Art Thinking: How to Carve Out Creative Space in a World of Schedules, Budgets, and Bosses – Amy Whitaker

Art Thinking: How to Carve Out Creative Space in a World of Schedules, Budgets, and Bosses – Amy Whitaker

"If you are making a work of art in any field, you aren't going from point A to point B. You are inventing point B."

Amy Whitaker draws on art, psychology, science, business, and technology to help you generate new ideas in the practical world. She proposes using a mindset she calls "art thinking" to harness the joy and creative thought of making art with the structure and organization of business. I was immediately drawn to Amy's work because I am passionate about both worlds and love to see them converge to create new ideas. In each chapter, she addresses one aspect of the creative process, from development to making financial decisions to producing projects. She offers activities to spur creative thinking and provides a step-by-step guide for allocating project resources. A few of the best ideas that I took away:

• Art is a process of "inventing point B," not just going from A to B.

• Everyone is an artist, and any field can benefit from art thinking.

• Connecting with people in other areas or reading books and articles outside of your specialty area can spark creative thinking.

• Identify your "Lighthouse" questions. These are questions that challenge your thinking, like "If money were no object, what would you do?