Books with author Andy McGuinness

"This is a How To manual at the highest level from a man who has lived the life and has watched and worked intimately with hundreds of others who've done the same. Indispensable reading for anyone in a creative field who is seeking to achieve not just a flash of brilliance but a lifelong career."Steven Pressfield, bestselling author of The War of Art "I love my work so much I would do it for free."Many creative people have uttered these words in a moment of enthusiasm--they express the joy of creative work. But they also hint at some of the pitfalls that lie in wait for creatives . . .In one sense, creative people have no problem with motivation. We fall in love with our creative work and pursue a career that allows us to do what we love every day.Psychological research confirms what we know in our hearts: we are at our most creative when we are driven by intrinsic motivation--working for the sheer joy of it, regardless of rewards. Focusing on extrinsic motivation--such as money, fame, or other rewards--can kill your creativity.If you don't feel excited by the task in front of you, it's impossible to do your best work, no matter what rewards it might bring. You may be determined not to sell out, but selling yourself short can be just as damaging. And when it comes to public recognition, comparisonitis and professional jealousy can consume far too much of your creative energy.Working for love is all well and good, but if you're a creative professional you can't ignore the rewards: you need money to enjoy your life and to fund your projects. You may not need to be famous, but you do need a good reputation within your professional network. And if you're in a fame-driven industry you need a powerful public profile, whether or not you enjoy the limelight.There's a precious balance at play--get it wrong, and you could seriously damage your creativity and even your career.For the past twenty years creative coach Mark McGuinness has helped hundreds of creatives like you to overcome these challenges. A poet and creative entrepreneur, his last book, Resilience: Facing Down Rejection and Criticism on the Road to Success, is an Amazon.com Creativity best seller.In his latest book, Motivation for Creative People, Mark helps you rise to these challenges and create a fulfilling and rewarding creative career. All the solutions he shares have been tested with real people in real situations, including ways to:* stay creative and in love with your work--even under pressure* overcome Resistance to tackling your creative challenges* reclaim your creative soul if you wander off your true path* stop selling yourself short--and start reaping the rewards of your creativity* attract the right kind of audience for your work* cultivate an outstanding artistic reputation* avoid destroying your creativity through attachment to money, fame, reputation, and other rewards* surround yourself with people who support your creative ambitions* avoid getting stuck in unhealthy comparisonitis or professional jealousy* balance your inspiration, ambition, desires, and influences in the big picture of your creative careerMotivation for Creative People is the perfect guide to figuring out your different motivations and how they affect your creativity and career.The book is packed with practical advice and inspiring stories from Mark's own experience, his transformative work with coaching clients, and famous creators and creations--including Stanley Kubrick, Dante, The Smiths, Shakespeare, kabuki drama, and Breaking Bad.If you are serious about succeeding in your creative career--while staying true to your inspiration--read Motivation for Creative People.

Guitar-playing Kelvin Crab is planning to put on a rock concert at the Rock Pool, with his band the Crabettes. He decides to send a message in a bottle to tell all his friends. Realising few people will see it and not wanting Kelvin to be left feeling disappointed, Megan and the gang secretly plan other ways to draw the crowds. But will it work or will the evening be a disaster? Find out in Kelvin Crab and the Message in a Bottle, the first book from the Whistle-on-Sea series.

If you want to achieve something original and meaningful with your life, you MUST learn to deal with rejection and criticism.If you're an artist of any kind your work will be rejected by editors, curators and other gatekeepers. And each time you put it in front of the public, you expose yourself to criticism.If you're an entrepreneur you face rejection by (potential) customers, partners and investors. Those same people won't hesitate to criticize you if they are unhappy (justified or not).If you're chasing your dream job you'll receive your share of rejection letters. And once you land the job, taking flak when things go wrong is part of the deal.If you're an athlete or sports player it's a battle to get on the team. And you'll hear about it from all sides - your coach, your team-mates and (so-called) supporters - if they think your performance isn't up to scratch.If you're a campaigner for change you face inertia, resistance and hostility from everyone with an investment in the status quo. No wonder most people choose not to rock the boat.Between them, rejection and criticism can rob you of your dream.Many people set out on their chosen path full of hope and inspiration, only to turn back because they couldn't deal with the emotional impact of crushing rejections and vicious criticism.If you want to avoid joining the legions of also-rans, you'll need to find practical, effective ways to deal with rejection and criticism.Anyone who says 'don't take it so personally' doesn't understand what it's like when you are hit by a major rejection or biting criticism.At least to begin with, it's almost impossible NOT to take it personally (for very good psychological reasons). To deal with rejection and criticism, you need to acknowledge the pain - and find ways to bounce back from the impact.In short, you need to develop resilience.In Resilience, Mark McGuinness explains why your reactions to rejection and criticism are completely understandable - and how to deal with them effectively.Through stories from his own experience, as well as those of famous people who faced rejection and criticism on the road to their success, he will show you that you are far from alone in suffering from rejection and criticism.And he draws on years of experience as a coach to give you practical advice that has been road-tested with hundreds of people facing similar challenges to you.You will learn:Why rejection and criticism hurt so muchSeveral ways you may be making rejection worse (without realising it)How to keep going in spite of multiple rejectionsWhy your inner critic is (potentially) your best friendWhen to ignore the critics - and when to listenWhether (and how) to respond to insults and abuseWhy success is harder than it looks - and how to deal with itThis is not a theoretical book - it's packed with practical tips and techniques you can apply to your own challenges right away.Whether you're just setting out, in the middle of your journey, or dealing with the unexpected challenges of success, Resilience will show you how to keep moving forward. Resilience will take you a few hours to read; its lessons will help you for the rest of your life.

