"A compassionate and encouraging look at the costs and deep rewards of the artistic way of life. There's no shortage of empowering manuals about creativity, but readers will likely find Funke's to be a memorable one." --Kirkus Reviews
“As an expert on overcoming perfectionism and creative blocks, I know that shame is one of the main causes of both. Teresa’s book offers many solutions for neutralizing that shame, so you can go on to live the joyfully creative life you’ve always dreamed of.”
—Hillary Rettig, author of The 7 Secrets of the Prolific and The Lifelong Activist
"Whether you need a boost in energy, morale, or an increase in your happiness-factor, Bursts of Brilliance is a must-read.”
—Kathryn Kemp Guylay, MBA, CNC, bestselling author
and founder of MakeEverythingFun.com
“Teresa is a beautiful writer who takes you into her world like an old friend. She inspires you to live the life you were meant to live and to recognize how talented, unique, and impactful you are. Her nuggets of wisdom in Bursts of Brilliance give you hope for who you are and what you want to create now and in the future.”
—Jean Marie DiGiovanna, speaker, executive coach, author/artist
“Eloquently written and with great insight, Teresa Funke’s writings will resonate with anyone who has wrestled with finding a greater sense of mindfulness and peace while struggling with the solitary life of the creative process. Bursts of Brilliance is a wonderful resource, no matter what your age or level of experience.”
—Jephta Bernstein, founder and executive director, Off the Hook Arts
“Whether working with writers in classrooms or in film production meetings, I’ve learned that creative people need to nurture their spirits as much as their craft. Bursts of Brilliance connects creatives to the inspiration so essential to their process and success. We need this book.”
—Trai Cartwright, story development professional, Craftwrite
2019-09-05
A creativity guidebook aimed at awakening one's inner artist.
This contemplative work by author, speaker, and consultant Funke (War on Sunday Morning, 2018, etc.) concentrates on a set of disarmingly simple precepts—the most straightforward of which is that "art matters." She offers a serialized discussion of creativity and art in brief blog posts that range widely over many aspects of the artistic life, from dealing with rejection to challenging cultural stereotypes and understanding the importance of never feeling completely comfortable in any creative endeavor: "When was the last time a project frightened you?" The author warns neophytes and reminds experienced readers that steady creativity exacts costs, including sleepless nights, long workdays, and the torment of doubt and self-criticism, among others. To justify such a state of affairs, Funke stresses that everybody is brilliant sometimes; it's only what she refers to as "realized genius" that's uncommon. This effectively buttresses her assertion that "we have new opportunities to engage in dialogues that will help us understand each other better" through sharing our stories in artful ways. Funke's prose throughout this volume is brightly engaging and strengthened by her rapid-fire insights into the creative process, as well as by her recollections from her own life. The latter often underscore how "especially vulnerable" artistic people tend to be—and how their only sure refuge, she asserts, is in art. There's no shortage of empowering manuals about creativity, but readers will likely find Funke's to be a memorable one.
A compassionate and encouraging look at the costs and deep rewards of the artistic way of life.
