A book full of advice and encouragement for grades 7-12 to bring more creativity to their lives

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Hazel loves to write. She is in the middle of writing multiple books though I never get to read them.  She also loves creating artwork. In fact she is signed up for an Art Masters Program this summer at her school. I'm so excited she is willing to try it. She usually says no to any summer program, but her art teacher talked her into it. I think one of the hardest things for her is putting her work out there for others to see. Her class does daily writing prompts and she comes home sharing what others have written for them but when I ask if she shares her writing she always says no. I want to encourage her to share her creativity with others including myself. Her work is beautiful and everyone who has read her writing is impressed with it. Today I am sharing a book written for someone like Hazel. It is Courageous Creativity: Advice and Encouragement for the Creative Life by Sara Zarr. 

From the Publisher:
Being creative takes courage.

It can be scary to create something. Before you can even work on your craft, you have to face down the fear of messing up or looking silly, the perfectionism that keeps you from even starting, and the negative voices inside your head that say you don't have anything valuable to offer.

Well, you do have something to offer! Being creative is a right, and in this book, National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr will help you get started. Her advice and encouragement are paired with exercises to help you face down your fears, let go of expectations, stop comparing yourself to others, and make your art with courage. A perfect gift for anyone who wants to be creative but doesn't know where to start, or for people who've been doing creativity for a while but want more inspiration, Courageous Creativity will empower readers to express themselves with self-confidence, bravery, and joy.

From Me:

This book is amazing! It gives readers permission to create, share it and fail and then recreate! It not only gives permission but gives steps to it all. It is divided into chapters where Sara shares her story as well as why we all have fears; claiming space and time to create; planning your creations; making your creations including fear of failure, warm-ups and dealing with expectations; sharing your creations; and taking a rest, fighting boredom and more. The book is presented in a way that is fun and easy to read. There are word art throughout it like on the sample page above. The advice is good and easy to understand plus the entire book is encouraging. This is the perfect book for the creative kids or kids who want to be creative but are just afraid to fail. I feel like it was written for Hazel. 

Let's face it, middle school and high school can be scary years. It is a time of discovery and where we learn more about ourselves. It is a time where we want to fit in but also a time to stand out. This book helps kids create and stand on their own. It gives permission to express themselves and to share their creations. It gives permission to fail and move on. It also gives guidelines about how to deal with critics of one's work. I truly love this book for any middle schooler or high schooler. It is a time where we should be encouraging them to create and express themselves and this book does just that. I hope you will check it out.