Creative Demons and How to Slay Them: The Flower in Contemporary Photography

An inspirational guide to help creatives overcome obstacles and find success―filled with tips, anecdotes, and encouragement for anyone whose working life depends on imaginative thinking.

If you have ever embarked on a creative endeavor then there’s a good chance that at some point during your journey you will have been paralyzed by the demons of self-doubt, fear of failure, or just lack of inspiration. Enter Creative Demons and How to Slay Them, where you will learn how to banish your mind-forged monsters, one by one, no matter how grotesque or scary they may seem to be.

Creativity expert Richard Holman draws on inspirational anecdotes from science, art, history, philosophy, nature, music, and contemporary culture to provide you with your very own mental armor for every stage of the creative process. Discover how to fight off the demons of procrastination, the blank canvas, and distraction through the experiences of Leonardo da Vinci, John Steinbeck, Sister Corita Kent, Dr. Seuss, Yayoi Kusama, and many others. Then, once you have started, there are tips on how to avoid the issues that plague all creatives, from self-doubt or “playing it safe” to lack of resources. Using Hokusai, Alfred Hitchcock, and Herbie Hancock as case studies, Holman presents the necessary tools to handle criticism, disappointment, and any other bumps along the creative road. Say goodbye to your demons and make your next creative project better than you could have imagined.

50 illustrations

Richard Holman is a creativity specialist, with a background in design and advertising. He runs workshops on creativity all over the world, inspiring people and brands to develop better ideas. He also hosts the podcast The Wind Thieved Hat, where he interviews leading artists and creators, and is a regular contributor to Creative Review and Creativepool.

Al Murphy is an illustrator whose work has been featured in newspapers, magazines, and children’s books worldwide. He has inspired many to pursue a career in illustration, confident they can do better.