This is the mini-review of Bursts of Brilliance for a Creative Life I posted on Goodreads and Amazon:
I’ve followed Teresa Funke’s blog for a long time, so found this collection of essay-like blog posts delightful. Based on the author’s personal experiences and practiced observations, the entries show us that we are all creative in different ways, that every artist must find his own path to personal accomplishment and satisfaction, and that the acceptance and celebration of art, whether created by ourselves or others, enriches our lives in ways we might not expect.
Bursts of Brilliance for a Creative Life will show you how one creative entrepreneur has challenged herself to reach her goals. It may inspire you to challenge yourself as well.
I want to expand on those comments here and give you a few quotes.
About that frivolous muse from No Great Story Ever Started With “I Think I’ll take a Nap”
“Relationships take work. If you’re going to court your muse you need to give her some time and attention, She needs to know she matters.”
Teresa is so right about the need to set regular hours to do your creative work. That doesn’t mean you must establish a routine of 8 hours a day five days a week, but it does mean a regular schedule, even if that’s Saturday morning from 3 AM to 10 AM. The muse needs to know when to show up!
About doing things backwards or upside down for a change in How Doing Things Wrong Can Feel So Right
“Today shake up your routines, take a risk. Face your chair in the opposite direction, work in a new medium, write something in longhand instead of typing it out…”
In this piece, Teresa describes attending a painting class when her right arm hurt too much to hold the paint brush. She decided to paint with her left hand instead and found her “early preschool” painting process helped her create with more patience and a lot of laughter.
In the Conclusion:
“It’s never going to be easy to find time for our art, but we owe it to the dreamer inside each of us to somehow make it happen.”
With each blog post in this compilation, you’ll find something to inspire, motivate, or just make you think.
The Bursts of Brilliance for a Creative Life Launch Party will be Thursday, October 3, 2019 from 7 PM – 9 PM at Everyday Joe’s Coffee House, 144 S Mason St, Fort Collins, Colorado 80524.
Thanks for sharing. I’ve found it to be true that I write more and better if I write at a certain time of day.
Thanks for introducing us to a terrific book. I love the quotes you selected to share, and I will be checking out this book.
Thank you so much for stopping by, Maryann! Teresa has published her World War II series for kids as well as other WWII stories. My all-time favorite is Dancing in Combat Boots which is a collection of women’s stories from the war. She even performed a one-woman show with selections from that one. She’s a very versatile and creative lady.
I have certain hours in the evening that I write because I know from experience that’s when I work best.
For me, evenings are dead time. I go strong from from 6AM to mid-afternoon and it’s downhill after that. I think I’m getting old. 😀
Tsk, tsk, Pat! You’ll never be old. You’ve refined your schedule, that’s all.
Thanks for yet another great review!
Hi Janet! Refining my schedule is a great way to put it.
This sounds like a really interesting and helpful read, Pat. And what I like about it is that she taps her own experiences. That perspective gives a book a lot of authenticity, in my opinion.
Hi Margot! I find the personal experience anecdotes very valuable when trying to apply great advice to my own life. Teresa shares so much helpful information.
Good review of a fine book.
Teresa did a fine job of putting this collection together, didn’t she? Thanks for commenting, Brian.