A fabulous, inspiring book that encourages readers to incorporate the practice of creating into their daily lives. It achieves this through recognising the challenges and opportunities of creating and doesn't limit its advice to a specific art/design/craft/literature medium. It includes great quotes and the title acts as section names. Each highlighting different activities to explore to build habits and remove self-imposed barriers to creating. A great programme to cultivate artistic expression, mindfulness and creating. A title I will dip into again and again and re-read.

Good ideas on how to become more creative for people like me who don’t have a creative bone in their body. Thanks NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review!

Younger has an approachable collection of ideas to inspire creativity and mindfulness. Would be a good collection for those starting with art, music, and creating a mindfulness practice.

Honest and in-depth advice for reaching your full potential. This advice is presented in easy to follow language that can be broken up and applied in pieces at a time.

Be, Awake, Create by Rebekah Younger

“For all those inspired to be, awake, and create. May our actions benefit others.” Youngers’s book, Be, Awake, Create is one that will benefit both dabbling and high-level creators in many forms.

It is not difficult to find stacks of ‘inspirational books for the creative soul.’ Younger’s book is unique in that each chapter includes inspirational quotes, guided contemplations, and activities to spark creativity. I like that it applies to dance and musical artists as well as writers and visual artists. The author offers advice on reading the book: 1.take your time. 2.concepts are more meaningful when grounded in personal experience. 3. do the activities that challenge you and not just the “easier ones.”

As easy as ABC? The book is well organized. Part 1, Be, is about 50 pages on mindfulness; Part 2, Awake, about 70 pages on tuning into the senses, appreciating and perceiving; Part 3, Create, about 80 pages focus on creating, taking action and developing a practice. The shorter last section, Relate, covers really seeing your work with reflective exercises and creating with other artists.

Movement, taking photographs, listening, reflecting on the many excellent questions, drawing, journaling, writing poetry, (even sensory eating!) juice up the creating buds. I like that the exercises are concrete and with a time frame using simple, readily available materials. Just don’t be in a hurry. “You never know where a creative spark will lead. It starts from a single moment of being open and awake, followed by hours of activity to express your inspiration.”

I can see this as a reference for many college artists and professors, as well as the creative hobbyists. Younger is realistic about the creative process. “You might be in the flow one minute and in confusion and doubt the next.” That’s the time to pick an exercise or two from this beneficial book and keep working.”

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had high hopes for this book but for some reason it didn't click for me. I cant pinpoint what exactly the problem is, it just felt a little lackluster. It isn't a bad book, it just didn't do it for me.

Creativity is defined as "the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.; originality, progressiveness, or imagination" (Dictionary.com).

Ms. Younger has done an excellent job in developing exercises, activities and prompts that encourage creativity. She considers herself a "creator" and uses her creative talents in everything she does. This book is not limited to the visual arts. The author encourages the reader to discover creative ways to express herself in art, music, dance, writing, photography, sewing, and other activities.

Mindfulness meditation is used to develop an awareness of our environment and the world around us. Meditation helps the creator stay focused and be awake to things that might be overlooked. A creator has a mindset that is open to new ideas and ways of doing things.

A few years ago, Ms. Younger had heart by-pass surgery and spent many months recovering. During this time, photography became a tool for her recovery. She used her camera to record images of ordinary things around her that she had previously taken for granted. She developed a new way of looking and seeing things that brought her joy and fulfillment.

I think the ideas in this book will definitely spark creativity in the hearts and minds of the readers. The more you put into the activities, the more you will get out of this excellent book. Highly recommended!

This is a necessary volume of excellent teaching AND creative ideas for anyone who is creating anything and who wants to incorporate or begin to incorporate a practice of mindfulness into their creative practice. I especially liked the chapters on seeing things as they are, Practicing the practice, and contemplating your creations.

Each chapter contains inspiring quotes, creative activities, and guided meditations to guide you in your creative and mindfulness practice. This is a book to be savored and enjoyed bit by bit.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

As a creative individual who has more recently been dappling in painting, I found this book to be thought-provoking and helpful in getting the intuitive-creative juices flowing. Essentially, through exercises and meditations, the book defines what it means to be (to exist), awaken (be conscious and alert), create (to bring into existence), and relate (to connect). Noticing the “gaps” within moments where hidden creativity lies, recognizing the connective “flow” towards your present physical state, and enhancing our sensory experiences all contribute to creative expression. Most importantly, the book highlights the importance of appreciating everyday life, collaborating with others, and telling a story through your art in whichever form that may be. I will likely refer to the practices in this book again. An interesting read!

This book has lots of exercises for people who struggle with creativity and want to "stretch their wings" artistically. Many of the exercises are yoga-based or at least very "Zen." This book would be good used in conjunction with a creative writing class or other beginner level art class.

The book really picked up speed when the author told her own story of recovering from open heart surgery and struggling to express her creativity in new ways. I was also interested in her career as a knitwear designer. I really wish this book has included more storytelling than "how to" exercises.

I've always been fascinated by mindfulness, perhaps because I find the practice of it wholly elusive. It's books such as this that make me think it possible to practice it. Practicing mindfulness in order to deepen one's artistic or creative practice is speaking to me. Mindfulness with a purpose? The exercises in this book are simple and can be done by anyone. I am thinking of how similar these are to the kinds of exercises we did in honors 2D art classes. This would be a wonderful resource for art teachers and anyone employing art therapy (even alone on oneself). Most exercises end with the question, what did you discover? What did you learn? Write about your experience. The answer to those questions is your teacher.