creative visualisation book review

  • Health, Fitness & Dieting
  • Personal Health

Audible Logo

Buy new: $20.44 $20.44 + $5.64 Shipping & Import Fees Deposit. Ships from: Amazon Sold by: Palm Bro's

Buy used: $10.43.

Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet or computer – no Kindle device required .

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera, scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle app

Image Unavailable

Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create What You Want in Your Life

  • To view this video, download Flash Player

creative visualisation book review

Follow the author

Shakti Gawain

Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create What You Want in Your Life Paperback – Oct. 4 2010

Purchase options and add-ons.

  • Print length 192 pages
  • Language English
  • Publisher New World Library
  • Publication date Oct. 4 2010
  • Dimensions 14.61 x 1.27 x 21.59 cm
  • ISBN-10 1577312295
  • ISBN-13 978-1577312291
  • See all details

Frequently bought together

Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create What You Want in Your Life

What other items do customers buy after viewing this item?

Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create What You Want in Your Life

Product description

From library journal, about the author, product details.

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ New World Library; Anniversary edition (Oct. 4 2010)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1577312295
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1577312291
  • Item weight ‏ : ‎ 91 g
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 14.61 x 1.27 x 21.59 cm
  • #1,439 in Career Guides (Books)
  • #1,591 in Meditation (Books)
  • #4,494 in New Age Meditations

About the author

Shakti Gawain

Shakti is a pioneer in the field of personal development. For over twenty-five years, she has been a best-selling author and internationally renowned teacher of consciousness. Shakti has facilitated thousands of individuals in developing greater awareness, balance and wholeness in their lives.

Shakti has written numerous books considered classics in her field. Her distinguished publishing history includes best sellers Creative Visualization, Living in the Light, The Path of Transformation, Four Levels of Healing, Creating True Prosperity, and Developing Intuition. Her books have sold over 10 million copies and have been translated into more than thirty languages. She is the co-founder, with Marc Allen, of New World Library Publishing Company.

She has appeared on such nationally syndicated programs as The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning America, Sonya Live, The Larry King Show, The Leeza Show, America’s Talking and New Dimensions Radio, and has been featured in New Woman, New Age Journal, and Time Magazine.

Through her seminars and her books, Shakti helps people heal and develop all levels of their being — spiritual, mental, emotional, physical — and access their intuitive inner wisdom. Sharing the ideas and practices that have helped her the most in her own life, she guides others on their path to living more consciously. She facilitates us in finding deeper meaning and purpose through developing our unique gifts and abilities.

Shakti is a passionate environmentalist, who believes that as we bring more awareness to our daily lives, we can learn to live in balance on our planet.

Customer reviews

  • Sort reviews by Top reviews Most recent Top reviews

Top reviews from Canada

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. please try again later..

creative visualisation book review

Top reviews from other countries

creative visualisation book review

  • Amazon and Our Planet
  • Investor Relations
  • Press Releases
  • Amazon Science
  • Sell on Amazon
  • Supply to Amazon
  • Become an Affiliate
  • Protect & Build Your Brand
  • Sell on Amazon Handmade
  • Advertise Your Products
  • Independently Publish with Us
  • Host an Amazon Hub
  • Amazon.ca Rewards Mastercard
  • Shop with Points
  • Reload Your Balance
  • Amazon Currency Converter
  • Amazon Cash
  • Shipping Rates & Policies
  • Amazon Prime
  • Returns Are Easy
  • Manage your Content and Devices
  • Recalls and Product Safety Alerts
  • Customer Service
  • Conditions of Use
  • Privacy Notice
  • Interest-Based Ads
  • Amazon.com.ca ULC | 40 King Street W 47th Floor, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5H 3Y2 |1-877-586-3230

creative visualisation book review

  • Health, Family & Personal Development

Audible Logo

Buy new: ₹871.69

creative visualisation book review

Other Sellers on Amazon

Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet or computer – no Kindle device required .

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera, scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Image Unavailable

Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create What You Want in Your Life

  • To view this video download Flash Player

creative visualisation book review

Follow the author

Shakti Gawain

Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create What You Want in Your Life Paperback – 13 December 2016

  • Free Delivery

10 days Replacement

  • Amazon Delivered
  • Pay on Delivery
  • Secure transaction

Replacement Instructions

creative visualisation book review

Purchase options and add-ons

  • Print length 200 pages
  • Language English
  • Publisher New World Library
  • Publication date 13 December 2016
  • Dimensions 13.97 x 1.27 x 21.59 cm
  • ISBN-10 1608684644
  • ISBN-13 978-1608684649
  • See all details

Frequently bought together

Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create What You Want in Your Life

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

SILVA MIND CONTROL METHOD

Product description

About the author, product details.

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ New World Library; 40th Anniversary edition (13 December 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 200 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1608684644
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1608684649
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 227 g
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 13.97 x 1.27 x 21.59 cm
  • #1,485 in Creativity (Books)
  • #47,008 in Personal Transformation

About the author

Shakti Gawain

Shakti is a pioneer in the field of personal development. For over twenty-five years, she has been a best-selling author and internationally renowned teacher of consciousness. Shakti has facilitated thousands of individuals in developing greater awareness, balance and wholeness in their lives.

Shakti has written numerous books considered classics in her field. Her distinguished publishing history includes best sellers Creative Visualization, Living in the Light, The Path of Transformation, Four Levels of Healing, Creating True Prosperity, and Developing Intuition. Her books have sold over 10 million copies and have been translated into more than thirty languages. She is the co-founder, with Marc Allen, of New World Library Publishing Company.

She has appeared on such nationally syndicated programs as The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning America, Sonya Live, The Larry King Show, The Leeza Show, America’s Talking and New Dimensions Radio, and has been featured in New Woman, New Age Journal, and Time Magazine.

Through her seminars and her books, Shakti helps people heal and develop all levels of their being — spiritual, mental, emotional, physical — and access their intuitive inner wisdom. Sharing the ideas and practices that have helped her the most in her own life, she guides others on their path to living more consciously. She facilitates us in finding deeper meaning and purpose through developing our unique gifts and abilities.

Shakti is a passionate environmentalist, who believes that as we bring more awareness to our daily lives, we can learn to live in balance on our planet.

Customer reviews

Reviews with images.

Customer Image

  • Sort reviews by Top reviews Most recent Top reviews

Top reviews from India

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. please try again later..

creative visualisation book review

Top reviews from other countries

creative visualisation book review

  • Press Releases
  • Amazon Science
  • Sell on Amazon
  • Sell under Amazon Accelerator
  • Protect and Build Your Brand
  • Amazon Global Selling
  • Become an Affiliate
  • Fulfilment by Amazon
  • Advertise Your Products
  • Amazon Pay on Merchants
  • COVID-19 and Amazon
  • Your Account
  • Returns Centre
  • 100% Purchase Protection
  • Amazon App Download
  • Netherlands
  • United Arab Emirates
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
  • Conditions of Use & Sale
  • Privacy Notice
  • Interest-Based Ads

Readers Books Club

Creative Visualization

Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain helps us to understand the power of creative visualization and how it unlocks the closed doors on whom you have knocked a lot of times. This book teaches us to use the power of our imagination to create what we want in life & methods for using mental imagery and affirmation to produce positive change.

Today we will learn about such a powerful book, from which you will understand the power of creative visualization. The book Creative Visualization, Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create What You Want in Your Life, written by Shakti Gawain. This book teaches us to use the power of our imagination to create what we want in life & methods for using mental imagery and affirmation to produce positive change. Today, creative visualization techniques are used successfully in health, athletics, business, education, and the creative arts.

This book has been told in 6 parts; let’s understand them one by one in detail.

Chapter 1. The basics of creative visualization

What is Creative Visualization?

Creative visualization is using your imagination to create what you want in your life. It is your natural power of imagination, the primary creative energy of the universe, which you constantly use, whether or not you are aware of it.

This book is about learning to use your natural creative imagination more consciously as a technique to create what you truly want, love, fulfillment, enjoyment, and satisfying relationships. The use of creative visualization gives us a key to tapping into the natural goodness and bounty of life.

Imagination is creating an idea, a mental picture, or a feeling sense of something. In creative visualization, you use your imagination to create a clear image, thought, or feeling of something you wish to manifest. Then you focus on the idea, feeling, or picture regularly, giving it positive energy until it becomes an objective reality.

Creative Visualization

For example, you are feeling unsatisfied with your current job situation. If you think the job is right for you, but some factors need improvement, imagine the upgrades you desire. If that doesn’t work, or if you feel you would prefer a new job, then focus on imagining yourself in the employment situation you want.

