Fire in the Crucible: Understanding the Process of Creative Genius

Very good condition, good price, received well within the allotted time span. Thank you

I'm a serious working artist with a full-time painting career, and have read a lot of books about the creative process. This is by far my favorite & the one I continue to read over and over again. I keep buying extra copies to give away to artist friends, and my own copy has that well worn patina from years of re-reading & underlining favorite bits. This is not a "history of creativity" book, nor a how-to book (like Lateral Thinking etc) - it's a deeply thoughtful, psychological, and philosophical exploration of what drives the creative process in any field, including the visual art, music, the sciences, writing, dance, business, etc. Briggs discusses many aspects of the creative personality - such as all those weird dualities (male/female, introvert/extrovert, lazy/workaholic), that make us feel different from other people, and why they are so essential to the creative process. He goes into great depth discussing the nuances of how an idea can take hold of you and keep you on track throughout your entire career, like a beacon in the fog. Any time I'm feeling out of sync with myself in the studio, I just open this book and feel like I'm part of something that makes sense again. Don't hesitate to get this book!

I read this book many years ago, and especially liked the chapter, As Above, So Below. It addresses how the arts embed elements that fire off and connect us to the Universal. An important and interesting book.