What It Is by Lynda Barry

When you first look at this large (11x8.5), hardcover book, your first thought might not be "What It Is", but rather "what is it?" The cover sets the stage for the book, in fact it looks much like every page inside - a mixture of drawings, words, doodles, and collage that at once instructs and confounds, inspires and confuses.

The book is categorized by the book standards as a graphic comic or graphic novel. While it is full of graphics, it is neither of these things to me. At some level it is a primer on creative writing (which is what all writing should be - creative!), and it does provide concrete and useful ideas to this goal.

But the book is far more than that - it is a visual delight in full color that I know will make me more creative every time I pick it up.

No words I use will adequately describe this book, because it isn't really like anything I've ever seen (though it does remind me of the work of Sark). Here is an example.

I opened randomly to page 50. The main words/ideas on this page are:

What brings on a sudden thought? (These words are written inside a picture of a squirrel.)

Is reminded the same as remembered? (These words are drawn/written in three different ways on three different backgrounds.)

There is far more on page 50, and most of it is visually stimulating and highly creative.
Some parts of the book are more narrative, and some pages are more visually dominated, but all of the pages have both words and pictures.

I love this book-that-I-can't-fully-explain, and you may too. If you are a very linear thinker or are looking for checklists of ideas to be a more creative writer (or more creative in general) this isn't your book. But if you want something different to learn from and be inspired by - pick up a copy as soon as you can.

Learn more and purchase at Amazon.com.

P.S. I'm hoping to have Lynda as my guest for our Remarkable Leadership Guest Conversation in July!

Also posted in Creativity and Learning.