Get relaxed into a deep, quiet, meditative state of mind, and imagine that you are working in your ideal job. Repeat this short, simple exercise often, twice a day or whenever you think about it. If your desire and intention to change are clear, you may find some shift in your work reasonably soon.

How does creative visualization work? To understand, it’s helpful to look at several interrelated principles:

1. The physical universe is energy

Our physical universe is not composed of any “matter”; its primary component is a kind of force or essence that we call energy. Physically, we are all energy, and everything within and around us is energy. Furthermore, all forms of energy are interrelated and can affect one another.

2. Energy is magnetic

One law of energy is this: Energy of a certain quality or vibration tends to attract the power of a similar quality and vibration. For example, thoughts and feelings have their magnetic energy that attracts energy of a similar nature.

3. Form follows idea

Thought is a quick, light, mobile form of energy. It manifests instantaneously, unlike denser forms such as matter. Therefore, when we create something, we always make it first in thought form.

4. The law of radiation and attraction

This is the principle that whatever you put into the universe will be reflected in you. “As you sow, so shall you reap.” When we are negative and fearful, insecure or anxious, we often attract the same experiences, situations, or people we seek to avoid.

5. A simple exercise in creative visualization

The primary creative visualization technique: Think of something you would like. For this exercise, choose something simple that you can easily imagine attaining. It might be an object you would like to have, an event you would like to have to happen, a situation in which you’d like to find yourself, or some circumstance in your life you’d like to improve.

Get in a comfortable position, sitting or lying down, in a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed. Relax your body completely. Breathe deeply and slowly from your belly. Count down slowly from ten to one, feeling more deeply relaxed with each count. When you feel deeply relaxed, start to imagine what you want exactly as you would like. If it is an object, imagine yourself using it, admiring it, enjoying it, and showing it to friends.

Do this process only as long as you find it enjoyable and exciting. For example, it could be five minutes or half an hour. Repeat every day or as often as you can.

It’s essential to relax.

Creative Visualization Book

It’s important to relax deeply when first learning to use creative visualization. When your body and mind are deeply relaxed, your brain wave pattern changes and becomes slower. This deeper, slower level is called the alpha level, while your usual busy waking consciousness is called the beta level.

The alpha level is a healthy state of consciousness because of its relaxing effect on the mind and body. It is perfect for creative visualization at night, before sleeping, or in the morning just after awakening because, at those times, the mind and body are already profoundly relaxed and receptive.

Chapter 2. How to visualize?

Many people wonder exactly what is meant by the term “visualize.” Some worry because they don’t actually “see” a mental picture or image when they close their eyes and try to visualize. When some people first try to imagine, they feel that “nothing is happening.” Don’t get stuck on the term “visualize.” It is not at all necessary to mentally see an image.

Close your eyes and relax deeply. Think of some standard room such as your bedroom or living room. Imagine yourself walking into the room and lying on a comfortable chair, couch, or bed. Remember the experience as vividly as possible, and enjoy the pleasurable sensations again. Whatever process you used to bring these scenes to your mind is your way of “visualization.”

Four basic steps for creative visualization

Step 1. Set Your Goal Decide on something you would like to have, work toward, realize, or create. It can be on any level, a job, a house, a relationship, a change in yourself, increased prosperity, a happier state of mind, improved health, beauty, a better physical condition, solving a problem in your family or community, or whatever. Choose goals that are relatively easy for you to believe in and that you feel are possible to realize shortly.

Step 2. Create a Clear Idea, a mental picture, or a feeling of the object or situation exactly as you want it. It would help if you thought of it in the present tense as already existing the way you want it to be.

Step 3. Focus on It Often Bring your idea or mental picture to mind often, both in quiet meditation periods and casually throughout the day when you think of it. In this way, it becomes an integrated part of your life, becomes more of a reality for you, and you project it more successfully.

Step 4. Give It Positive Energy As you focus on your goal, think positively and encouragingly. Make strong positive statements to yourself: that it exists, has come, or is now coming to you. See yourself receiving or achieving it. Continue to work with this process until you reach your goal.

Chapter 3. Using creative visualization

The basic technique of creative visualization is simple. The important thing now is to learn to use it in a way that works for you. That helps you to make positive changes in your life.

The most important thing to remember is to use creative visualization to make it a regular part of your life. You have a standard creative visualization meditation period for fifteen minutes or so each morning when you wake up, each evening before sleeping, and in the middle of the day if you can manage that. Always start your meditation periods with deep relaxation, then follow with any visualizations or affirmations you wish. 

Two things I have found most important in my growth process with creative visualization are:

Regular reading of inspiring and supportive books helps to keep me in touch with my highest ideals .

1. Having a friend or (ideally) a community of friends who are also tuned into learning to live more consciously will support you and help you in your efforts.

Creative Visualization Summary

We can think of life as containing three aspects, and we can call those aspects being, doing, and having and being in the essential experience of being alive and conscious. It is the experience we have when we’re entirely focused on the present moment, the experience of being complete and at rest within ourselves.

Doing is movement and activity. Its roots are in the natural creative energy that flows through every living thing and is the source of our vitality. Having is the state of being in a relationship with other people and things in the universe. It is the ability to allow and accept things and people into our lives to occupy the same space with them comfortably .

Three Necessary Elements

Three elements within you determine how successfully creative visualization will work for you in any given situation:

1. Desire- You must genuinely desire to have or create what you have chosen to visualize. Ask yourself, “Do I truly, in my heart, desire this goal to be realized?”

2. Belief- The more you believe in your chosen goal and the possibility of attaining it, the more certain you will be to do so. Ask yourself, “Do I believe this goal can exist?” and “Do I believe that I can realize or attain it?”

3. Acceptance- You must be willing to accept and have what you seek.

The total of these three elements is what I call your intention. When you have the firm intention to create something, you sincerely desire it, believe that you can do it, and are willing to have it.

Creative Visualization English

The only effective way to use creative visualization is in the spirit of the course of the Tao, “going with the flow.” That means that you don’t have to exert effort to get where you want to go; you keep clearly in mind where you would like to go and then patiently and harmoniously follow the flow of the river of life until it takes you there. Going with the flow means holding onto your goals lightly (even though they may seem very important) and being willing to change .

If you have a lot of heavy emotions riding on whether you attain your goal, you will tend to work against yourself. In your fear of not getting what you want, you may be energizing the idea of not getting it as much or more than you are energizing the goal itself.

An essential part of the creative visualization process is developing a sense of prosperity. This means understanding or consciously taking the point of view that the universe is abundant. Everything you truly need or want is here for the asking; you only need to believe that it is so, truly desire it, and be willing to accept it.

One of the most common causes of failure when seeking what you want is “scarcity programming.” This is an attitude or set of beliefs about life. They are based on a need for more understanding of the universe’s workings or misunderstanding some essential spiritual principles. For example, the truth about this earth is that it is an infinitely good, beautiful, nourishing place. The only “evil” comes from a lack of understanding of this truth .

Chapter 4: Meditation and affirmation

Sit comfortably with your back straight, either in a chair or cross-legged on the floor. Close your eyes, breathe slowly and deeply, counting down from ten to one until you feel deeply relaxed. This meditation keeps you balanced between the cosmic energy of vision, fantasy, and imagination.

Meditation is for healing, purifying your body, and getting your energy flowing. Imagine a glowing sphere of golden light surrounding the top of your head. Breathe deeply and slowly in and out five times while you focus on the light globe, feeling it radiate from the top of your head .

Start using creative visualization to create a sanctuary within yourself where you can go anytime you want to. Close your eyes and relax in a comfortable position. Imagine yourself in a beautiful natural environment. It can be any place that mountaintop, in the forest, beside the sea. It could even be under the ocean or on another planet. It should feel comfortable, pleasant, and peaceful to you. Now do anything you would like to make the place more homelike and comfortable.

All of us have tremendous wisdom and knowledge right within us. It is available to us through the intuitive mind, our connection with Universal Intelligence. An inner guide is a higher part of yourself, which can come to you in many different forms, but usually comes in the form of a person or being whom you can talk to and relate to as a wise and loving friend.

Chapter 5: Special techniques

It’s an excellent idea to start a notebook that can serve as your creative visualization workbook. For example, you may write down affirmations that you hear or think. There are many other creative ways to use your notebooks, such as recording your dreams, goals, and fantasies, keeping a journal, inspiring thoughts and ideas or quotes from books and songs that are meaningful to you, drawing pictures, etc.

