The Art of Silliness: A Creativity Book for Everyone

The Art of Silliness: Draw, Doodle, and Play for 10 Minutes a Dayby Carla SonheimThis is an excellent exercise book to open up and let silliness come forth and creativity spring out! I like my drawings (I say this like I can really DRAW anything!) look realistic. But this let's the reader really let loose and just go with the flow and make up stuff and be happy! It is so fun and freeing! I felt less stress after just a few exercises. Not just stress of drawing but of everything! I giggled and had a great time just being open and free to let the strict restrictions go and just be!There are several lessons, so easy that kids can join in! Lots of fun for the whole family! No, I won't show you my work because this is my therapy, lol! Some of them came out funny enough I don't mind showing family.Looking for something for the whole family to do then look no further! Giggle as you go!

The book itself has some fun exercises and opens up new ideas about different ways to create with drawing. My complaint is with the used bookseller. The book was rated as Used-Very Good, but over 1/4 of the pages were full of drawings BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER. The whole point of this book is that you draw in it, but when the pages already are filled in, some of the projects cannot be completed. I wish the bookseller had looked more carefully when evaluating marks and drawings in the book.

I am a teacher and artist. I see this book as a combo practice of basic techniques with silly twists, a way to warm up and open up to start work, and a goofy time-waster/relaxer. I think this is for almost all ages, but requires a willingness to be ridiculous and to not be put off by the author's own quirky style. I love it!

This is a wonderful book! It is designed to help the reader/artist relax about drawing--make it fun, unpretentious, and without lofty expectations. Techniques like drawing with your opposite hand, drawing upside down, and turning shapes into interesting creatures all help the reader/artist think 'out of the box.' Artists who feel stuck may find some of the author's techniques very freeing. However, the one problem I have with this book is the quality of the paper on which it is printed. Although this book is designed to be drawn in, the paper is so thin that you can see the printing/images on the reverse side, which is very distracting. I would hope that a book being used to draw in would at least be manufactured using drawing-weight paper. There are plenty of 'draw-in' books out there, and they have much heavier paper than this one, so it is definitely possible. I think I will be photocopying much of this book onto better paper!

The cover on this book is lovely on a good quality paper... inviting. This book is delightful in what it presents: encouraging playfulness and imagination and courage to be silly. I love the content and I wish I could draw into this book with pens and markers...but the paper is a cheap, rough, yellowing news print that can be drawn on with dry pencils, graphite and colored... I was hoping to have a wonderful sketch book without bleed through, something I would love to page through after I finish it. Creativity is precious and good quality tools, and that includes paper, fosters delight in engaging in drawing. I am not a very young child, who may be happy with a paper of this grade. Being frustrated with the poor quality paper is counterproductive to what this books hopes to inspire. I would gladly pay more for this book to have good quality paper. It boils down to that I will need to get a sketch book with paper I like and either dedicate it to the exercises or cut it up and glue the creations into this book.

I'm a 24 year old eventually-returning-to-college woman who works full time at a food service job, and part time at a sports stadium. After a long day (sometimes 15 hours of work between the two jobs) I want to sit down at home to create and draw like I used to before working - but find myself too exhausted. This book is perfect for that - the exercises are short, fun, weird, and most importantly, easy. So easy, a kid could do it. Do not be fooled, however, this book isn't so simple and easy that it is only for kids. It really is for everyone (especially if you're predisposed to liking doodling and fond of animals). I would recommend not writing in the actual book that is provided, however. 1 - it looks messy that way. 2 - more people can enjoy the book if the pages are kept blank (you can always photocopy them if you really want your work on the pages) 3 - the book doesn't lay quite flat, which could make doodling in it difficult.

Love Carla’s books! This is the perfect little book for yourself or anyone who wants to kissed up their inner artist. Packed with great and simple exercises that are both fun, silly and creative.

A little disappointed.Just received this item today. The contents are great and fun. Sadly, the paper that the book is printed on is cheap and yellow. The opening pages suggest using a sharpie to draw in the book! The paper is not of a quality to support that type of marker....don’t do it! Wish I’d read a few more reviews before I ordered it.

This is an excellent book for those who want to draw but gave it up due to criticism during discouragement as a child.It is VERY silly, and therefore brings back the FUN.I can draw already but even I can see the value in this excellent book, I think I will feel much less constrained in my drawing techniques in following this book.

Fabulous book, instructive and informative. Great fun and well worth purchasing.

Ok

Was a month late arriving which you can deal with in the current lock down situations but the quality of the paper that it is printed on cannot be used in the way that Carla has suggested drawing in the book. The paper is really thin cheap butcher paper and doesn't even stand up to the pencil test let alone using felt tips or paint. Comparing this to all her other books, I am really disappointed but I will find a work around for it as all the "lessons" are really fun.

Das Buch ist eine Ideenfundgrube für assoziatives Malen und das Anregen der Kreativität. Und damit meine ich nicht diezurzeit so modernen "Malbücher für Erwachsene". Diese sind zwar auch hübsch und haben vermutlich eine meditative Seite,aber dieses Buch fördert wirklich die Kreativität und sorgt dafür, dass das Zeichnen auch den Leuten Spaß macht, die nie glaubten, es zu können oder gar Talent zu haben. Man kann direkt ins Buch hineinzeichnen, das heißt, für Urlaub / Wartezeiten etc. reicht das Buch und ein Stift.Kurze, übersichtliche und abwechslungsreiche Aufgaben treten sowohl die Angst vor dem vermeintlichen eigenen "Nichtkönnen", als auch vor dem leeren Blatt in die Ecke kitzeln und die pure Lust am Zeichnen heraus. Kaufen!