Creativity

A Short and Cheerful Guide

By: John Cleese

Narrated by: John Cleese

The legendary comedian, actor, and writer of Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, and A Fish Called Wanda fame shares his key ideas about creativity: that it’s a learnable, improvable skill.

“Many people have written about creativity, but although they were very, very clever, they weren't actually creative. I like to think I'm writing about it from the inside.”—John Cleese

You might think that creativity is some mysterious, rare gift—one that only a few possess. But you’d be wrong. As John Cleese shows in this short, practical, and often amusing guide, creativity is a skill that anyone can acquire.

Drawing on his lifelong experience as a writer, Cleese shares his insights into the nature of creativity and offers advice on how to get your own inventive juices flowing. What do you need to do to get yourself in the right frame of mind? When do you know that you’ve come up with an idea that might be worth pursuing? What should you do if you think you’ve hit a brick wall?

We can all be more creative.

John Cleese shows us how.

Critic reviews

“Creativity . . . is . . . [a] meditation on how anyone, whether breaking into TV or leading a corporate giant, can tap into his or her creative gifts.”—The Wall Street Journal

“A versatile entertainer shares encouraging advice. . . . His candor is endearing. An upbeat guide to the creative process.”—Kirkus Reviews

“[A] humorous and practical guide . . . Whether you’re hoping to write a novel or paint a masterpiece, you’re sure to feel inspired.”—OK!

John Cleese's style

Direct to the point. short and sweet. funny and layback. Direct advise coming from a true creative.

Punchy and liberating

So happy I stumbled into this and decided to give it a listen. Finished this in one heartwarming laughter-filled sitting on a sunny afternoon, with my awe for creativity renewed.

I will probably listen to this one again.

A fun little book that took the sticky notes on creativity that I keep in various places in my mind and arranged them in a common sense pattern. I don't believe I learned anything new but I do have a clearer perspective on my own creative process. It's only an hour long if you only listen to it once.

Great for professional fools! DO READ!

I enjoyed the performance. I lOve the book it helped me creatively. It well accomplishing it goal, it was also a fun listen. Read it you are in arrest in developing as a creative.

Short, sweet creative book on creativity

This is a book that is read better by the author than most people might read it to themselves. It’s not a bird by bird but it is a cliff notes versions. I appreciate the comedy throughout but especially at the end. It is condensed with appreciation of the art of creativity. Highly recommend a listen.