# Few suggestions for starting your notebook:

1. Affirmations: Write down your favorite affirmations. Then, you can list them all on one page.

2. Outflow list: List how you can outflow your energy to the world and others around you, both generally and specifically.

3. Success list: Make a list of everything you feel you are a success at, have been a success at, or have done successfully at some time in your life.

4. Appreciation list: Make a list of everything you can think of that you are incredibly thankful for or especially appreciate having in your life.

5. Fantasies & creative ideas: Jot down any beliefs, plans, dreams for the future, or innovative ideas that come to you.

Creative Visualization Hindi

6. Clearing: In learning to use creative visualization, you may get in touch with blocks in yourself that hold you back from attaining your highest good. A “block” is a place where energy is constricted — not moving, not flowing. Usually, blocks are caused initially by repressed emotions of fear, sadness, guilt, self-criticism, and resentment (anger), which cause a person to tighten up and close down spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and even physically. In dealing with a block on any level, the keys to this are:

1. Mental and emotional acceptance of what you are feeling.

2. Clear observation leads to an understanding of the root of the problem, which is often a limiting attitude or belief.

The trick is to simultaneously love and accept yourself compassionately for having this belief and, at the same time, see that you are ready to let go of it because it is limiting, destructive, self-defeating, and untrue.

Chapter 6: Setting Goals

The trickiest part of getting what you want is just figuring out what you want! However, as soon as I have a primary, firm intention to create a particular thing, it manifests almost immediately (often within hours or days of getting clear about it) with minimal effort involved. I experience this as a kind of “click” in my consciousness when I suddenly get a powerful experience of what I want and an equally intense experience that I’m going to get it .

Discovering what you want in your life can be facilitated by the process of setting goals. I often find it helpful to do some exercises with pen and paper, which I share with you here. When setting goals, keeping a few things in mind is essential. First, remember that setting goals do not mean that you are stuck with those goals. You can change them as often as you want and feel it’s necessary. Remember that setting goals do not mean pursuing them through effort, striving, or struggling. It does not mean you have to become emotionally addicted to achieving them .

Creative visualization can take the form of mental imagery, spoken or written words, or a physical image or picture. Anything that helps you to create a straightforward “blueprint” to put out in the universe is an aid in creative visualization. This exercise helps you to create a clear picture through written words.

The process of doing it helps you get more explicit about what you really want, and it allows you to manifest it. I use it for all my essential goals. Keep your ideal scene in your notebook, on your desk, near your bed, or hang it on your wall.

Chapter 7: Treasure Maps

Making a “treasure map” is a powerful and fun technique. A treasure map is an actual, physical picture of your desired reality. It is valuable because it forms a prominent, sharp image that can attract and focus energy on your goal. You can make a treasure map by drawing, painting, or collaging using pictures and words cut from magazines, books, or cards.

# Guidelines that will help you make the most effective treasure maps:

1. Create a treasure map for a single goal

2. You can make it any size that’s convenient for you.

3. Be sure to put yourself in the picture. For a very realistic effect, use a photograph of yourself.

4. Show the situation in its ideal, complete form, as if it already exists.

5. Use lots of color in your treasure map to increase the power and impact on your consciousness.

Chapter 8: Creative visualization in relationships

One of the most valuable ways we can use creative visualization is in improving our relationships. In a relationship, as in everything else, we get precisely what we believe in, expect, and “ask for” on our most profound levels. The people we are in relationships with are always a mirror, reflecting our own beliefs, and simultaneously we are mirrors, reflecting their beliefs. A relationship with another human being is one of the most powerful tools for growth; if we look honestly at our relationships we can see so much about how we have created them.

# Some things you can do to help you with your relationships:

1. Look at your goals in the relationship. What do you truly want out of this relationship?

2. Take a good honest look at what beliefs and attitudes keep you from creating what you want.

3. Use visualization to improve a problematic relationship.

Relax into a deep, quiet, meditative state of mind; imagine the two of you relating and communicating openly, honestly, and effectively. Imagine telling this person anything you need to share to clear things up between you. Imagine the person listening and hearing you, then saying anything they need to say, with you listening in return.

Chapter 9: Living creatively

Creative visualization is not just a technique but a state of consciousness. It is a consciousness in which we deeply realize that we are the continuous creators of our universe, and we take responsibility for that every moment.

There is no separation between God and us; we are divine expressions of the creative principle on this level of existence. There can be no real lack or scarcity; we have nothing to try to achieve or attract; we contain the potential for everything within us. Manifestation through creative visualization is realizing and making our divine potential visible on the physical plane.

The author says, I like to think of myself as an artist, and my life is my most significant work of art. Every moment is a moment of creation, and each moment contains infinite possibilities. I can do things the way I’ve always done and try something new, different, and potentially more rewarding. Every moment presents a unique opportunity and a recent decision.

Creative Visualization Book Review

Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain is an eye-opening and inspiring book that has profoundly impacted my journey toward self-improvement. Gawain introduces the concept of creative visualization, a powerful technique involving imagination to manifest our desires and goals.

Gawain provides practical exercises and real-life examples throughout the book to help readers develop their visualization skills. I found these exercises incredibly effective in bringing clarity to my thoughts and intentions, allowing me to harness the power of my mind to create positive changes in my life.

One of the most valuable lessons I learned from this book is aligning our thoughts and emotions with our goals. Doing so creates a magnetic force that attracts the resources and opportunities needed to achieve our dreams.

Creative Visualization is a comprehensive guide to understanding and applying visualization principles daily. Gawain’s writing is clear, concise, and warm and wise, making the book enjoyable and enlightening.

In conclusion, Creative Visualization is a must-read for anyone looking to unlock their full potential and create a life of happiness, abundance, and success. This book has truly transformed my perspective on the power of our thoughts and the limitless possibilities within our imagination.

Similar Books

Good Vibes Good Life

Good Vibes Good Life

The Secret

Be What You Wish

Grow Rich With the Power of your Subconscious Mind

Grow Rich With The Power Of Your Subconscious Mind

Heal Your Body

Heal Your Body

how-to-attract-money

How To Attract Money

Mental Diets

Mental Diets

The Secret to Love Health and Money by Rhonda Byrne

The Secret to Love, Health, and Money

The Strangest Secret

The Strangest Secret

The Map to Abundance

The Map to Abundance

Ask and It Is Given

Ask and It Is Given

129 thoughts on “creative visualization”.

I completely read this book , I’m set mentally, Thank you Amit sir .

For give us the wonderful opportunity to read book online With best regards ❤️ Pradhan

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Join Our Free Newsletter and never miss latest book summaries!

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Affiliate Disclosure

logo 12min

Start growing!

Boost your life and career with the best book summaries.

Home » Creative Visualization PDF Summary

Creative Visualization Summary

Emir Zecovic | Posted on June 6, 2018 |

6 min read ⌚ 

Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create What You Want in Your Life

What if you can create the future of your own choosing using nothing more but the power of your imagination?

In 1978, Shakti Gawain became one of the very first people to posit that question, contemplate it thoroughly, and, fascinatingly, adorn it with an affirmative answer.

“ Creative Visualization”  is the book-length solution to the quandary.

Who Should Read “Creative Visualization”? And Why?

“Creative Visualization” is basically “ The Secret”  three decades before “The Secret.”

So, if you like Rhonda Byrne’s classic – or any of the many self-help books which aim to help you make positive changes to your life by teaching you how to think positively – you’ll certainly like Shakti Gawain’s pioneering book as well.

Read it if you want to find an encouragement and revolutionize your life.

Especially if you need some helping hand to take you out of the gutter.

About Shakti Gawain

Shakti Gawain is an iconic personal development and New Age thinker and author.

Born as Carol Louisa Gawain, she obtained a degree in fine arts and dance from the University of California in the mid-1970s.

Soon after – in 1978 – she published her debut book, “Creative Visualization” which has been a bestselling book ever since.

She went on to write few other classics of the similar kind, such as “The Path of Transformation,” “Living in the Light,” “Four Levels of Healing,” “Developing Intuition,” and “Creating True Prosperity.”

All in all, her books have sold more than 10 million copies and have so far appeared in editions in no less than thirty countries and languages.

Gawain is the co-founder (with Marc Allen) of the New World Library Publishing Company.

“Creative Visualization PDF Summary”

Remember Des’ree?

Of course you do.

And remember her 1994 hit about “the affirmative powers of self-confidence” titled “You Gotta Be”?

