moment for what it is, not for what someone says it should be. That much I can go along with.

I just can't agree with other parts of this book's message. Somehow, Langer's "mindfulness" has a mindlessness about it that I can't accept. Many kinds of art demand thorough planning and preparation of a kind that Langer seems to discard. Even painting for fun can benefit from thought and organization, without demanding iron-bound rigidity in following one's plans. Discipline, the antithesis of Langer's meandering, free-flowing "mindfulness", helps a beginning artist develop skills that eventually translate into fluency. When the brush becomes a natural extension of the hand, then the artist can focus more deeply and fully on the artwork and less on the mechanics of making a mark. I agree that criticism can be discouraging, but I also know that high levels of achievement demand a clear-eyed ability to spot the weaknesses in one's own work. That crucial faculty of self-critique can only be learned by engaging in critique, of one's own work and the work of others. I have to conclude that the artist to whom Langer wrote this book is a casual hobbyist or a dabbler. No one who wants to make a living in fine or applied arts can afford the looseness of the approach described here, and the dedicated amateur will fast outgrow it.

My profoundest reservations, however, are tangential to the main thrust of the book. For a working academic, I found her massive reliance on her own unpublished writings odd. Peer review is no guarantee of quality work, I know, but is this work really so hard to get accepted into print? If so, why? And, despite her experience in clinical psychology, her description of suicidal thought in terms of excess criticism is simplistic at best.

There are lots of other books out there on developing the artist's skill and spirit - those will probably serve you better.

//wiredweird

Fun with Art.......2006-04-10

For an artist, increasing creativity may mean a lot of different things. It may mean finding new ways to look at the world that can then be transformed into a work. It may mean developing techniques that allow the artist to convert what he see into a work. It may mean removing some psychological obstacle that is preventing the artist from looking at the world in a particular way, or transforming that vision into a work. Or it may mean allowing oneself to get started in the entire process. "On Becoming an Artist" seems to be aimed at this last situation.

The author, a psychologist, believes that anyone can create art if they are mindful, as she defines that term. Being mindful appears to mean having an open mind that is continually ready to consider the world anew. If individuals creating art are mindful, Langer says, they will, among other things, be authentic, not consider evaluation, not worry about mistakes, be free of rules, not be concerned about comparisons, and not worry about talent.

While I have not read Langer's other books about mindfulness, this goal does not seem to be just about dealing with phobias, but rather about adopting a method of living one's life akin to a kind of secular Zen Buddhism. While it may be beneficial to practice mindfulness, I had the feeling that this book developed out of her own prior work on mindfulness and her personal experience as a painter, rather than out of a sense that she could help artists to be more creative. What she urges is adopting art as a form of pastime for the benefit of the artist without any concern for the message or the audience. There is nothing wrong with that, but practicing artists who are interested in extending their creativity will be interested in going beyond self-indulgence.

I also found the sub-title "Reinventing Yourself through Mindful Creativity" to be a little misleading, It suggest that Langer will tell the individual how practicing art will make one's life fuller, but what she tells is how to practice art without certain hang-ups that may or may not be useful to the creative person.

For Langer's fans this book will probably allow them to explore the concept of mindfulness in greater depth. There probably will not be much here to help the practicing artist to be more creative.

Doctoral Student, Music Education.......2005-11-14

There is so much fear associated with performing, creating, or expressing any artistic endeavor. Langer holds up a mirror to these fears by describing many scientifically based experiments that reveal where the real problems lie:
1. Being critical of others prevents us from being vulnerable enough to be moved by something unique and wonderful. Allowing yourself to be vulnerable makes artistic expression more meaningful.
2. Assumptions about "prodigies," "talent," and "real" art, are often based on one experience, or one comment we may have overheard. The people we compare ourselves to may not claim to be any more of an expert than we are.

I am completely inspired by this book! Perhaps if enough people let go of their critical, doubtful selves and begin expressing themselves artistically, they would begin to understand how invaluable the arts are. Rather than talking about the arts as a core subject in schools, books like this convince me that "the basics" and all of general education would gain tremendously by learning from the arts.

Bad Writing, Thin Content, Self-Indulgence.......2005-08-03

I bought this book with high hopes that it would contain some good advice about creating. It has some, but Langer surrounds it with a limp, academic prose that is at times painful to read. Langer uses the communal "We" throughout the book, which I find irritating and distracting.

