Creativity

Make no mistake.
I frown upon books about creativity.
Too often they gather only formulas, point at Einstein and the Beatles but
rarely at the author, propose exercises that mistake the mind for a gym machine
and conclude each chapter with a recap worthy of fifth-graders. In
aiming at the universal to satisfy the commonest denominator of human
thinking and behavior most of these books miss all of the originality, the
humor, the serendipity, the grace, the exceptions to the rule, the idiosyncrasies
that mold the way of art.
 
So if I don t believe in books about creativity, why am I writing one?
Although the original idea for this book was not mine it came from the
outside its entire content comes directly from inside, from a life I have
spent creating. I hope that my unconventional, insubordinate process of
creativity will offer insight for anyone struggling to achieve his or her
dreams.
 
Born into the confines of rigid parenting, repressive schooling and the
 narrow-mindedness of a country busy manufacturing 365 types of cheeses,
quite early I started to rebel against authority. I was not very good at following.
I had to distance myself from the norm, to venture along solitary paths,
to teach myself.
At six, I taught myself magic; at fourteen, juggling; at sixteen, wire-walking.
In the process, I was thrown out of five different schools. Regardless, I would
never have let my schooling get in the way of my education.
 
Observation was my conduit to knowledge, intuition my source of power.
I spent my days taking things apart and rebuilding them; not asking how to
do something, but finding out; hiding from people in order to stare at them,
noting how they dress, talk, act, and noticing their mistakes . . .
As a teenager I spent considerable time at the circus and vaudeville theater,
witnessing the best acts in the world thereby setting my artistic standards
at an unusually high level. I would compare

Philippe Petit

Praise for Creativity: The Perfect Crime

Gleeful Anyone involved in the performing arts will find Creativity useful. [A] kaleidoscopic manifesto . as richly insightful as it is vaingloriously irreverent. Read it. Use it to cross whatever tightropes you happen to be perched on. Minneapolis Star Tribune

Anyone curious about Petit s life and art, or hoping to draw inspiration for their own creative coup, will find ideas and insights in Creativity: The Perfect Crime. --BookPage

"Like all extraordinary artists, Philippe Petit's practice is founded in rigor, scrutiny, and dedication. What sets Philippe in a class all his own is his restless quest to conquer the greatest physical heights, achieving a precise balance of chaos and creativity. He is an inspiration to all who dare to dream of the seemingly impossible. Dear friend: I salute you!
--Mikhail Baryshnikov

  A book as unique, open and inspiring as one would expect from its fundamentally revolutionary creator, a true original who does not accept accepted wisdom or take no for an answer. As I read, I kept underlining and thinking of friends I wanted to share it with---actors, writers, directors, anyone really. This book could be as powerful for kids as adults; I put a copy of it on each of my kids' nightstands and recommend you do the same.
--David Duchovny
 
If life itself is a walk on a wire, suspended between birth and death, in Creativity: The Perfect Crime Philippe Petit reminds us that the humble precision of every little step can lead to greatness.
--Francesco Clemente

I enjoyed the organization of chaos, the boldness of ideas, the insanity of Philippe s visions, the extreme discipline of planning, and the passion of the feat. It inspires to create not only on a sound concept, but also on a whim or a spark.  I was thoroughly able to identify with his highs and lows and it was a great pleasure to have one so freewheeling put his methods down in a