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Creativity

A Short and Cheerful Guide

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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

We can all be more creative. John Cleese shows us how.

Creativity is usually regarded as a mysterious, rare gift that only a few possess. John Cleese begs to differ, and in this short, immensely practical and often very amusing guide he shows it's a skill that anyone can acquire. Drawing on his lifelong experience as a writer, he shares his insights into the nature of the creative process, and offers advice on how to get your own inventive juices flowing.

What do you need to do to get yourself in the right frame of mind? When do you know that you've come up with something that might be worth pursuing? What do you do if you think you've hit a brick wall?

Not only does he explain the way your mind works as you search for inspiration, he also shows that, regardless of the task you've set yourself, you can learn to be better at coming up with a promising idea, refining it and knowing when you're ready to act on it.

We can all unlock new reserves of creativity within ourselves. John Cleese shows us how.

'Humorous and practical ... Whether you're hoping to write a novel or paint a masterpiece, you're sure to feel inspired' OK Magazine

'His candor is endearing ... An upbeat guide to the creative process' Kirkus

'A jovial romp ... Cleese fans will enjoy, and writers and other artists will breeze through, picking up a few nuggets of wisdom along the way' The Festival Review

'A sincere and thoughtful guide to creativity, and a very useful book' Graham Norton

'Wise words on the serious business of being silly' Sunday Business Post

© John Cleese 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

Art Creativity Creativity & Genius Personal Development Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Words, Language & Grammar Writing & Publishing

Critic reviews

A sincere and thoughtful guide to creativity, and a very useful book! (Graham Norton)
'[A] humorous and practical guide . . . Whether you're hoping to write a novel or paint a masterpiece, you're sure to feel inspired'
A versatile entertainer shares encouraging advice. . . his candour is endearing. An upbeat guide to the creative process.
Wise words on the serious business of being silly.
Drawing on his lifelong experience as a writer, John Cleese shares his insights into the nature of the creative process, and offers advice on how to get your own inventive juices flowing in this humorous and practical guide. (Daily Eastern Press)
A lovely read that I was given for Christmas was 'Creativity: A short and cheerful guide' by John Cleese. It's down to earth, easy to read and full of really great insights on how to channel your creativity. (Sally Pritchett)
All stars
Most relevant
Really got a lot out of this, wish there’d be a little bit more though, even just an extra hour would have been amazing. I will re-listen.

Great but too short

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John Cleese’s intelligence is always a pleasure. I had never thought of there being a system for being creative and concise but this is so simple and the concept of allowing a zone to play and then applying repeated review makes so much sense , not just for the arts but for anything that needs to be conceptualises or needs a fresh approach - I think this will change the way I do things in business and pleasure

Never heard a system for creativity so well explained

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This is a go to hours listen . Loved it - he is such a great story teller. I didnt want it to end really laugh of loud funny

A well spent hour

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John Cleese is a ln amazing genius 1 perfect hour i will repeat and share with others that I like

all self help books blasted out of the water

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As someone who is very creative pleasantly surprised to discover things I wasnt consciously aware off. as well as being reminded of other things I was but often take for granted. Length is perfect, narration is engaging and witty. My favourite book on Audible by far, inspired to finish writing mine now!!

Outstanding!!

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