Langer also relies heavily on personal anecdotes to illustrate her points, and many of them leave the reader wondering whether she could have found better examples.

I expected more from this book, considering that the author works as a Harvard professor of psychology.

The main points of this book are:

1. Pay attention to what you are doing when you are doing it.
2. Don't evaluate your work or let the evaluations of others interfere.
3. Welcome mistakes as learning opportunities.
4. Become comfortable with uncertainty.

A much more interesting book to read instead of this one is The Creative Habit, by Twyla Tharp, a well-known choreographer who provides anecdotes from her career, ideas about the creative life, and practical exercises in an entertaining and attractive format.

La Creatividad Consciente / On Becoming an Artist: De como Reinventrase Mediante la Practica del Arte / Reinventing Yourself Through Mindful Creativity (Autoayuda / Self-Help)

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La Creatividad Consciente / On Becoming an Artist: De como Reinventrase Mediante la Practica del Arte / Reinventing Yourself Through Mindful Creativity (Autoayuda / Self-Help)
Ellen J. Langer
Manufacturer: Ediciones Paidos Iberica
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Creativity | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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ON BECOMING AN ARTIST: Reinventing Yourself Through Mindful Creativity (q)

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ON BECOMING AN ARTIST: Reinventing Yourself Through Mindful Creativity (q)
Ellen J. Langer
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OVOHHW

Book Description

The burgeoning postmodern condition forces a reevaluation of the novel as a form; contemporary formlessness has created a new and seemingly endless range of interpretations under which the forms of the past coalesce. Martin Amis, whose novels and stories "live" this phenomenon and inform this study, has discovered an art form in the literature of decay, where traditional fictional elements, such as time, voice and motivation, have been corrupted by the twentieth century and the revitalized anti-novel. Style has overcome story in the world of Martin Amis--and perhaps in the "real" world as well.

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Monsters & Madonnas

Manufacturer: Camera Craft Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000FH6KYI

Product Description

double page spiral bound book on methods of photography 60 pages of narrative & black and white photos scuffed around bottom & spiral spine corners show age & wear no marks small rip near spiral front page great collectible for teaching photography

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Monsters & madonnas
William Mortensen
Manufacturer: J. De Langre
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006BRTJI

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Monsters & Madonnas. A Book of Methods
William Mortensen
Manufacturer: Camera Craft Publishing Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound
ASIN: B000IG0YKM

Monsters & Madonnas: The Roots of Christian Anti-Semitism

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From a Pagan perspective...
Another Latka in the Face

Monsters & Madonnas: The Roots of Christian Anti-Semitism
Judith Taylor Gold
Manufacturer: Syracuse University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Discrimination & Racism | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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History of Religion | Judaism | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0815605838

Customer Reviews:

From a Pagan perspective..........2001-01-04

It's certainly true that this book will not increase interfaith rapport between Christianity and Judaism. It explores the very pagan roots of modern Christianity, its parallels with the ubiquitous dying/ressurrecting god-king parables of ancient Gentile (pagan) peoples. Since Biblical times, the Jews strove to keep their religion pure, whereas Christianity coopted the symbolism, rituals, deities, and beliefs of the peoples it sought to convert. Although this is hardly revelation to anyone knowledgeable of theological history, Christian readers will be alienated by the accusatory comparison of their faith to heathenism. Nor will Pagan readers find eddification; in the view of "Monsters and Madonnas", their faith equates with demonism. However, the book exposes much of the hypocrisy of the modern rightwing Christian-supremicist movement which vilifies and seeks to politically suppress polytheistic faiths. The author presents her evidence and conclusions without sympathy or sugarcoating, and the result is certainly not very palatable. But that does not lessen the book's worthiness.