If not – here’s a reminder:

There’s a reason why we started our summary with Des’ree’s “You Gotta Be.”

Because that song is basically “Creative Visualization” put to music.

Uncoincidentally, we may add, since Des’ree actually wrote it while drawing inspiration from this very book to get over a painful break-up.

But, then again, she’s not the only one.

Whether consciously or unconsciously, numerous sports superstars – such as LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Tiger Woods, Carli Lloyd, Kerri Walsh Jennings… – use visualization techniques to improve their game.

And swear by its effectiveness!

Well, “Creative Visualization” is the book where it all started.

You already know the basic premise: think positively and positive things will happen; envisage what you want to do, and your body will move you forward to do it; visualize the finish line before the starting pistol has even fired, and you’ll get to it first.

But why should something like that work?

Well, think of it this way!

If you are a painter and you want to paint, say, a group portrait of some historical figures, you first have to see the final image in your head, then sketch their positions, and only then move to its execution.

Just the same, you can’t start writing a book if you don’t know how it will finish and it’s basically impossible to assemble correctly the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle if you don’t have the big final picture in your head at all times.

Well, the same is true with your life:

Let us imagine that life is a river. Most people are clinging to the bank, afraid to let go and risk being carried along by the current of the river. At a certain point, each of us must be willing to simply let go and trust the river to carry us along safely. At this point, we learn to ‘go with the flow’ — and it feels wonderful. Once we have become accustomed to being in the flow of the river, we can begin to look ahead and guide our course onward, deciding where the course looks best, steering the way around boulders and snags, and choosing which of the many channels and branches of the river we prefer to follow, all the while still ‘going with the flow.’

But – you may wonder – how does it work?

Or, in other words, does creative visualization has a surer scientific or philosophical foundation?

Well, according to Gawain, it does.

The key is to use the power of your “ alpha waves”  which originate from your brain’s occipital lobe during the minutes of “wakeful relaxation with closed eyes;” or, in more practical terms, just before you go to sleep, the few moments after you wake up, during meditation , or while you’re calmly listening to a flowing river or the wind rustling through the forest leaves.

Well, these alpha waves, according to Gawain, are the ones which connect us with the energy waves controlling the future, emanating and streaming through the universe around us.

And when we creatively visualize, we are actively participating in the dialogue between the energies.

Just like in love, the more you give, the more you receive back. Send care and affection, and the universe will respond to you caringly and affectedly.

As the Bible says: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

Key Lessons from “Creative Visualization”

1.      Creative Visualization is the Art of Changing Your Life with the Power of Your Thoughts 2.      Three Prerequisites: Affirmations, Self-Love, and Belief 3.      Tips for Successful Creative Visualization

Creative Visualization is the Art of Changing Your Life with the Power of Your Thoughts

Picture this:

A colleague of yours is constantly taunting you in the office about minor things and it is obvious that he doesn’t like you.

But, do you: a) play out in your mind the quarrel you’re inevitably going to have with him in the near future; or b) think about a peaceful conversation you’re going to have with him after which you’ll transcend your disagreements become best friends.

B is, obviously, the better-case scenario, but, if you are like us, you are probably obsessed with A.

Well, the “creative visualization” technique says that you’ll reap what you’ve sowed, i.e., if you think about A, you’ll unavoidably get A in the end.

So, why won’t you start thinking about B?

Three Prerequisites: Affirmations, Self-Love, and Belief

If you have problem visualizing, then start with daily affirmations. You don’t have to see images. You can just talk yourself up. Think of Des’ree’s song and the way it sometimes makes you feel.

An important prerequisite for a successful creative visualization, is love. If you don’t love yourself first, you won’t get in touch with your energy. So, accept the outcome first – and then start visualizing.

Also – believe!

Because doubt is creative visualization’s greatest enemy.

Tips for Successful Creative Visualization

Few things you can do to make sure that your creative visualization will succeed.

First, quiet down your mind and set a clear goal before yourself. You can even play some music if that “quiets down” your brain.

Use all five senses and be as realistic as possible.

Also, don’t repress the bad thoughts that will inevitable come. Acknowledge them and try to meander around them. Otherwise, they will emerge victorious.

Finally, say it out loud: “I’m going to make this thing happen. You just sit and watch!”

Like this summary? We’d like to invite you to download our free 12 min app , for more amazing summaries and audiobooks.

“Creative Visualization Quotes”

Every moment of your life is infinitely creative and the universe is endlessly bountiful. Just put forth a clear enough request, and everything your heart truly desires must come to you. Click To Tweet

We always attract into our lives whatever we think about most, believe most strongly, expect on the deepest level, and imagine most vividly. Click To Tweet

The clearer and stronger your intention, the more quickly and easily your creative visualization will work. Click To Tweet

We have to understand in a deep way that having what we truly want in life contributes to the general state of human happiness and supports others in creating more happiness for themselves. Click To Tweet

Once we have become accustomed to being in the flow of the river, we can begin to look ahead and guide our course onward. Click To Tweet

creative visualisation book review

Our Critical Review

When it appeared in 1978, “Creative Visualization” launched a movement which, if not the phrase itself, made the philosophy behind it one of the most popular and most well-known in the personal development field.

Four decades – and countless of imitators – later, the book is still widely read and used in almost every single field of human endeavor.

And when a personal development book is as popular half a century after first seeing the day as in the first few years after it was published – then it’s undoubtedly a book which has struck a profound cord of the human nature.

So, even though we think that it’s just too New Age to tickle our fancy, we won’t try to discourage you from reading it.

Emir Zecovic

Emir is the Head of Marketing  at 12min . In his spare time, he loves to meditate and play soccer.

logo 12min

Improve Your Reading Habits in 28 days

Explore key insights and ideas from 2500+ titles in audio and text

Start Now for Free

logo 12min

Start learning at the speed of today's world.

  • All authors
  • Technology & Innovation
  • #StayAtHome
  • Startups & Entrepreneurship
  • Children’s Books
  • Career & Business
  • Biographies & Memoirs
  • Spirituality & Mindfulness
  • Society & Politics
  • Sex & Relationships
  • Self Help & Motivation
  • Investments & Finance
  • History & Philosophy
  • Health & Diet
  • Corporate Culture & Communication
  • Productivity & Time Management
  • Personal Development
  • Marketing & Sales
  • Management & Leadership
  • Good old times
  • 12min Originals
  • Affiliates Program
  • Terms of Use
  • Join 12min Team

Website language:

What if you could read 3 books per day?

3000+ book summaries await you for free on 12min.

creative visualisation book review

Want to learn from the world’s best nonfiction books in just 12 minutes?

The creative visualization workbook: Practical exercise manual

creative visualisation book review

Summary and book review of “The creative visualization workbook: Practical exercise manual”: The Creative Visualisation Workbook gives us the practical and tangible tools to use creative visualization on a daily basis and as a result, enables us to set our goals, aspirations and objectives and how to achieve them.

By Shakti Gawain, 2011 (Trédaniel edition), 153 pages. Note: This guest column was written by Geneviève Pétré of the blog “Mompreneurs en ligne”, the blog for entrepreneurial mothers.

Who is Shakti Gawain  

“Shakti Gawain is a pioneer in personal development and awareness. Her books have sold more than ten million copies and have been translated into thirty languages. She gives seminars worldwide.”

Book review and summary of “The creative visualization workbook: a practical exercise manual”

Introduction.

Shakti Gawain explains that this handbook of practical exercises complements her theoretical book entitled “Creative visualization techniques”. She recommends that we read it to understand some of the concepts. However, she tells us that the handbook can be read and used effectively on its own. There are also 2 audio recordings in English entitled: Creative visualization.

This practical exercise manual allows us to take our first steps in creative visualization in a straightforward, fun, and productive way.

There are various techniques to integrate creative visualization into everyday life so that it becomes second nature.

In the first part, we will look at the basic techniques.

Second part, we will learn to set clear and concise objectives.

Third part, we will understand how to realize and cleanse our negative thoughts.

Fourth part, we will be able to use the basic techniques for all areas of life.

Fifth part, we will see how to connect with her intuition, creativity, and positivity .

Together let’s discover these techniques that I have used unwaveringly. Each day they lead me to a more fulfilled life , of my choice.

Basic techniques of creative visualization

Creative visualization is how to imagine, as clearly and precisely as possible, what we want to achieve in our lives and how we want it to happen, in order to get a sense of how life would be if it were so.

