The Shoreline of Wonder: On Being Creative (The Awakening Creativity Series)

"A genuinely creative life is an expression of the totality of our experience: our finite lives, and all that has created them intersecting the infinite contributions of others, including the astounding creations of nature, the cosmos, and all the unknowable contributions of the unseen worlds." --from The Shoreline of Wonder: On Being Creative What gives rise to those precious moments of creative insight? What helps us convert such moments into tangible works that bring meaning to our own lives while enriching the lives of others? What's behind our longing to create and how might we embrace creativity as a way of life? Through a skillful blend of masterful storytelling and probing contemplations, The Shoreline of Wonder takes us on an exploratory journey to discover how creativity permeates every aspect of our lives, and shows us how we can bring it to the forefront of our experience. Drawing upon his experiences as a rock climber, architectural designer, Buddhist, husband, and father, Austin Hill Shaw insightfully explores the dynamic universe in which we live and the uniquely human capacity for authentic creativity. With inspiring examples from scientist Sir Isaac Newton, artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, and religious studies scholar Huston Smith, The Shoreline of Wonder shows us how to live a fully realized, creative life--whoever we are and whatever we choose to do--and to embrace the necessary challenges of the path as gifts that immeasurably enrich us.

For as long as he can remember, San Francisco Bay Area-based Austin Hill Shaw has been enraptured by creativity and the creative process. Prompted by a life-changing insight gained during a three-month meditation retreat in 2004, he began to explore the subject of creativity in earnest, wanting to understand the opportunities and challenges behind creativity’s seemingly universal appeal. Since then, he has amassed a wealth of knowledge regarding creative expression in art, science, and religion, in childhood development and adult maturation, in business and the economy, in product innovation, in intimate and organizational relationships, and in non-ordinary states of consciousness, delving into the very core of what is means to be human. More importantly, he has striven to embody all that he’s learned, using his own life as an ongoing experiment, testing and refining his methods in his pursuits as a writer and architectural designer. In a time of rampant job automation and outsourcing, Austin’s message regarding the importance of creativity and how to activate it is swiftly making its way out into the world. Drawing upon an innovative mix of cutting-edge science, artistic expression, and age-old spiritual wisdom, Austin presents a timely and enlivening understanding of creativity, one that ignites the full-person creative potential of individuals and organizations alike. He just released his provocative first book in his Awakening Creativity Series, entitled Between the Bridge and the Water: Death, Rebirth, and Creative Awakening, and will release his next book, Further Along The Shoreline of Wonder: How to Live a Creative Life, in summer 2013. Whether he is addressing a large audience or working with an individual, Austin combines visionary insight with heartfelt empathy, profound ideas with unexpected humor, and sobering seriousness with joyful irreverence, all with a remarkable sense of presence. He is a gifted storyteller, with the ability to unpack the complex subtleties of the creative process and present them in a way that can be put to use immediately. Through his keynote presentations, writing, personal coaching, and his work with his architecture clients, Austin Hill Shaw is dedicated to helping others awaken their natural creative capacities and to share their creative gifts with others. Find out more about Austin, his speaking and coaching offerings, and his other creative pursuits at www.austinhillshaw.com