Another Latka in the Face.......2000-03-31

Ostensibly, this book is nothing more than a "cheap" attempt to sell a book and make a few dollars. This book is not unlike a contemporary "cut and paste" hollywood movie. There is nothing in this book that we haven't heard before. Much rhetoric, not a whole lot of RELEVANCE! When will we learn that we only hurt each other by portraying ourselves as victims on every occasion possible. I certainly question the motives of this book. I know many books that were and are published on the topic of antisemitism to make a quick buck. This degrades semites. I will say more, THIS IS ANTISEMITISM at its heart. Why? It is hurting jews, those of nationality and of faith. There are in fact many books, even in this catalogue, that are of questionable merit and relevance to actual antisemitism and of actual artistic merit. I have recently reviewed The Hitler's Pope by Cornwell on Amazon, there is another book as you can see from my review of it which has been written in the prime interest of making money. I must warn, however, that the implications of such literature do not merely end on the fact that the author receives a "Big Chek" from the happy publisher and fame in the media. In fact, what such books accomplish is real antisemitism because it its implications fall directly on Jews. Jews are not alone in the world and as such they must live together with people of other faiths and nationalities on this planet. Therefore, some authors' greedy intentions actually hurt Jews' relationships with other people. We have seen in the twentieth century what happens when peoples relationships breakdown. When I say that Cornwell's book or this book is the real antisemitic literature, I MEAN IT! This what I mean by the "latka in the face" -- such books are nothing but a cold slap in the face.

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Monsters & Madonnas

Manufacturer: Camera Craft Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000FHBMFU

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Monsters & Madonnas

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Monsters & Madonnas, A Book of Methods
William Mortensen
Manufacturer: Camera Craft
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Monsters & Madonnas. A Book of Methods
William Mortensen
Manufacturer: Camera Craft Publishing Co
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Monsters & Madonnas: A Book of Methods
William Mortensen
Manufacturer: CAMERA CRAFT PUBLISHING CO.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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good lesson plan and exercises

Pretty good, nice as a supplement

GUITAR TAPPING: FROM THE BASICS TO THE HOTTEST LICKS AND TRICKS BK/CD (Guitar Instruction)
Chad Johnson
Manufacturer: HAL LEONARD CORPORATION
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guitar | Instruments & Performers | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0634046470

Book Description

This book/CD pack is a hands-on guide to the tapping techniques used by Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Michael Hedges, Jeff Watson, Vito Bratta, Jennifer Batton, Stanley Jordan and other top guitarists. It covers: the basics of tapping; tapping arpeggios; tapping scale fragments; the ascending tap concept; right-hand slides, tapped bends, tap harmonics and chordal tapping; multi-fingered tapping; combining techniques; and much more, in standard notation and tab. The accompanying CD features each example played at slow, medium and fast tempos.

Customer Reviews:

good lesson plan and exercises.......2006-08-01

There is a very stimulating variety of examples of how to intergrate tapping into your playing.

Pretty good, nice as a supplement.......2006-03-13

This is a pretty good book on the pedagogy of tapping; what finger goes where, cross string tapping, five finger tapping, phrasing with open strings, and stylistic examples. there are rhythmic exercizes, offsetting accents and alternating rhythmic figues, and everything has a corresponding example on the enclosed CD played both at slow speed and up to tempo.

That much said, the book caters exclusively to electric guitar. That might be obvious off the bat, but the cover makes reference to learning the techniques of Michael Hedges... I don't mean to split hairs here, since of course any techniques can be appropriated from one genre to another - but there is nothing in this book - nothing at all - regarding the differences such an acoustic translation would entail, the finesse and differing right hand techniques, the difference in force and focus.

Still, a good practice book. You could always figure out the harmonic material here - it's nothing new at all - but the physical exercizes are welcome and useful if you're interested in using this technique and its variations on an electric guitar.

Soloing examples are in rock, metal, country, with a few fusion-y licks too. Overall worth the asking price if you're willing to do the work. I suspect if you work from a book like "Speed Mechanics For Lead Guitar" or Satriani's "Guitar Secrets" this will make a good addition. I would not recommend it for beginners, though, unless you want to do a lot of repetetive practicing.

Book Description

$39.95 hardcover * 1-58685-213-2 * May 10 x 10 in, 224 pp, 150 Color Photographs, Rights: W, Sports Once the sport of Polynesian kings, surfing embodies the ultimate encounter between man and nature. Played out on the beaches and breaking waves of the world's continental fringes, surfing is the epitome of a classic cult of freedom and individual expression-an arena not only for survival but for grace under pressure, style, and artistic invention. Yet surfing is more than just riding the waves-it's a lifestyle, a state of mind, a subculture with its own codes and heroes. In Stoked: A History of Surf Culture, surf journalist Drew Kampion traces the evolution of the modern beach culture and the challenging, beautiful sport that gave rise to it. From its Polynesian origins and the early days of Duke Kahanamoku's beach boys, to the California-style surfing cult that exploded in the 1960s, to the international pro circuits and radical big-wave contests of today, Stoked tells the compelling story that has inspired entire genres of music, movies, fashion, and art. Drew Kampion is a writer, editor, and photographer who lives on Whidbey Island near Seattle. He graduated from California State College at Northridge and is a former editor of Surfer, Surfing, and Windsurfer magazines. Kampion is an avid surfer and writes about the sport regularly.

