[.ca] Fingerpainting on the Moon: Writing and Creativity as a ... (ISBN 0609610481)

Oh my! I'm criticizing an icon . . .:
. . . and I'd really rather not. I was fully prepared, based on previous reviews, to LOVE this book. I read it cover to cover, thinking I'd like it better as it went along . . . but it didn't work out that way. Levitt believes that we block our creativity by censoring ourselves, and by locking pain inside. The locks, however, keep in more than the pain . . . they keep in our ability to live fully and creatively. They keep us, in other words, from being free. So far I agree with him (though his tendency to use three paragraphs where one would do made it hard for me to stay with him long enough to get the point.) However, the "exercises" he gives for would-be writers or creators of any medium should be approached with extreme care. He cautions that we should delve into our darkness gently . . . but this is an insufficient caveat. For example, the writing exercise he suggests for looking at what is held beyond our "narrow places," is one that is likely lead many people deeper than they could handle. (I suspect it's an exercise he does with groups, and, given his experience, I'll be the groups usually come out okay.) Since criticism generates book sales, I'm probably doing Levitt a favor -- but please, approach this book, and his exercises with more than gentleness. Use caution. Take care. As for me . . . I came away with a couple of good ideas, which probably makes the book worth what I spent . . . but if I had it to do over, I'd save my money and my time and take a long walk instead.

Second Time Around!!:
This book was chosen for a Spirituality and Health Award in Creativity as one of the Best Spiritual Books of 2003 - and I can see why. Levitt's teachings took me to the root of my own creativity as a writer in a way that helped me to discover sources of my own spirituality I didn't even know existed. He is a great story teller, a great teacher, a great writer, and his method of drawing the reader down to where it really counts is phenomenal and profound. I'm already working this book from cover to cover for the second time this year! If you're reading this review, you've probably read the books by his peers - Goldberg and Cameron. Without fail, Levitt's approach will take you even further on the path of creativity and awareness than ever before. This was certainly true for me as a writer, but a few painter friends have used this book and they agree. One last thing - Levitt's voice is so affirming, he seems so in love with life and, honestly, with his reader, that he guides past all obstacles to the depths with a compassionate and gentle hand!

Oh my! I'm criticizing an icon . . .:
. . . and I'd really rather not. I was fully prepared, based on previous reviews, to LOVE this book. I read it cover to cover, thinking I'd like it better as it went along . . . but it didn't work out that way. Levitt believes that we block our creativity by censoring ourselves, and by locking pain inside. The locks, however, keep in more than the pain . . . they keep in our ability to live fully and creatively. They keep us, in other words, from being free. So far I agree with him (though his tendency to use three paragraphs where one would do made it hard for me to stay with him long enough to get the point.) However, the "exercises" he gives for would-be writers or creators of any medium should be approached with extreme care. He cautions that we should delve into our darkness gently . . . but this is an insufficient caveat. For example, the writing exercise he suggests for looking at what is held beyond our "narrow places," is one that is likely lead many people deeper than they could handle. (I suspect it's an exercise he does with groups, and, given his experience, I'll be the groups usually come out okay.) Since criticism generates book sales, I'm probably doing Levitt a favor -- but please, approach this book, and his exercises with more than gentleness. Use caution. Take care. As for me . . . I came away with a couple of good ideas, which probably makes the book worth what I spent . . . but if I had it to do over, I'd save my money and my time and take a long walk instead.

A special book from a special teacher:
Peter Levitt was one of my teachers in graduate school. I'd been waiting for this book for several years, and I was not disappointed. I think this book takes the reader (participant) deep into their own psyches -- it is very meaty and dense -- in that these are not "fluff" exercises and concepts. I will be able to use many of these exercises with my students, as well as with my own creative process. This is a wonderful investment in your creative life.

A Divine Book!:
And I mean that in every sense of the word: sacred, lovely, excellent, perceptive and intuitive. Peter Levitt's vivid writing and obvious love of storytelling makes each page shine. As I read the book, I felt lost in the wilderness of my imagination and my heart, with a wise and friendly guide hovering near. The exercises at the end of each chapter are not merely "one time wonders" but techniques I know I'll return to again and again. In his chapter on permission, Levitt writes, "Everything is permitted in the imagination." And so it is with the exercises. Our only limitation being how far we are willing to go. Fingerpainting on the Moon is a great adventure.