The Art of You: An Essential Guidebook for Claiming a Creative Life

＂The Art of You offers great insights and steps on how to cultivate creativity. This is essential reading for anyone looking to share their unique experience, to foster deep connections, and to inspire others.＂ --Yung Pueblo, #1 New York Times bestselling author

From conscious creativity leader James McCrae comes a guide to reclaim creativity as a sacred path to healing, awaken your sense of wonder, execute your craft, and reclaim the artist within.

Creativity is not a rare skill to be accessed by a privileged few. It is your nature, a sacred practice that awakens your inner child and offers medicine to the soul. Sometimes we become disconnected from this inner magic, but The Art of You unlocks the secrets of the creative process. Whatever form your art takes--writing, painting, music, business, performance, marketing, technology, or social media content--this guide will help you actualize your unique higher purpose, turn your imagination into reality, and transform both yourself and the world around you.

The Art of You is centered around ＂the yin and yang of creativity,＂ a signature framework for understanding and mastering the creative process. Inspired by the ancient practice of Taoism, yin and yang represent equal and opposite universal energies: stillness and action, the inner world and the outer world.

Presented in an engaging visual style with word art, poems, memes, illustrations, and rituals, The Art of You is designed to help you find creative alignment, purpose, and flow. The first half is yin (creative BEING), which focuses on topics like cultivating intuition, the power of imagination, learning from creative guides, and transmuting emotion into inspiration. The second half is yang (creative DOING), which focuses on developing your craft, finding your unique style, launching projects, growing an audience, and practicing creativity for social impact.

In a world of increasing uncertainty, creativity is more important than ever. ＂Art is alchemy,＂ James McCrae says. ＂It transmutes pain into beauty. When we create art, we open a tiny portal to the soul that brings light to a world of darkness. In doing so, we give others permission to do the same.＂ At its core, creativity isn’t only about making art. It’s about being an independent thinker. You don’t need tremendous talent; you just need the courage to question conventional wisdom and trust your creative nature. It’s time to share your vision with the world.

James McCrae is an author, poet, meme artist, and founder of Sunflower Club, a global school and community dedicated to conscious creativity. James is the author of Sh#t Your Ego Says and How to Laugh in Ironic Amusement During Your Existential Crisis. As a creative strategist, he has worked with top brands and startups. His articles on creativity have appeared in publications like Forbes, HuffPost, Adweek, Yogi Times, and Entrepreneur. He lives in Austin, Texas. For more visit jamesmccrae.co