The Zen of Creativity: Cultivating Your Artistic Life

It is virtually impossible to write the definitive review of "The Zen of Creativity" because, like the koans it contains, this book will elicit no single, uniform response from those who read it. I hesitate even to use the word "read" because the book asks for a response well beyond simply reading it. The quotes and koans alone require unhurried contemplation. One way to treat this book is to take a contemplative walk through it over a number of months, experimenting here and there with the practices John Daido Loori describes. You may be surprised at the new depth you achieve in your chosen art medium as a result, whether it is photography, painting, writing or music making.I once owned two copies of Mozart's concerto for flute and orchestra No 1 (K313). One version had perfect technique and the passages were as smooth as cream, but it left me unmoved. I gave it away. The recording I kept has a rough texture in places, but it dances with joy. It demonstrates the essence of what Loori is talking about."The Zen of Creativity" is not just a play on the word "zen." It IS zen. Neither does it mimic the popular format of "Zen and the art of Motorcycle Maintenance" as so many other authors have done. Loori draws the reader into the very nature of the creative process itself, giving far less importance to technical skills. In fact, if you are looking for ways to improve your artistic competence, you will need to look further afield. Loori's focus is on making a work of art real rather than on making it commercial. His quote from Leonardo Da Vinci is apt; "Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art."There are many useful books on art techniques out now that teach how to apply your art medium in a skilful way. But none of these provide what "The Zen of Creativity" does in helping the artist recreate the essence of what he or she sees.If "The Zen of Creativity" seems too great a leap into the philosophy of art, a simple introduction to these concepts can be found in a book produced by the Society of Layerists in Multi-Media (SLMM.) It is "The Art of Layering: Making Connection." Short excerpts from the book are available on their website. For photographers, "The Tao of Photography" by Tom Ang has much the same philosophy of putting heart into one's art.

The book is great but I find the numerous sentences ending with a period followed immediately by the word of the next sentence with no space very annoying. There are nine instances of '.The', for example, alone.

This book makes long for the possibility of learning from the author who has passed some time ago. It’s not an attachment. It’s an appreciation of Daido Roshi’s facility with words although the words, as he says, aren’t the only source of understanding. They very much are not. Somehow his writing is vehicle to getting there. The work is beautiful, and I’m grateful to have found this fitting contribution to both Zen and the arts.

John Daido Loori is a very good Zen communicator. I bought this book back in 2009 and find it to be as informative as any other Zen book in my personal library.Loori talks about details like "off sensation", "absolute samadhi", and "hara". These are very deep and profound details. But Loori talks about them in a very matter of fact way. Understanding these concepts can take one's meditation to deeper levels.This book is written through the eye of an artist. And all of us can be the artists of our own lives.Great book. Highly recommended.

I must say that this book spoke to me on a very deep level. I read a couple of lines from it while browsing and was stopped cold. In those few words Mr Loori had summed up much of what my life was about. This touched me so profoundly that I knew the book was for me, tears actually began to well in my eyes. One does not merely read this book, one enters it, as a practice, as a journey, one of great personal discovery. In a section titled "Jeweled Mirror" the author covers feedback groups and how to view art, not from the standpoint of criticism, but from the feelings evoked. He has a photograph and instruction for quieting the mind and viewing the image in a specific way. It is an amazing exercise! This book opens ones eyes to more than creative possibilities, but to deep personal insights as well. You cannot enter it and leave unchanged, unless you are already a Buddha.

Excellent book! And came in great condition for gift giving.

This book is filled with excellent points that, especially with any Buddhist or Zen background, truly hit home. It gets at issues and the substance surrounding both creativity and the practice of Zen from multiple angles including the artless arts of Zazen, the author's own story, the stories of others, religious examples, and normal explanations. If one doesn't cause some sort of understanding in you the next will, not about the concepts but about the processes that are their essence.This book would be worth reading again, because at a different part of life the message that you need to hear will have changed, but it, or its seed, may still reside within the pages.

This book was worth the time I spent reading it.It is very clear at explaining the concept of Zen, and the philosophy of Buddhism, without disturbing your current belief system.It sites various artist, techniques, and art forms and if desired leads you graciously to further study.I would recommend this book.

This is a fascinating book, whether you are interested in Zen or not. Loori was both a Zen teacher and a photographer, so he discusses the creativity of photography - not technically - and explains how he discovered his approach to the art. His life was exemplary, and this book is a testament to his spirit, and to the type of creativity that he fostered.

Excellent book, really makes you understand the process of creating art.

One of the hardest things to do is to create simplicity. Removing the clutter in the mind allows us to become creative and to be creative. The book takes you through this journey.

Love this book. Beautifully written. A meditative read and practices for implementing these attitudes into your life.

One of the best books I've ever red on how to cultivate creativity. Silently. At your own pace ad way beyond the misguided clamour and artifice of many books on creativity out there today.