"I read on two levels - one to absorb the content of the book (what the author is trying to say) and the other to absorb the author's creativity, which helps me to feel my own creativity." - Dolly Parton, Dream More: Celebrate the Dreamer in You
I like reading books rich in metaphors and similes. I recently read a mystery by Diane Mott Davidson where she wrote, "the clouds on the horizon looked like mutant cauliflowers."
I am working on a book about my experience touring with Circus Kirk, a youth circus, in 1976 and 1977. Diane's example inspired me to search for my own similes. As a result, I wrote this description of a trick performed on the Spanish Web. "With her left ankle secure in the foot loop she braced her right foot against the taut rope and pushed out until her body extended out like the felt pennants sold at the novelty stand." I feel that simile is particularly applicable because her body formed a triangle mirroring the triangular shape of the pennants.
As I read, I appreciate the authors creativity. In Gilt Trip, Laura Childs wrote, "Isn't it funny that diamonds are a girl's best friend, but a dog is a man's best friend." I had heard those two phrases many times, but had never thought of comparing them to each other. My reaction to reading something like that is to think, "That's good. I wish I had thought of that. I wonder what inspired them." Enjoying her creativity is why I continue to read more books in the three mystery series written by Childs.
Here is a joke that I enjoy telling.
Knock -Knock!
Who's There?
Cows Go!
Cows Go Who?
No silly, Cows Go Moo! Owls Go Who!
That joke forces you to be mentally flexible. It suddenly switches from the standard form of a knock-knock joke, which we follow without thinking about it, to a statement about the sounds made by animals. Studies have shown that the flexibility resulting from enjoying jokes works as an effective mental warm up preparing you to be more creative. So, reading books with metaphors, similes, and humor flexes your mental muscles so you will begin to feel more creative.
I recently read The Ordinary Acrobat; A Journey into the Wondrous World of the Circus, Past and Present by Duncan Wall. The book describes his experience as a Fulbright scholar at France's Ecole National des Arts du Cirque de Rosny-sous-Bois (National Circus School). I had heard Wall lecture at a Circus Historical Society convention and we had a short private conversation. While reading his book, I could see how his writing reflected his personal philosophy. Wall is definitely interested in "modern circus" opposed to "traditional circus." A section of his book that I found particularly interesting was on the development of juggling acts. In the beginning, juggling acts were a demonstration of skill. Wall credits Francis Brunn with transforming juggling acts into an expression of the entertainer's personality. It made me consider how I express my personality through my juggling, magic, and other routines.
I was also inspired by how Duncan Wall incorporated information on the history of the circus into his account of his own personal experiences. I like that approach and will use it in my Circus Kirk book.
Do you read on two levels? How can you apply what the author is saying to your life and career? How has the author been creative? How can you use that to inspire your own creativity?
