A practical guide to cultivating a creative life

You don’t have to be an artist to be creative. In this guide, Brito dives into different aspects of creativity, with numerous stories illustrating the different approaches.

Each section ends with specific practices you can apply in your own life.

I did gain some insights on improving my creativity. There were several exercises I will try and see if it helps. However, I had to dig through a lot of art history and personal stories to get the advice I was looking for. Some of it I have heard from other sources.
I think in an effort to appeal to a broader audience she wasn't specific enough to meet my needs.
I received this galley from NetGalley.

I loved it. I grew up doing many creative activities, from painting, sculpting, writing, drawing, I used to love it. But the last decade or so, I lost my way. This book helped inspire me to pick up my brushes and pencils, but also to find and try new outlets for creativity such as embroidery (have NOT gotten far here, trying). I loved this book and recommended it quite a bit.

This was such an inspiring read for me! As someone who’s always been curious about creativity but never considered myself “artistic,” this book really opened my eyes. Brito, who went from being a lawyer to an art curator and entrepreneur, shares her own journey and shows how creativity isn’t just for artists—it’s a skill anyone can develop and use in their career, business, or everyday life.

I loved how she mixes personal stories with examples from history, art, and modern business. She talks about everything from Renaissance painters to companies like Nike and Airbnb, showing how creativity has driven innovation for centuries. It made me realize that creativity isn’t about being “talented”—it’s about curiosity, problem-solving, and thinking differently.

One of my favorite parts of the book is the “Alchemy Lab” at the end of each chapter. These are little exercises that help you apply what you’ve learned, like reflecting on your strengths or brainstorming new ways to approach a challenge.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Thank you HarperCollins and NetGalley for this ARC.

Maria Brito does a fabulous job to encourage us “less than creative” types to explore more creative measures. I really enjoyed this book and found it very inspiring and encouraging.

I have only just round to reading this book recently so I'm really sorry I didn't review it sooner. As ever, thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review... so here we are.

As someone who loves being creative in her spare time, I thought I'd be the target audience for this book but, sadly, I didn't enjoy this one. I do like autobiographical content but I didn't feel it was necessary to add it here and I'm afraid that it didn't match its audience. I also didn't like the entrepreneurial stuff throughout the book (it was a bit Dragons' Den meets The Apprentice meets pretty much any creativity TV show) and, for that, I can only give it three stars.

Sorry.

This book has a bit of an identity problem. It's part memoir and part self-help business book without properly giving space to either side, to the point that both sides lose.
The memoir part is fascinating, with author Maria Brito having achieved an amazing pivot in her career and creating an inspiring business out of something she's passionate about. I would have enjoyed reading about that more in-depth than just the little snippets and seeming asides of how she has done certain things.
The self-help business part of the book is one brilliant individual after another employing different aspects of creativity to grow as individuals and achieve success. Each chapter is focused on a specific angle and comes complete with thought exercises to guide readers through the process of figuring out how they can apply those principles in their business or life. But there's so much to go through and not enough pages for it, which results in too much information jammed into each chapter without space to really breathe and take things in.
In the end, I do feel like I learned important things and thought it was mostly interesting, but the way it was presented made the reading of it somewhat of a chore so I'm not sure I'd recommend it.

Very thankful to NetGalley and HarperCollins Leadership for the enlightening read.

The book wasn't what I expected it to be. Not to say that it was a bad book, but when you go in there expecting something different, it's sometimes hard for it to capture your attention.

I was expecting more tips, tricks, and motivation than memoir. I'm not sure if it changes since it was tough for me to complete, but I do hope to pick this back up again in the future when the mindset is right.

There was a bit more discussion of art than I was expecting from a book about creativity (I just expected it to be more balanced I guess). Despite that, there is still a lot to take away from this book so I will dip in and out as needed.

I really loved this book! So motivating and inspiring. Thank you for lighting a creative spark back within me and for the chance to read this book!

Parts of this book were super interesting and other parts felt like a drag to get through. I loved the alchemy lab sections that allowed readers to apply the chapter learnings to their own practices.

I would recommend reading this book if you’re a creative or interested in the art world. Although the first part emphasises that you don’t need to be a creative person to use creativity in your life and business, the book did very heavily feature the art world, due to the authors career.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for my review.

For once, a book on creativity and working in a creative field that didn’t make me roll my eyes. I loved the how Brito framed using creativity to solve problems both on a personal level, but also professional.

Creatives, I think you’ll enjoy this one!

I got a lot of new inputs from this book. I like that the discussions both tackle logic and art. Worth the reead!

This is the ultimate book for those seeking to bridge creativity and business. Rich with stories and examples from the art world and the lives of artists, author Maria Brito busts myths and provides actionable "alchemy lab" exercises to help readers solve problems and expand their capabilities through creative practices. I appreciated the art history lessons and the glimpse into Maria's fascinating world and career as a lawyer-turned-gallerist. I recommend this book for anyone seeking more joy, originality, and satisfaction in their careers or for business leaders who want to spark creativity within their organizations.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC digital edition.

Unfortunately, I was unable to read this in the time allotted. It remains on my “to be read” list for the future.

I had high hopes for this one based on how the book presents itself, but it ultimately was not for me. It’s more autobiographical than anticipated, to the point of feeling a bit like navel-gazing, and the book has more of a business slant than the vibrant, punchy cover would have you expect. Read a preview first if you’re intrigued by this one, since it’s tough to pin down what kind of book it is before reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Although I began this book skeptical that Brito could bring something new to a discussion of creativity, I was pulled in by her positivity and practicality. The book uses entertaining examples from history, psychology, and science to make the case that creativity is an unlimited resource all of us can cultivate through daily habits, actions, and attitudes. Brito's writing easy to read and peppered with fascinating, real-life examples. Each chapter concludes with "Alchemy Lab" where Brito suggests ways to stimulate and apply creativity in all aspects of your life. The book is appropriate for entrepreneurs, artists, writers, anyone looking to find flow between their dreams and everyday life.

(LinkedIn post) How Creativity Rules The World by Maria Brito shows that, despite contrary beliefs, creativity can be taught and learned by anyone. After applying the principles to her own business, Maria started teaching them to hundreds of people, ranging from entrepreneurs to artists to CEOs.

As someone who works in a creative field, I was really excited to read this book. I love that it dove into myths of creativity and provided tangible things you as an individual can do to harness your creativity in whatever industry you are in.

This is a great book for anyone who feels like they need inspiration or would love to hear more historical anecdotes about creativity has shaped so many great people and icons throughout the world.

My favorite takeaway was to honor your authenticity - this is a theme that is always harped on, and for good reason. Another was the idea of monotasking - I am the queen of multi-tasking and maybe that's what's hindering my creativity. The book gives you so much to think about!

An okay book. I'm not sure I can label it an inspirational book about creativity, but it wasn't bad. Good examples of creativity, and a lot of personal stories from the author. I appreciate the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review.