Free Play: Improvisation in Life and ArtFree Play is about the inner sources of spontaneous creation. It is about why we create and what we learn when we do. It is about the flow of unhindered creative energy: the joy of making art in all its varied forms. An international bestseller and beloved classic, Free Play is an inspiring and provocative book, directed toward people in any field who want to contact, honor, and strengthen their own creative powers. It reveals how inspiration arises within us, how that inspiration may be blocked, derailed or obscured, and how finally it can be liberated—how we can be liberated—to speak or sing, write or paint, dance or play, with our own authentic voice. Stephen Nachmanovitch, a pioneer in free improvisation, integrates material from a wide variety of sources among the arts, sciences, and spiritual traditions of humanity, drawing on unusual quotes, amusing and illuminating anecdotes, and original metaphors. The whole enterprise of improvisation in life and art, of recovering free play and awakening creativity, is about being true to ourselves and our visions. Free Play brings us into direct, active contact with boundless creative energies that we may not even know we had. |
From inside the book
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Contents
A New Flute | 1 |
Introduction | 4 |
The Sources | 15 |
Inspiration and Times Flow | 17 |
The Vehicle | 25 |
The Stream | 31 |
The Muse | 36 |
Mind at Play | 42 |
Form Unfolding | 102 |
Obstacles and Openings | 113 |
Childhoods End | 115 |
Vicious Circles | 126 |
The Judging Spectre | 133 |
Surrender | 140 |
Patience | 147 |
Ripening | 152 |
Disappearing | 51 |
The Work | 57 |
Sex and Violins | 59 |
Practice | 66 |
The Power of Limits | 78 |
The Power of Mistakes | 88 |
Playing Together | 94 |
The Fruits | 161 |
Eros and Creation | 163 |
Quality | 170 |
Art for Lifes Sake | 181 |
Heartbreakthrough | 191 |
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Common terms and phrases
activity addiction art forms artist artwork audience Bach beauty become Beethoven blocks Blue Cliff Record body breakthrough breath bricolage Carl Jung child childhood's end comes composer consciousness create creation creative process dance deeper e. e. cummings emotional energy everything experience expression fear feeling flow flute free improvisation free play Galumphing Gregory Bateson hand ideas Igor Stravinsky imagination improvisation inner inspiration instru instrument intuition invent judging spectre kind learning limits listen living look material matter means ment mind muse musician mysterious nature ourselves P. D. Q. Bach painting pattern performance person piece player poetry practice procrastination resonance rhythm rules samadhi sense Shobogenzo sound spiritual spontaneous string structure surprises surrender T. S. Eliot technique temenos theater thing thought tion totally tune unconscious violin voice whole William Blake writing