This visualization can be done at any time of the day and can become a means to create positivity in all aspects of life.

Here are the 4 basic exercises , which are easy and effective and can be put into practice immediately:

The pink bubble technique

The creative visualization workbook: Practical exercise manual

Sit or lie down, relax and imagine that what you want in your life has already happened, visualize it clearly and the feelings associated with it.

Then place this image in a pink bubble , the color associated with the heart, and let the bubble escape and float in the universe. It symbolizes that you have let go and have confidence in the opportunities that life offers.

This can be done once or daily with the same image.

Written statement

The creative visualization workbook: Practical exercise manual

Write a positive statement about yourself and express it in the present as: “I complete the exercises in the practical exercise handbook”.

By writing this statement, be aware of the meaning of each word. Rewrite it several times a day.

If there are fears, doubts or negativity in your mind when you do this, write them all down and create positive statements to overcome them.

Here is an example of fear:

“ I’m afraid I don’t have the time .”

And here is an example to neutralize this fear:

“ I will make the time to complete the exercises in the practical exercise manual .”

This exercise can be done several times a day over a few days until negative thoughts are erased.

The ideal picture

The creative visualization workbook: Practical exercise manual

©coco – Fotolia

Choose a major goal , short or long term.

On a piece of paper, write an “ideal scenario” with a very detailed description , as if you were in the process of experiencing it.

At the bottom of this page, include and say the following statement:

“This dream of mine, or something even better, is now fulfilled in the best possible way and everyone will benefit.”

You can then look at this ideal scenario, read it again, and think about it regularly.

Sometimes people even forget about their ideal scenario before they realise that it has actually come true!

Treasure map

The creative visualization workbook: Practical exercise manual

Similar to a blueprint, draw or paste images that fit your objective.

Each objective or sphere of life can have a different treasure map or you can put all of it on the same treasure map.

To give it even more impact, you can add a photo or drawing of yourself.

The images must be accurate, in order to properly reflect the dreams.

Put this treasure map where you will often see it.

Don’t worry about the logistics or how you get things done, it’s the final goal that must be portrayed in a way that is both achievable and positive.

A symbol of the power of the universe, such as a sun, a Buddha or a God, can be put on the map.

Underneath your treasure map, also include and say this statement:

At the end of this first part, there are blank pages provided for the following exercises:

  • Describe “your ideal scenario”.
  • Make “your treasure map”
  • Write “your statements”.
  • Cleanse “your negative thoughts”

This chapter of The Creative Visualisation Workbook invites us to reflect upon our short and long-term objectives and to assess them.

We all have objectives, goals, ambitions, and dreams. Even if our goal is not specific or simply to live life in the present moment, it is still a goal.

The creative visualization workbook: Practical exercise manual

If you are inclined to want to control everything, just try to relax and go with the flow.

If you are prone to disorganization, set priorities in your objectives and act on them.

What you need to know about, when you develop objectives :

  • For short-term objectives: be realistic , i.e. define objectives that are easily achievable in order to build self-confidence.
  • For long-term goals: be optimistic , think big and let your imagination run wild.
  • Think about the ultimate goal : not the steps in-between.
  • Be relaxed and let go , let things develop at their own pace.

Bear in mind that some of your goals and aspirations may change, so be flexible.

To achieve these goals, the most important thing is to try different things , have faith in your imagination and your ability to be creative.

The creative visualization workbook: Practical exercise manual

As with the written statements, write them in the present.

Short-term objectives:

  • I open a savings account and pay 100 euros into it.
  • I walk outside for 1 hour a day and it relaxes me.
  • And, I feel more in touch with my feelings and I can express my emotions.

Long-term objectives:

  • I take the trip of my dreams to Latin America.
  • I buy a house with a large garden and an open fire, not far from my work.

In this second part, blank pages are provided for the following exercises:

I am more in touch with my feelings and can express my emotions.

Define “your future goals”:

  • 1-month objectives
  • 6-month objectives
  • 1-year objectives
  • 2-year objectives
  • 5-year objective
  • 10-year objectives
  • Life objectives

Cleansing yourself

What is cleansing?

One of the cornerstones of creative visualization is that the more positive our beliefs, emotions and attitudes , the closer we come to our inner self, or our true mind and soul, and the more the creative energy of the universe enables us to achieve them.

Therefore, it’s essential to purge our negative thoughts, which means you have to be aware of them, eliminate them, and turn them into positive thoughts.

The creative visualization workbook: Practical exercise manual

©Photo-K – Fotolia

Cleansing can be done on a physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual level.

There are different ways to do this. The different forms of psychotherapy, body therapies, such as yoga, massage, and many other forms of therapy, are all ways to purify ourselves from our negativity.

The important thing is to be fully aware of negative thoughts , in order to be able to free ourselves from them and to turn them into positive ones.

Basic cleansing method

  • When I feel that a goal is difficult to achieve, I write the goal as a positive statement , in the present, as if it had already been achieved.
  • I am aware of all the negative elements and thoughts that stand in the way of achieving this goal and I take note of them.
  • I make positive statements called “clarifying statements” that neutralize these negative thoughts.
  • And, I regularly revisit, focus, and/or meditate on these positive statements until I cleanse negative thoughts.

In this section, pages are provided for the following exercises:

  • What stops me from achieving what I want
  • Clarifying statement : positive statements that counteract negative thoughts

Forgiveness and freedom

Forgive and free others

It is important to forgive others, in order to free oneself from anger, grudges, and/or resentment.

Shakti Gawain suggests that, at some point, we make a list of the people who hurt us and imagine a conversation with them, to explain how we feel, and then tell them that we forgive them.

  • For each person, say:

“I forgive you and set you free. Go and be happy. ”

Forgive yourself and free yourself

  • To free yourself from guilt, you have to forgive yourself.
  • The author suggests that we make a list of the people we have hurt and imagine that we ask them for forgiveness for what we have done.
  • “I forgive myself and absolve myself of all guilt, here, now and forever! “

In this section, blank pages are provided for the following exercises:

  • The people who have hurt you in your life
  • Forgive yourself and free yourself  

Negative thought patterns

Now that we know how to create a positive state of mind  with the use of positive thoughts, there is now a desire to cleanse our negative thoughts.

However, it is important to understand that we should not suppress them, but be conscious of them in order to be able to purify them more easily.

Some negative thoughts are harder to identify. For example, there are prejudices, preconceptions or things that are just part of everyday life.

There are lots of negative thoughts in all cultures.

Shakti Gawain lists the 6 most common negative thoughts that we can change by the creation of our own written positive statements:

“I have no power. “

It’s common to feel victimized by the events of life and this is linked to the notion that we have no power over our lives. In this situation, it’s important to accept the responsibility that we create our lives.

“I don’t have enough.”

Many people believe that they will not have enough time, love, money, vitality, etc. The very thought that you don’t have enough will lead you to not have enough. Therefore, it’s necessary to affirm that we have more than enough.

“Life is a struggle. “

When we think that life is difficult, that everything is complicated and that we must earn everything we get, our thoughts become reality and lead to an unhappy life. Therefore we have to declare that we have the right to be happy , cheerful and to have a good life.

“I don’t deserve it. “

If we think that we are not intelligent, appreciative, and gifted enough and that we do not deserve to be loved, appreciated and happy, it will cause us to not love ourselves and not be loved. Therefore we need to declare that we love ourselves, are talented and that we deserve the happiness of lov e and being loved.

“I’m afraid of failure, of power. “

The fear of success is as common as the fear of failure . In both cases, we are afraid of rejection by others or not able to accept success or failure.

Therefore we need to state the fact that we have the right to be ourselves without fear of judgment by others.

“I don’t trust myself. I don’t trust the universe. “

Sometimes it is difficult to let go, to let our intuition guide us, and to use our inner strength. Therefore we must state that we can trust ourselves and let ourselves be guided by our inner strength , in other words, our inner soul that guides us towards the discovery of the best that is in us.

The thought pattern process

Shakti Gawain invites us to work on our thoughts, either with a partner or record them so that we can listen to them.

The exercise consists of the following questions:

  • What area of your life is problematic?
  • What are the related emotions? (fear, sadness, anger, guilt)
  • What are the related physical sensations?
  • What are the associated negative thoughts? (worries, fears, etc.)
  • What would be the worst thing that could happen? And what is your biggest fear about this?
  • What would be the most beautiful thing that could happen? Your dream scenario concerning this?
  • What are the fears and the thoughts that hold you back on this subject?
  • What positive statements can overcome these negative thoughts?