Customer Reviews:

A complete history of the evolution of surfing with great photos!.......2007-06-01

i consider myself as much of an expert on the history of surfing as one could be without actually having lived through the early days, and while reading through this book I was not only entertained from cover to cover, but actually learned a few new things! The facts are presented along with interesting points colorfully explained. The photos are worth the price of the book alone, but the text adds so much more. This it the best history of surfing i've ever read!

Stoked on STOKED!.......2007-05-26

Kampion's writing on about surf culture always makes me feel like a kid again. All his books are keepers.

A National Surf Treasure.......2007-05-26

Drew Kampion has been chronicling the surfing subculture since the start of the modern era. With "Stoked!" he's produced THE defintive history of this "thing of ours." (As a surf-writer myself, Kampion's stylistic influence has been indelible.) There is no one else in his class.

This guy is a national surf treasure. If you surf, read him. (If you don't surf, please don't start.)

A Lifetime of Research.......2007-01-27

I just finished the book - New Edition. I am stunned by the immense levels of research and photographic documentation that went into it. He got every pivot point along the surfing path over the last 60 years.

Even with the best research tools it would have taken many years to create. Further, only one person - Kampion - could have done such a remarkable job. In his case, it took a lifetime of research. This book will become one of my ten favorite books of all time.

A visually oriented historical survey.......2003-09-19

Now in a new and expanded edition, Stoked! A History Of Surf Culture by writer, photographer, and surfing expert Drew Kampion (who was also a former editor of "Surfer," "Surfing," "Wind Surf" and "Wind Tracks" magazines) is an informative, adventurous, visually oriented historical survey of a wildly popular sport -- and the people who embraced and developed it. Gorgeous full-color photographs stir visions of wind and wave, while the accessible text traces the love, lore, and sometimes tragedy of this exciting pastime down through the years. Stoked! is enthusiastically recommended -- especially for surfing enthusiasts!

Customer Reviews:

Pretty pictures .......2007-04-20

If you liked the Mobil Masterpiece movie, worth a look see for the beautiful images of Craig and Kingston in full costume plus some insight in how to make a difficult novel into a great movie. I guess poor Kingston filmed this just as she was being divorced by that scoundrel Finnes who is now in a total meltdown. If you haven't seen the actual movie you ought to try to get the older, uncut version which is pretty tintillating and our Moll is a very winsome lass. This was the first time I ever laid eyes on Craig (now the now newest James Bond) and he was just breathtaking with his long locks and smoldering eyes. Like Moll, he would probably be my favorite husband also.

EVERYTHING I'D WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE MOLL FLANDERS FILM.......2002-01-03

Having been a fan of the 1996 Masterpiece Theatre Production, THE FORTUNES AND MISFORTUNES OF MOLL FLANDERS, I wanted to study the film, not only with words but with photos and drawings.
So, I searched everywhere and this is what turned up. I opened it and it was so detailed. There is everything you need to know about the production - the release, the cast's biographies, pictures and sketches, the story, the changes, the crew members and even the way the characters interact with each other.

I'm suggesting this book to all of the fans who enjoyed the Masterpiece Theatre's FORTUNES AND MISFORTUNES OF MOLL FLANDERS.

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Making of Moll Flanders the Inside Story
Anthony Hayward
Manufacturer: TRAFALGAR SQUARE +
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000Q19SZ6

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Moll Flanders: The Making of a Criminal Mind (Twayne's Masterwork Studies)
Paula R. Backscheider
Manufacturer: Twayne Publishers
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Binding: Hardcover

18th Century | British | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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MOLL FLANDERS: THE MAKING OF A CRIMINAL MIND
Daniel. Backscheider, Paula. Defoe
Manufacturer: Twayne Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000RATYLY

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