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3.51 of 5 stars
Sparked by her long search for inspiration in her life and work, Gail McMeekin has worked closely with some of today's most highly creative women f... read full description

reviews

Sep 03, 2010
stargardener rated it: 5 of 5 stars
I am currently re-reading/re-viewing this book. With special attention to "Secret 3" ... Following Your Fascination. It is basic but essential to have affirmation in the midst of creative pursuits.

Quoting from 37: "It takes courage to follow your fascinations, wherever they may lead. Yet, creativity demands that you trust and stay on the path despite obstacles. The good news is that it's possible."

This chapter presents "Taking Courageous Risks" More...
0 comments like (1 person liked it)
Nov 25, 2011
Lynn rated it: 3 of 5 stars
A very nice book.

What you shouldn't expect when you get this book are pictures - there are none. It is a very text-heavy book ("portable mentor") that features interviews, tips, tricks, questions to answer. In fact, it is more of a workbook than it seems at first sight! You can answer the questions and do the exercises as shallow or deep as you want to - I'd recommend deep, they are quite good!

If you don't want to read a coffee-table-book that has pictures you More...
Apr 13, 2009
Mary rated it: 5 of 5 stars
when my friend shared this book with me last summer...last summer when i was doing a creative juggling act between large numbers of unrelated projects...she suggested this book might help me. guess what? it did! first of all - the parts of my self that i saw reflected in the patterns identified in gail's book lifted my spirits and validated what i knew. hey! whatyda know? and then...there was a ton of stuff that these smart women model that i took the lead from. excellent for any cr More...
May 03, 2011
Webfrau rated it: 2 of 5 stars
I gave this book 2 stars on the basis that it has some good quotes in that I liked but overall I didn't find it helpful or useful in any way. It's just not my style, far too "new age" and "touchy feely' for my liking. It really is a huge compilation of anecdotes from creative women but really they're just snippets of their experiences without showing any significant depth to the way they dealt with them or any real point. Maybe I just missed the point?
Nov 25, 2008
Amanda rated it: 2 of 5 stars
I read this book in tandem with "How to Think Like a Millionaire" -- it was an intention meets creativity combo!

"12 Secrets" is a book about women tapping into their authenticity and utilizing their creative forces. If you really do not know where to start, this book is an excellent guide/workbook. Otherwise, this book is simply another reminder on actualizing your best self.
Jul 12, 2010
Tricia is currently reading it
This book is inspiring straight from the top. There are challenges throughout the book that I'm working through, slowly (which is why I can manage reading this book and two other books at the same time!) Growth takes time, ya kno?
Mar 21, 2011
Cynthia rated it: 5 of 5 stars
Many "how-to" books about the creative life easily assist procrastination, but this book should be at the bedside of every woman, young and old. I immediately decided to order a few copies to give as gifts to my women friends. Along with many profound quotes and candid anecdotes, there are exercises that challenge women to fulfill realistic dreams.
Mar 27, 2011
Danita rated it: 4 of 5 stars
This book is an excellent book for encouraging creative women to empower themselves with strength to become successful in their profession.
May 23, 2009
Honore is currently reading it
Ran across this title on one of the blogs I read. This is second time it's landed on my reading shelf ~ never actually read several years ago. TBC...
Jan 31, 2012
Audrey rated it: 3 of 5 stars
We used this book in a journal class I took.... I like the chanllenges....they brought up things which I had buried
Aug 19, 2011
Miranda Hersey rated it: 4 of 5 stars
A must-read for all creative women.
Jan 25, 2009
Brenda rated it: 2 of 5 stars
This book was not as helpful as I had hoped.
Mar 24, 2010
Gloria rated it: 1 of 5 stars
Nothing new here that one hasn't heard already. (Make time, make space, etc.)

Cool quotes in the margins of the pages-- but otherwise, it rapidly became one of those books you "scan" through.
0 comments like (1 person liked it)
Dec 21, 2010
drozda rated it: 4 of 5 stars
a keeper
Apr 16, 2009
Juliezs rated it: 4 of 5 stars
This was a great book that I got a lot out of. There were a lot of ideas in here that I've encountered in other reading, but this was like an in-depth seminar in a book. Really good prompts and questions to ask yourself and write about. I would recommend it to any woman that is struggling with making the change from being a creative person to being a creative businessperson. Very practical advice, with real-woman interviews and ideas from women in different fields, arts, writing, etc.
0 comments like (1 person liked it)
Feb 28, 2009
Kate rated it: 2 of 5 stars
I flipped through this and decided it was too self-helpy, never even left the library.
Oct 15, 2010
Pamela rated it: 3 of 5 stars
--Interesting to read about other women's creative hurdles---I could relate to many of the shared stories.
Feb 24, 2008
Tammy rated it: 2 of 5 stars
A somewhat interesting but not engaging read. The bits and pieces and quotes from each of the artists the author interviewed are not of enough depth to learn or be motivated by them. There are other more inspiring books for developing creativity such as Danny Gregory's "Everyday Matters" or "Creative License"
Feb 17, 2009
Gemma rated it: 4 of 5 stars
Learning alot from this book and the other bookbloggers who are reading this.
Sep 11, 2011
Gina rated it: 3 of 5 stars
This book was pretty good. It was full of writing exercises and great quotations about the creative process. It seemed like pretty much anyone would be able to gain something from this book; it's not applicable just for a certain group of women.
Feb 25, 2010
amy gretchen rated it: 3 of 5 stars
I liked it and found some great quotes, but I was really hoping it would be more original. I feel like if you've read one book about finding your creative self you've read this.
Oct 04, 2008
Krissy rated it: 4 of 5 stars
A good read while I was young! Although perhaps hard to stick with, this book has great points when you need encouragement! Great read for mothers and their daughters!
Jul 07, 2008
Suzanne rated it: 5 of 5 stars
This is pretty darn engaging...seems to be many usable exercises for all kinds of creative "situations".
Dec 07, 2008
Anke rated it: 5 of 5 stars
I love this book and the challenges in it are really great........so my rating, thumps up!!!!
Jun 20, 2008
Marianne rated it: 4 of 5 stars
Inspiring stories make me want to pick up the pen, brush and guitar.
Jan 26, 2008
Melany rated it: 3 of 5 stars
some good ideas for any left brainer.
Dec 02, 2008
Sarah marked it as to-read
So far, VERY inspiring.
Feb 11, 2012
Abi rated it: 3 of 5 stars
Feb 07, 2012
Nicole marked it as to-read
Feb 06, 2012
Amanda rated it: 3 of 5 stars