THE DREAMING SOURE OF CREATIVITY

This book is not only for puppets, now exclusively for puppeteers; it is referred to all those who wants to explore and enhance their creativity that lis within both, ourselves and our environment. Bu using quantum physics, good humor and, of course, puppets, Amy Mindell guides us through this 'journey' and charts the exciting territory between the mystical parts of life and creativity.

The main aim of the book is to show us how creativity is always here, in everything, waiting for us to notice it at any moment in the 'almost nothing' that catches our attention. In this sense, the point is not to reach perfection while you are creating; sometimes, not even to complete the project. Rather, the focus is on the spontaneous and creative act of following the path of the Intentional Field-the "force that guides and sets our lives into motion and brings the material world to birth" (p.15).

The Intentional Field is just one of the different dimensions of experiences that we will come across in this book, and we will be able to explore through simple exercises and play (or playful exercises). Consensus Reality, Dreamland and Essence are the other realms mentioned on the book and all can be understood as parallel worlds for one another. And although we tend to focus on one realm at any given moment, it is possible to move between these parallel dimensions of experience. Learning to move between these worlds is a point of reference in the book, as well as realising how central this ability is to our sense of wellness and creativity.

Exploring these experiences, even those aspects of oneself, which usually seem difficult and troublesome, can be of great assistance to deal with the blocks and moods we all encounter when trying to be creative. Led by the exercises in the book, we will be shown how to use body symptoms as allies and sources of creativity and we will be given guidance in how to catch the fleeting signals from our dreams which, perhaps, might be a new puppet or a new puppetry play. The only thing that we need to do is to open up and let ourselves 'flirting' with the creative impulses within ourselves and our environment.

Why puppets?

In this book puppets are used as the means to creativity and, at the same time, as the outcome of the creating process. And the main reason for this is that puppets themselves are Bridge Builders: they are capable of straddling worlds and dimensions and crossing the boundaries between reality and dreaming

"We just need to put a puppet on our hand and we gain access to the dream world with its magical times, spaces and stories..."(p.180).

I do believe that this is a very interesting book, may be not in the most conventional way, but definitely intriguing and liberating. You are not going to find hints and tips to make better puppets or theories of aesthetics and new approaches to performance. But you may fid different ways to approach your own, unique creativity or even discover creative 'seeds' in aspects of yourself or every day reality that you haven't even imagined. And in this sense, many amazing characters will come into life.