A few years ago, curator and presenter Sarah Urist Green left her office in the basement of an art museum to travel around visiting a diverse range of artists, asking them to share prompts that relate to their own ways of working, creating and making. The result is this beautiful coffee table book, which invites you to get in touch with your own inner artist, with a range of assignments you can fit into your day to inspire creativity and creative thinking.
You don’t need to draw, paint or sculpt for this book to work magic on your creative juices; Green simply asks that you keep an open mind as you go on this journey and discover how creativity — whether that’s switching up your selfie-taking style, making a rug, or learning to better empathise with diverse groups — can benefit your life and career in untold ways. In this everywoman Book Club podcast, we invite Sarah to share some of the standout moments from her grand art tour, and uncover some of the many benefits of undertaking these assignments to spark creativity.
Show notes
01:36 – What was the lightbulb moment that started this project?
05:09 – Why are you so passionate about getting normal to explore their creativity?
07:19 – What kind of results have you seen, from the public doing the exercises?
10:10 – Have you seen more of less public creativity as a result of COVID?
12:47 – How about your own creativity?
14:57 – Did you make a conscious decision to showcase artists from diverse backgrounds?
17:25 – Are there any standout examples of art as a power for change?
20:18 – What are the most noticeable emotional pieces in the book?
25:10 – What are the most imaginative artists you’ve come across?
27:53 – How do you sell the benefits of being creative in this way?
30:43 – Do you have any creativity life-hacks?