Then repeat these positive statements alone, or with a partner, until the obstacles are overcome and you are confident.

Areas of expertise

Focus on specific areas of life

The creative visualization workbook: Practical exercise manual

©Violetkaipa – Fotolia

Shakti Gawain suggests that we practice the different techniques of creative visualization in all areas of life.

She advises to start with one or two areas of life that presently seem the most important and to focus on them for a while before proceeding to the other areas.

Here is how she breaks down the areas of life:

  • The relationship I have with myself
  • The relationship I have with others
  • Work, creativity, financial prosperity
  • Home and possessions
  • Health and appearance
  • Leisure and/or travel
  • My environment

For each of these areas, she suggests that you complete the following exercises:

  • Define goals for this area
  • Imagine a dream scenario
  • Devote one page to the cleansing process : list the barriers in the way of these goals
  • Draw a treasure map
  • Write a positive statement several times and, if there are still negative thoughts, get rid of them with positive statements

She also suggests we use the power of the pink bubble to help the process succeed.

Inspiration

Specific techniques

In this last part, Shakti Gawain explains to us that it is important to feel in harmony with yourself and life. It relates to the ability to find your creative skills and share the positive energy that you have within you.

The creative visualization workbook: Practical exercise manual

©Blinkblink – Fotolia

To achieve this, she suggests that we complete the following lists:

Self-esteem list

Recognize and appreciate all of your qualities and the positive things you possess in all areas of life.

Things I like about myself are…

List of successes

Acknowledge and appreciate all of your successes and all that you are proud of in every aspect of your life, even if it doesn’t matter to others.

The things I’ve done well are…

Assessment list

Recognize and appreciate everything you have in your life, all the skills, abilities, friends, family, etc.

The things for which I am grateful and which I appreciate in my life are…

Self-assessment list

Identify what you can do to improve your well-being and your happiness, either on a daily or regular basis.

The fun things I can do to enjoy myself are…

Ways to spread positive energy within your world

List all the ways by which you can help others , bring love, show friendship, affection and appreciation, share money, time, skills, etc.

How I can share my passions with others is…

Help and support list

Name the people you would like to help with their plans or recovery.

The people I would like to love and support in various ways are …

Creative ideas and thoughts

Write down all the ideas that come to mind, even the crazy ones, without worrying about it.

Keep your dreams in mind

Take note of your dreams and what each of these dreams conveys to you as a message.

Inspirational quotes

Write down all the extracts from books, poems, songs, and lectures that inspire you.

Favourite statements

Write down what you believe to be the most important positive statements that you have set out.

Book critique of “ The Creative Visualisation workbook: A Practical Exercise Manual”

I have given myself one of the best gifts in my life, purely from my belief in and time taken to apply these exercises.

I discovered this book at a time in my life when I wanted to initiate changes, but I didn’t know exactly what they were, or how to achieve them.

Before this, I had traveled a lot and fulfilled many dreams, but I suddenly found myself in a situation where I had specific beliefs, about my new role as a mother, that conflicted with this lifestyle and other plans that I had in mind.

There were still many unfulfilled dreams in my mind, all very jumbled, which made me unsure of where to start.

I decided to buy the practical exercise manual, rather than the theoretical book about creative visualization techniques by the same author. In fact, I told myself that I wanted to start practicing immediately and that I had no need for the theory because I had already read similar books.

If you are of the same opinion, my suggestion is that you read this manual immediately, as you know that the theory book is available, should you want to refer to it.

I found it very clear and easy to put the exercises into practice to achieve my life goals.

I immediately put all of the exercises into practice, with surprising results.

Since I read this book, I have launched all my projects, big and small, with this method and I am so delighted with the results that I have given this book to everyone who has told me they want a change in their life.

The creation of my reality , through the implementation of my true desires, has totally changed my life, as it has led me to understand that I have so much more within myself and that my plans depend on me, not on others.

The key is to believe with all your heart, not to get overwhelmed by the negative thoughts of others, and to liberate yourself from the negative thoughts in your mind.

If you want to make your dreams come true, rather than just exist, Creative Visualisation Techniques is a book for you!

If you have heard that everything is possible but you still have doubts, just follow the exercises in this book and you will be on the road to the life of your dreams!

Strong Points :

  • This practical exercise manual is clear and easy to use.
  • It is not necessary to read the theoretical book although it may be helpful to some readers for whom certain concepts, such as the higher self or the power of the positive over the mind, are completely unknown.
  • There are pages provided to allow the reader to make their notes and complete the suggested exercises.

Weak Points :

  • Shakti Gawain should advise readers that although the exercises are simple, they are very helpful; some people do not use them because they think they are too obvious to be beneficial.
  • The part on thought processes seems a little simplified to me, because changing thoughts, in a way that lasts, often requires the help of a therapist who is an expert in that field.

visualisation achieve goals

Have you read “The creative visualization workbook: Practical exercise manual”? How do you rate it?

2 thoughts on “ The creative visualization workbook: Practical exercise manual ”

  • Pingback: How to travel the world 6 months a year, make money, inspire people and have fun, with Erico Rocha - Books that can change your life
  • Pingback: WHICH BOOK ON CREATIVITY - Books that can change your life

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. You can also subscribe without commenting.

creative visualisation book review

Book Review: The Work of Art

creative visualisation book review

“The Work of Art” by Adam Moss is a handsome, strikingly designed, color-glossy book of interviews with all manner of artists - along with personal comments.

“The Work of Art.” It’s a clever title because it references a work of art AND the process of making it - the “work” of getting to the finished piece from inspiration and drafts. I’m not sure though if the subtitle works --“how something comes from nothing” –because, thanks to the full and fascinating exploration and examples Moss provides – journals, recordings, scribbles, studies, notes, doodles -- so-called “nothing” - was always there, “hibernating,” waiting for “when people cease to police their imagination,” as Moss quotes Freud on creativity.

Moss also cites the contemporary painter Francis Bacon’s sly comment, “I don’t think I’m gifted, I just think I’m receptive.” As is Moss. He’s smart, modest, open to readers dipping in where they want when they want. There’s no set order. The tone is more informal, more so than for most Q. and A’s.

The uniqueness of this interview collection can be seen in smaller-type, boxed-in commentary that personalizes almost every page, turning a book about others into a memoir. Moss’s voice is distinct - sympathetic,

appreciative, confessional, generous, curious, humorous -as he compares the anguish and achievements of others with his own continuing struggles to be a painter. He includes his tutor, a visual artist, among the interviewees.

There are many memorable quotations in The Work of Art , the work of years, with profuse thanks to those who lent an eye or ear to its formation, including his therapist. The book is clearly a work of love that Moss engaged in once he retired as editor-in-chief of New York Magazine , and before that as an editor at The New York Times,  Esquire, Seven Days – an incredibly impressive accumulation of expertise and of friendships he has obviously kept along the way.

The book features a diverse community of creative types of all genres, ages, modes, ethnicities, degree of recognition, as well as nice snippets of information. Who knew that The New York Times Crossword editor and NPR puzzle master Will Shortz, edits approximately half of the entries he accepts? Or that Stephen Sondheim was New York Magazine’s first puzzle constructor! Or that public radio host Ira Glass’s cousin is the American composer and pianist Philip Glass, whose views on art differ dramatically from Ira’s own.

The official count of interviewees is 41, but it’s actually more, considering collaborators. The artists include painters, writers, sculptors, musicians, comedians, designers, conjurers, photographers, chefs, dancers, TV and film producers, builders of sandcastles, cartoonists, and architects, many of whom are gay and all of whom dish out goodies about the way they work. Particularly instructive are the sections given over to works in stages, final products often at great variance from the way the artist started out.

Moss looks for commonalities in the creative process less intimidating, though he knows that except for the press of deadlines plus an inner confidence, a bit of outrage, and a mentor early on, Sondheim had Oscar Hammerstein, there is little that unites his subjects that could constitute guidelines or advice. He also acknowledges that “for a work to be successful, it must match its moment in some way. As he says, “timing isn’t everything, but it’s a lot.”

Still, for those like Moss, eager and persistent to get to the point where creative and critical impulses work together, The Work of Art can prove inspirational.

creative visualisation book review

  • Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

With Bold Colors and Big Feelings, a Pioneering Painter Tells Her Story

In “With Darkness Came Stars,” the photorealist Audrey Flack offers a vivid, gossipy chronicle of her career among some of New York City’s most famous artists.