Liviella Breeze is a typical young girl living a happy, normal life with her mum, dad and little sister, Tilly. That was, until one night when Liviella went to sleep. She found herself in the strangest place that compelled her to want to return, again and again. She was intrigued and often astounded by what she saw and those that she met when she was there. Liviella could think of nothing else but to go back to enjoy the adventures that overwhelmed her. No one took much notice to Liviella’s stories. Her mum and dad knew that she had an extraordinary imagination and they thought her best friend CJ was worse than her. Best mum Kay was always in Liviella’s dreams. She adored Liviella. She watched and looked over her constantly. When Liviella was with Kay, she felt cherished and very special. She knew that she was not the only special one. There were others, others who also went there in their dreams. This did not matter much to Liviella because she knew that she always had Kay all to herself. Kay had a mission for Liviella. She needed her to befriend a girl who had lost the will to be happy. Mary Lambshark was a sullen little girl who had detached herself from all things nice; including Liviella.Amidst the beauty and spectacular happenings, lurked something ugly and sinister. Kay did not wish to reveal or talk about it but Liviella sensed it was there. It seemed to follow Liviella, lingering in her natural life. She knew it wanted something from her but she did not know what. Eventually, she came face to face with it.

It’s Megan’s birthday, but Bertie Bucket and Sandy Spade don’t have the right ingredients to make her a birthday cake. To everyone’s excitement, Sandy suggests they make it from sand and so the gang sets about making the best birthday cake ever. But when they come to present it to Megan, they can’t believe their eyes- someone else has started to eat it. Find out who in the second book from the Whistle-On-Sea series.

It’s Megan’s birthday, but Bertie Bucket and Sandy Spade don’t have the right ingredients to make her a birthday cake. To everyone’s excitement, Sandy suggests they make it from sand and so the gang sets about making the best birthday cake ever. But when they come to present it to Megan, they can’t believe their eyes- someone else has started to eat it. Find out who in the second book from the Whistle-On-Sea series.

It's a day of painting shells for Megan and the gang, but when the paint runs dry, Shelby Seagull goes in search of fresh supplies. He returns with pots more paint for Larry Lobster and Willie Whelk to splodge and splat on bucket loads of shells. It's only later they discover that what Shelby found was no ordinary paint. Join the fun when Kelvin Crab discovers he has glow-in-the-dark paint on his hands in Shelby Seagull and The Painted Shells, the fourth book from the Whistle-on-Sea series.

It's a day of painting shells for Megan and the gang, but when the paint runs dry, Shelby Seagull goes in search of fresh supplies. He returns with pots more paint for Larry Lobster and Willie Whelk to splodge and splat on bucket loads of shells. It's only later they discover that what Shelby found was no ordinary paint. Join the fun when Kelvin Crab discovers he has glow-in-the-dark paint on his hands in Shelby Seagull and The Painted Shells, the fourth book from the Whistle-on-Sea series.

Guitar-playing Kelvin Crab is planning to put on a rock concert at the Rock Pool, with his band the Crabettes. He decides to send a message in a bottle to tell all his friends. Realising few people will see it and not wanting Kelvin to be left feeling disappointed, Megan and the gang secretly plan other ways to draw the crowds. But will it work or will the evening be a disaster? Find out in Kelvin Crab and the Message in a Bottle, the first book from the Whistle-on-Sea series.