Jonathan Fields knows the risks-and potential power-of uncertainty. He gave up a six-figure income as a lawyer to make $12 an hour as a personal trainer. Then, married with a 3-month old baby, he signed a lease to launch a yoga center in the heart of New York City. . . the day before 9/11. But he survived, and along the way he developed a fresh approach to transforming uncertainty, risk of loss, and exposure to judgment into catalysts for innovation, creation, and achievement. Properly understood and harnessed, fear and uncertainty can become fuel for creative genius rather than sources of pain, anxiety, and suffering. In business, art, and life, creating on a world-class level demands bold action and leaps of faith in the face of great uncertainty. But that uncertainty can lead to fear, anxiety, paralysis, and destruction. It can gut creativity and stifle innovation. It can keep you from taking the risks necessary to do great work and craft a deeply-rewarding life. And it can bring companies that rely on innovation grinding to a halt. That is, unless you know how to use it to your advantage. Fields draws on leading-edge technology, cognitive-science and ancient awareness-focusing techniques in a fresh, practical, non-dogmatic way. His approach enables creativity and productivity on an entirely different level and can turn the once-tortuous journey into a more enjoyable quest. Fields will reveal how to: * Make changes to your workflow that unlock buried creative potential. * Build "creation hives" -- supportive groups that can supercharge and humanize the process. * Tap social technology and user co-creation to add clarity, certainty, and sanity, even if you're an artist or solo-creator. * Develop a set of personal practices and mindset shifts that let you not just tolerate, but invite and even amplify, uncertainty as a catalyst for genius. Drawing on extensive case studies and research, Fields shares a set of detailed personal practices and environmental changes that can not only humanize the creative process, but also allow individuals and teams to stay more open to opportunity and play a bigger creative game.
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"I listened to this as an audio. I have to admit that the voice on this one threw me just a bit b/c of the constant intonations. But the book itself was wonderful. I think everyone starting a business or artistic project should read it. This concept is the key to making it as a creator. Leaning into fear and judgment. Conducting seemingly wild experiments freely. We must let the uncertainty fuel us b/c it is a necessary evil. Otherwise, what we do is simply derivative. It even talks about what to do after you go to zero, which is the worst case scenario. We can bounce back! But the worst thing we can do is nothing. The part about rituals and envisioning the process and not just the outcome was especially meaningful. Having a hive is also a cool concept. Some sections may feel like a review, such as those about the importance of exercise, balance, and meditation in relation to creative work. But overall, this book is a winner. So take uncertainty and run with it!"
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Angela (4 out of 5 stars)