The Creative Cure
by Jacob Nordby
with a foreword by Julia Cameron
Creativity, Nordby argues, is actually akin to the sap in a tree or the blood in our veins—it’s present in all of us and meant to flow through every part of our lives.
Whenever we feel stuck or stagnant, creativity is the key to restoration; and a source of profound healing. Yet many remain unaware of its full potential.
This book is an invitation to heal the vital connection to your inner creative self—and, in the process, begin to mend other areas of your life that need healing.
Listen to an audio sample
Find it on Audible
Meet the Three Enemies of Creativity
EVERY HUMAN IS CREATIVE. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN UNCREATIVE HUMAN.
Somewhere along the way, we traded our natural, immersive creativity for logic, predictability, correctness, and responsibility. Our educational system, built at the dawn of the industrial revolution and largely unchanged today, churns out workers fit for factories, stamping out creativity on purpose. Perhaps someone told you “you’re not that creative” or “your art is no good,” and you believed them. You may also have experienced something traumatic, which understandably shut down your creative self, as you had to prioritize survival over imagination.
Socialization
Socialization – or conditioning – can be both a positive and a negative force. By the time we reach adulthood, our beliefs, behaviors, tastes, and personal goals often align with socialized norms and no longer feel like extensions of our true creative selves.
Traumatic Experiences
If we experience trauma, especially in our formative years, it can lead to patterns of:
- Anxiety
- Destructive self-talk
- Inner criticism and Self-doubt
- Procrastination
- Perfectionism
- Addictive behaviors
- Or feelings of being not valuable or lacking a purpose
Rejection
Rejection sits at the intersection of socialization and trauma. Like it or not, violating the written or unwritten rules of our families, religion, or society at large can lead to rejection of all kinds, which is a traumatic experience in its own right.
What Readers Have to Say
Returned it because it's so dull
First, why do men always have to mention sex? Whatever, I guess that's the only way they understand bliss. Women feel bliss in many ways and I don't think it's necessary to talk about orgasms in a book about creativity. Then there are a bunch of 'prompts' which I can't stand. Ex: Write a love story, except the woman is in her 70's and the man is in his 30's. Why? I don't want to. No thanks. If this is for you, great. I no longer own it.
Life changing!!!
Highly recommend this book! Every page that I flipped I was inspired. Living my life day by day with the lessons taught in this book. You won’t regret purchasing.
I am grateful beyond words
I had expected to enjoy this book. What I hadn't expected was to find myself in tears over my morning coffee as I realized that Joy had indeed left my life (and although I hadn't noticed at the time, I could now remember many of the exact moments when that happened). So, after the initial read through - in the first 24 hours after downloading the ebook - I am now reading through it again, slowly, purposefully, with an intent to savor Joy as often as I can.
Magic for my creative process
This book is unlike most self improvement books. I find it generally you can pick up a self improvement book and scan through it and pick a chapter at random and you're pretty much going to get most of everything you can get from the whole book because most self improvement books could be condensed into about the size of one or two blog posts. That is not how Jacob writes. This book has each chapter building upon the chapter before. And it does so with an underlying melodic poetic style ...
READ THE INTRODUCTION & FIRST TWO CHAPTERS
Enter your name and best email below
You will be subscribed to our email updates. You are free to unsubscribe at any time. We never share, rent, mangle, or surrender your information to off-planet entities for any purpose – benevolent or otherwise.
I think this book serves as an entry way into deep creative waters – waters that the reader may find both bracing and invigorating. I share with Nordby a love of tools that “work,” and I found myself drawn to the simplicity and subtlety of the methods he suggests for unlocking a powerful and joyous self that we may have buried or forgotten.
from the foreword by Julia Cameron
author of The Artist's Way
This book invites you to find purpose, healing, and joy as the artist of your own life.
don Miguel Ruiz
author of The Four Agreements
Order Your Copy Now
About the Author
Jacob Nordby is a writer living in Boise, Idaho. You might find him on a trail in the nearby foothills or typing away in the quietest corner of a coffee shop downtown.
He is the founder of The Institute for Creative Living Foundation 501(c)3 and co-founder of A Writing Room community.
Learn more about his other books, speaking, online courses, and creative guidance sessions by visiting www.jacobnordby.com
Other Books by Jacob Nordby
