Make Your Creative Dreams Real

Ok, I have to start with a quote - such a telling quote - from SARK's book Make Your Creative Dreams Real:

Me, too! Me, too! I LOVE hearing people's stories and seeing their eyes light up - and feeling the community spirit that comes when people share who they really are (which includes not only their creative dreams, but also their hard times, happiest times, their shame and their glory).

And that's what I love about this book. SARK's willingness to be so open and real!

SARK loads this book with people's stories. There are 2 fantastic sections devoted to mini interviews with people who share their creative dreams. And you get to see their pictures, too.

SARK shares herself throughout the book, too. And not just her "happy camper" face - she mentions having been sexually and physically abused as a child, tells us that she's..

I admire SARK's integrity - I imagine that it would be easy (and/or "safe") to allow people to think: Yes, she DOES have it all together. How courageous and beautiful SARK shows herself to be in telling us she's just like us: Messy and Marvelous all in the same self.

At the end of nearly every page I wanted to run and hug this woman in gratitude for her integrity - and, of course, all the encouragement she pours out. What else is there I can say about this book?

This is a Square-Peg book for sure. That's a compliment - just want to make sure that's understood! I believe that us Square-Peggers are healing balm for the world - we see things in new ways - and that's sorely needed in our world!

There are also 2 Tables of Contents. One for linear readers and one for nonlinear. Throughout the book SARK asks many questions to help you think about your creative dreams - and they are worded in different ways so that, no matter what way you work, you are likely to find questions that you are excited to work with.

There's no pressure. At one point SARK says:

I found that my mind went into overdrive while I read this. I have pages of notes (NOT for the "book review" - my pages were filled with ideas: "try this.." "Why don't I..." - that kind of notes).

Everything you wanted to know about birthing and living your creative dreams is in this book. And even some things you might not have wanted to know (but you'll be grateful for when the time comes), like the scary side of success and how creative dream building includes fear of change.

SARK starts by helping the reader notice their creative dreams (or breath new life into ones we've let go to sleep), describes stages of dream development, and what each stage needs to stay healthy. She even covers management issues.

Again, I want to say - this is a book filled with integrity. SARK inspires while letting you know that dreams require work. How she does this without pressure I cannot tell you - it's like magic! I imagine that it has something to do with her knowledge that you can't make a mistake - you just can't. No matter what you do you can learn from it - and use it to fuel your dream (even falling asleep, like quoted above - while reading the book - you'll get something out of it).

Which part of the dream process are you in? Are you wondering what your creative dream is, how to attain it, or are you questioning what to do with yourself now that your dream is up and running? This book is helpful no matter which stage of the dream process you are in! It's so filled with food for dreams and dreamers that I half expect it to pop open by itself (maybe that's what SARK meant about being able to have it work even if you fall asleep - maybe the book sends out creative vibes - could be?!?)