Stop Look Breathe Create

There are a lot of books about mindfulness out there, some better than others. And there's a lot of books about creativity. "Stop Look Breathe Create" is not only a beautiful book which inspires creativity, but does so in a way that easily brings mindfulness into everyday life. I can't think of a book quite like it. You can tell it's not been hurriedly put together - rather, there's a sense that the author has lived this way for many years and has developed techniques and approaches through her own experience. A very genuine book.

Stop, Look, Create, and don't forget to Breathe. Very much a hands on book. Ten weeks and you can change your perception of what's going on around you - Life. A series of exercises which take you out of your comfort zone and you think ' I've messed up here ' only to realise later that was where you learnt something new. If you have artistic aspirations ( drawing, painting, writing) just go for it - it made 3 winter months go very quickly as I struggled with 'contour drawing' - Yes! - that's what I thought - what's that. A definite learning experience, and I enjoyed it

A beautiful book that takes you on a journey of finding mindful pauses and creativity each and every day. Highly recommend!

Very good book. Title easy to remember and put into practice.

very easy to follow, flows well, would recommed

This is a delightful little book designed to set you on the path of becoming more mindful by kickstarting your creativity. It teaches you to “stop, look, breathe, create”, i.e. slow down and notice the little things with the aim of getting you to make time for yourself, create a more mindful connection with the world, feel inspired and I guess, appreciate and enjoy life a bit more.The book includes a useful introduction followed by 10 different projects containing exercises you can do that will stimulate creativity. Each of these projects offer you a way to explore the topic through a) drawing b) writing and c) photography. The projects / exercises are very do-able and aren’t daunting at all and they do inspire creative thinking and doing, so long as you're willing to actually do the exercises presented. Project topics include exploring colour, texture, pattern and light, e.g. finding a piece of tree bark and drawing it with your eyes closed and choosing a shape or pattern and then documenting them when you notice them in the world around you. A lot of the projects remind me of my art school days, exploring natural form and developing sketchbooks.I’m not sure the book will appeal to everyone and do feel like it will connect more with those already creatively-minded or those wanting to become more artistic. I think it would appeal to artists from various disciplines as well as art & design students. It requires more reading, planning and thinking than something like “Wreck this Journal” and similar books which are perhaps a little more accessible and easier to get into. There's no space to draw/write directly into the book so I highly recommend getting a notebook or sketchbook along with some watercolours, pens, pencils (whatever medium you fancy) so you can start your creative journey.

Absolutely beautiful book. Great mindful advice on how to be more creative and happier with what you do create! A little jewel of a book with great exercises to keep you inspired! Love ❤️

If you aren’t into “airy-fairy” New Age philosophies (or even abstractions of ancient Buddhist ones, given mindfulness’ roots), then this isn’t the book for you.But, if you are looking for a good, solid set of exercises that will help you create individual artworks and are prepared to try something a little bit different, then Stop Look Breathe Create has a lot to offer. I’d already played with many of the techniques described during various art and design courses I’ve attended over the years, and much of the mindfulness material is to do with observation and reflection, which strongly linked to certain aspects of my teacher training, so there was little new here for me, but it was interesting to see the various elements drawn together in support of each other.However, if you’re looking for a quick fix and some easy to pick up projects when you have a few minutes spare, this book won’t provide that – it takes time to read, reflect and put into practice the techniques it talks about and requires a lot of work and a long-term commitment if you’re going to get the most out of it (even though that commitment can be as little as ten minutes or so a day).So, if you fancy something different to get your creative juices flowing, be it through photography, sketching and painting, or writing (or a combination of any and all of the above), this book is worth a look. And it may just make you a much more confident and relaxed person as well!