This illustration depicts the cover of “With Darkness Came Stars,” by Audrey Flack, which shows a close-up hyperrealistic painting of a woman’s face, with the author’s name and the title in bold white type. The cover is framed by rectangles of blue, beige and green.

By Prudence Peiffer

Prudence Peiffer is an art historian and editor and the author of “The Slip: The New York City Street That Changed American Art Forever.”

  • Apple Books
  • Barnes and Noble
  • Books-A-Million

When you purchase an independently reviewed book through our site, we earn an affiliate commission.

WITH DARKNESS CAME STARS: A Memoir , by Audrey Flack

Now in her 90s, Audrey Flack still fights the urge to leap over the edge of the Guggenheim Museum’s rotunda, “not to kill myself, mind you, just to swoop around the atrium.” This image captures the formidable personality behind “With Darkness Came Stars,” Flack’s memoir of her career as a New York artist who graduated from art school at the height of Abstract Expressionism in the early 1950s, hung out with Willem de Kooning, Franz Kline and Jackson Pollock at the Cedar Bar in the Village and gained renown as the lone woman in a group known as “photorealists” for canvases brimming with high-definition detail — many of which are reproduced here.

Flack’s memoir opens in 1983, with her sitting on a park bench in New York City in a moment of crisis: She is unable to complete her paintings for an upcoming show. So begins a series of flashbacks, each chapter boomeranging to her “bench of reflective solitude,” where she performs “isolated self-analysis.”

Flack is a natural, unfiltered storyteller; it’s too bad that a cumbersome narrative structure holds up, in both senses, her book. Despite her repeated returns to a scene of creative block, the person who emerges from her pages is someone who never doubts she has somewhere to go.

Her first surge of artistic ambition arrives in primary school, to the bafflement of her Jewish immigrant parents. Her subsequent history is punctuated by unforgettable episodes: Her brother finds watercolors by Adolf Hitler while fighting in World War II and smuggles them home to his family; her neighbor the painter Alice Neel waves her cane at Flack, yelling, “You’re in all the museums and I’m not, and I am a better artist than you!”

In the early 1970s, Flack takes up the “fast and dangerous” airbrush, brazenly wielding a commercial tool for her painting at a time when virtually no artist had done so. When she turns to sculpture in the mid-1980s, she carries clay around in her hands for days. And when she and Philip Pearlstein are voted “favorite contemporary artists” by readers of The Village Voice, their prize is V.I.P. entry to Studio 54.

Some of the most profound passages in “With Darkness Came Stars” involve messy collisions of family and creative desire. Flack struggled with an abusive husband and an autistic daughter; chronically short on cash, she paid her obstetrician in paintings. She arrived late to a glamorous opening because she was busy plunging the toilet that her daughter had clogged with Play-Doh and diapers.

Even after abandoning abstraction, Flack dwelled on Pollock, calling him “an astronaut wandering through galaxies, severed from worldly connection.” It’s a generous description, considering that he drunkenly propositioned her when they met — at the Cedar Bar, of course. Elsewhere, she cites snide remarks by male artists about her generation of women painters, and makes cutting asides about some of those women’s promiscuity and opportunism. These comments stand out given the depressing cycle of harassment and sexism that Flack herself endured.

A letter (reprinted in full) to a New York Times critic who in 1978 found her paintings “cornily redolent” serves as a soft warning shot to haters. Insisting that the critic misrepresented Flack’s technique — her work involved not “grotesquely retouched” photographs but painting — the letter shows her determination to be taken seriously as an artist working against the headwinds of the avant-garde.

Flack repeatedly declares her affinities with the 17th-century sculptor Luisa Roldán, whose work “the smug art world” considered “kitsch”: “too sentimental, too glitzy, with too much color and too much emotion.” How fitting that her memoir lives up to that description and makes it something to savor.

WITH DARKNESS CAME STARS : A Memoir | By Audrey Flack | Penn State University Press | 254 pp. | $37.50

Art and Museums in New York City

A guide to the shows, exhibitions and artists shaping the city’s cultural landscape..

A new installation at the New-York Historical Society acknowledges a notorious purchase 400 years ago  — and lets the Lenape tell their side.

The Whitney Biennial, New York’s most prominent showcase of new American (or American-ish) art, is currently underway. Will this year’s edition go down as a notable one ?

You’ve seen Dawn Baillie’s posters for thrillers, comedies and dramas outside cineplexes. Now her work is being exhibited  at Poster House in Manhattan.

An engrossing exhibition at the Neue Galerie in Manhattan offers a small number of fabled lush paintings by Gustav Klimt — and plenty of other treasures .

The artist Roy Nachum says Mercer Labs, an Instagram-ready immersive museum, was designed to be inclusive. But some advocates for blind people say  his use of Braille can feel exploitative.

Looking for more art in the city? Here are the gallery shows not to miss in March .

creative visualisation book review

  • Health, Fitness & Dieting
  • Psychology & Counseling

Amazon prime logo

Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime Try Prime and start saving today with fast, free delivery

Amazon Prime includes:

Fast, FREE Delivery is available to Prime members. To join, select "Try Amazon Prime and start saving today with Fast, FREE Delivery" below the Add to Cart button.

  • Cardmembers earn 5% Back at Amazon.com with a Prime Credit Card.
  • Unlimited Free Two-Day Delivery
  • Streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows with limited ads on Prime Video.
  • A Kindle book to borrow for free each month - with no due dates
  • Listen to over 2 million songs and hundreds of playlists
  • Unlimited photo storage with anywhere access

Important:  Your credit card will NOT be charged when you start your free trial or if you cancel during the trial period. If you're happy with Amazon Prime, do nothing. At the end of the free trial, your membership will automatically upgrade to a monthly membership.

Buy new: $13.79 $13.79 FREE delivery: Thursday, March 28 on orders over $35.00 shipped by Amazon. Ships from: Amazon.com Sold by: Amazon.com

Return this item for free.

Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition: no shipping charges

  • Go to your orders and start the return
  • Select the return method

Buy used: $10.99

Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is a service we offer sellers that lets them store their products in Amazon's fulfillment centers, and we directly pack, ship, and provide customer service for these products. Something we hope you'll especially enjoy: FBA items qualify for FREE Shipping and Amazon Prime.

If you're a seller, Fulfillment by Amazon can help you grow your business. Learn more about the program.

Other Sellers on Amazon

Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required .

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Image Unavailable

The Creative Visualization Workbook: Second Edition (Gawain, Shakti)

  • To view this video download Flash Player

Follow the author

Shakti Gawain

The Creative Visualization Workbook: Second Edition (Gawain, Shakti) Paperback – June 28, 1995

Purchase options and add-ons.

  • Print length 144 pages
  • Language English
  • Publisher New World Library
  • Publication date June 28, 1995
  • Dimensions 7.5 x 0.5 x 9.25 inches
  • ISBN-10 9781880032756
  • ISBN-13 978-1880032756
  • See all details

The Amazon Book Review

Frequently bought together

The Creative Visualization Workbook: Second Edition (Gawain, Shakti)

Similar items that may ship from close to you

Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create What You Want in Your Life

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1880032759
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ New World Library; 2nd edition (June 28, 1995)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 144 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781880032756
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1880032756
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 0.5 x 9.25 inches
  • #19 in Popular Experimental Psychology
  • #171 in Cognitive Psychology (Books)
  • #209 in New Thought

About the author

Shakti Gawain

Shakti is a pioneer in the field of personal development. For over twenty-five years, she has been a best-selling author and internationally renowned teacher of consciousness. Shakti has facilitated thousands of individuals in developing greater awareness, balance and wholeness in their lives.

Shakti has written numerous books considered classics in her field. Her distinguished publishing history includes best sellers Creative Visualization, Living in the Light, The Path of Transformation, Four Levels of Healing, Creating True Prosperity, and Developing Intuition. Her books have sold over 10 million copies and have been translated into more than thirty languages. She is the co-founder, with Marc Allen, of New World Library Publishing Company.

She has appeared on such nationally syndicated programs as The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning America, Sonya Live, The Larry King Show, The Leeza Show, America’s Talking and New Dimensions Radio, and has been featured in New Woman, New Age Journal, and Time Magazine.

Through her seminars and her books, Shakti helps people heal and develop all levels of their being — spiritual, mental, emotional, physical — and access their intuitive inner wisdom. Sharing the ideas and practices that have helped her the most in her own life, she guides others on their path to living more consciously. She facilitates us in finding deeper meaning and purpose through developing our unique gifts and abilities.

Shakti is a passionate environmentalist, who believes that as we bring more awareness to our daily lives, we can learn to live in balance on our planet.

Customer reviews

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

  • Sort reviews by Top reviews Most recent Top reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. please try again later..

creative visualisation book review

Top reviews from other countries

creative visualisation book review

  • Amazon Newsletter
  • About Amazon
  • Accessibility
  • Sustainability
  • Press Center
  • Investor Relations
  • Amazon Devices
  • Amazon Science
  • Start Selling with Amazon
  • Sell apps on Amazon
  • Supply to Amazon
  • Protect & Build Your Brand
  • Become an Affiliate
  • Become a Delivery Driver
  • Start a Package Delivery Business
  • Advertise Your Products
  • Self-Publish with Us
  • Host an Amazon Hub
  • › See More Ways to Make Money
  • Amazon Visa
  • Amazon Store Card
  • Amazon Secured Card
  • Amazon Business Card
  • Shop with Points
  • Credit Card Marketplace
  • Reload Your Balance
  • Amazon Currency Converter
  • Your Account
  • Your Orders
  • Shipping Rates & Policies
  • Amazon Prime
  • Returns & Replacements
  • Manage Your Content and Devices
  • Recalls and Product Safety Alerts
  • Conditions of Use
  • Privacy Notice
  • Your Ads Privacy Choices

IMAGES

  1. Creative Visualization

    creative visualisation book review

  2. Visualization Techniques: The Best Creative Visualization Techniques To

    creative visualisation book review

  3. Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create

    creative visualisation book review

  4. Creative Visualization by Siedlak Monique Joiner (English) Paperback

    creative visualisation book review

  5. 16 amazing book charts and visualizations

    creative visualisation book review

  6. Creative Visualisation by Shakti Gawain Book on Visualisation

    creative visualisation book review

VIDEO

  1. Creative visualisation

  2. Visualisation to realisation of dreams! #bookbitesclub #thelawofattraction

  3. How I used creative visualisation and manifested in 24 hours??

  4. Creative Visualisation वापरूनकुठल्याही शारीरिक त्रासातून लवकर बरे व्हा! ( For Healing)

  5. (Mastering JMP) Visualizing and Exploring Data

  6. Top 3 Productivity Books

COMMENTS

  1. Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imaginati…

    Fabulous Book! - Seminal work on Creative Visualisation I love this book! I read it in about 1992 although it first came out in 1978. It explains in simple and luminous terms, how to do creative visualisation. Creative Visualisation is an astonishingly powerful technique of imagining which helps to draw our desires and wishes into reality.

  2. Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create

    Over the last 70 years I have read countless books on various forms of energy healing and when I saw this fantastic 176 page hardcover 25th anniversary edition book (Creative Visualization: Use the power of your imagination to create what you want in your life by Shakti Gawain) for a bargain price on Amazon I decided I had to have it.

  3. Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create

    The use of creative visualization gives us a key to tap into the natural goodness and bounty of life. * * * Imagination is the ability to create an idea, a mental picture, or a feeling sense of something. In creative visualization you use your imagination to create a clear image, idea, or feeling of something you wish to manifest.

  4. Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create

    Read this book using Google Play Books app on your PC, android, iOS devices. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create What You Want in Your Life.

  5. Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create

    Her distinguished publishing history includes best sellers Creative Visualization, Living in the Light, The Path of Transformation, Four Levels of Healing, Creating True Prosperity, and Developing Intuition. Her books have sold over 10 million copies and have been translated into more than thirty languages.

  6. Book review: Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain

    Final comments. Creative Visualization is a rather slim volume, but its principles and many exercises have changed a lot of lives. It has sold more than three million copies and been translated into 25 languages. Gawain says that, as you get deeper into it, creative visualisation becomes less of a technique and more a state of consciousness in ...

  7. Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create

    The book contains meditations and exercises that are aimed at helping the practitioner channel energies in positive directions, strengthen self-esteem, improve overall health, and experience deep relaxation. This is the book that launched a movement. Creative visualization works." Oprah Winfrey

  8. Art & Practice of Creative Visualization by Ophiel

    Ophiel. 4.12. 43 ratings4 reviews. There's more to creative visualization than meets the eye In this groundbreaking volume, first published in 1967, Ophiel lays out the 10 Laws of Creative Visualization. Once understood, they are as simple and as real as the laws of gravity or magnetism. In other words, they work.

  9. Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create

    As introduced by Shakti Gawain to more than seven million readers worldwide, creative visualization is the art of using mental imagery and affirmation to produce positive changes in your life. Gawain's clear writing style and vivid examples make Creative Visualization easy to read and apply to your personal needs and wants. This ...

  10. Creative Visualization: Use the Power of... by Gawain, Shakti

    Replacement. As introduced by Shakti Gawain to more than seven million readers worldwide, creative visualization is the art of using mental imagery and affirmation to produce positive changes in your life. Gawain's clear writing style and vivid examples make Creative Visualization easy to read and apply to your personal needs and wants.

  11. [Summary] Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain

    Creative Visualization Book Review. Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain is an eye-opening and inspiring book that has profoundly impacted my journey toward self-improvement. Gawain introduces the concept of creative visualization, a powerful technique involving imagination to manifest our desires and goals.

  12. Creative Visualization Books

    The Secret (The Secret, #1) by. Rhonda Byrne. (shelved 3 times as creative-visualization) avg rating 3.73 — 470,775 ratings — published 2006. Want to Read. Rate this book. 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars. How To Hypnotize Yourself (Annotated): A Practical Guide To Self-Hypnosis.

  13. Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create

    As introduced by Shakti Gawain to more than seven million readers worldwide, creative visualization is the art of using mental imagery and affirmation to produce positive changes in your life. Gawain's clear writing style and vivid examples make Creative Visualization easy to read...

  14. Creative Visualization PDF Summary

    Shakti Gawain is an iconic personal development and New Age thinker and author. Born as Carol Louisa Gawain, she obtained a degree in fine arts and dance from the University of California in the mid-1970s. Soon after - in 1978 - she published her debut book, "Creative Visualization" which has been a bestselling book ever since.

  15. Creative Visualization Book Review

    The book Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain is a life-changer. Use the techniques in the book to create the life you want.

  16. Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create

    When it comes to creating the life you want, Shakti Gawain literally wrote the book. Now considered a classic, Creative Visualization teaches readers how to use their imaginations to manifest their deepest desires. In a straight-talking narrative, Gawain uses the first part to cover the basics, with chapters such as "How to Visualize," "Affirmations," and "Creative Visualization Only Works for ...

  17. Book Review : Creative Visualization

    I went ahead and googled best books on visualization. Except for this book on creative visualization, rest of the books were graphical visualization books. I quickly got the book and started reading. I made a promise to myself that I will not read it like a novel but go from one step to other by doing exercises. For the first few pages, I did ...

  18. Creative Visualization Secrets: 7 Untold Remarkably Sim…

    In this book, you will also get to discover and use the power and influence of creative imagination to real life scenarios. You will be given the opportunity to get the life that you have always dreamed of, and experience success, contentment and happiness in greater proportions. This book provides a thorough discussion of creative visualization.

  19. THE CREATIVE VISUALISATION WORKBOOK

    Summary and book review of "The creative visualization workbook: Practical exercise manual": The Creative Visualisation Workbook gives us the practical and tangible tools to use creative visualization on a daily basis and as a result, enables us to set our goals, aspirations and objectives and how to achieve them.. By Shakti Gawain, 2011 (Trédaniel edition), 153 pages.

  20. Book Review: The Work of Art

    Joan Baum is a recovering academic from the City University of New York, who spent 25 years teaching literature and writing. She covers all areas of cultural history but particularly enjoys books ...

  21. Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create

    Her distinguished publishing history includes best sellers Creative Visualization, Living in the Light, The Path of Transformation, Four Levels of Healing, Creating True Prosperity, and Developing Intuition. Her books have sold over 10 million copies and have been translated into more than thirty languages.

  22. Book Review: 'With Darkness Came Stars,' by Audrey Flack

    In "With Darkness Came Stars," the photorealist Audrey Flack offers a vivid, gossipy chronicle of her career among some of New York City's most famous artists.

  23. The Creative Visualization Workbook: Second Edition (Gawain, Shakti)

    Her distinguished publishing history includes best sellers Creative Visualization, Living in the Light, The Path of Transformation, Four Levels of Healing, Creating True Prosperity, and Developing Intuition. Her books have sold over 10 million copies and have been translated into more than thirty languages.