“Writing is a way of connecting my innermost aspirations with my love for the written word.” — Austin Hill Shaw
For more than two decades, Austin Hill Shaw has been using writing as a both creative practice and a means for exploring creativity itself. He writes from the heart, wanting writing to be less of a mental exercise and more of a nexus of physical sensations, mental orchestration, and transcendent “seeing.” To write in a way that touches others, Austin opens himself up to the world around him, experiences it deeply and intimately, then strives to share that his insights with others. To make his writing compelling to the reader, he anticipates his the reader’s needs and desires, leading them along with both clarity and intrigue, unveiling to him or her his own unique take on creativity and the miraculous nature of the world around us.
Austin also was the founder of Spiral Notebooks: Writers Helping Writers, a year long bimonthly writing program held in Berkeley, California.
Books on Creativity
- Between the Bridge and the Water: Death, Rebirth, and Creative Awakening
- The Shoreline of Wonder: On Being Creative
Articles on Creativity
- Ask For Help: How Recognizing our Dependence on Others Improves Creativity
- In Defense of Intoxication: How Our Natural Drive for Altered States Fuels the Creative Process
- Wisdom and the Feminine
- The Lowdown on Bassnectar: How the Loma Prieta Earthquake Inspired The Bay Area’s Most Indigenous Musical Genre
Praise for Austin’s Writing
[su_content_slider] [su_content_slide][/su_content_slide] [su_content_slide]…your words suggest that the final “retirement” from striving/achieving/accumulating will be a luscious wholeness, a clear, delightful simplicity, where you can enjoy who and what you are. That is indeed a wonderful space to aspire to!
[/su_content_slide] [su_content_slide]Thank you for your beautiful piece, Austin. It’s so well written and insightful.
[/su_content_slide] [su_content_slide]I have always wanted, of course, to understand my creativity better so that I might embrace it more fully…Having read this book, I understand the foundation and source of these moments much better. And now that I understand it better, I feel like I can get in touch with that source each day if I just spend the time.
[/su_content_slide] [su_content_slide]By directly and honestly addressing the fundamental questions about the nature and manifestations of creativity, Austin Hill Shaw, has made an important contribution. He has effectively distilled a sometimes overwhelming amount of information into a coherent narrative – and one we all desperately need to understand.
[/su_content_slide] [su_content_slide]Last week, while in the throes of pain and confusion, I read the first chapter and I was transformed.
[/su_content_slide] [su_content_slide]A beautiful blend of personal experience, philosophy and real-life examples I found the book to be both truly creative and distinct in its style and format. Shaw writes as one would expect of someone who professes to be a lover of beauty – eloquently and delightfully. Coupled with a deep authenticity and honesty and you have a wonderfully nourishing and enlightening book.
[/su_content_slide] [su_content_slide]This book was deeply inspiring, offering fresh perspective and insight. It is well written and a pleasure to read. I would recommend it to anyone interested in being a happy, fulfilled person.
[/su_content_slide] [su_content_slide]…beautiful and grounding. I recommend this book to anyone looking to bring more meaning and creative insights to their lives.
[/su_content_slide] [su_content_slide]The Shoreline of Wonder is a must-read for anyone interested in maximizing their creativity. Shaw conveys a complex subject in an easy to understand manner, and is open-minded, powerful, and impactful in his delivery. This book is a guidepost to living not only more creatively, but in a more connected and open way.
[/su_content_slide] [su_content_slide]An extremely well crafted, in-depth and readable book focusing on the creative process. What is unique about this book is the way the author uses science and earth-based natural history to elaborate on our innate creative process. As a life-long ecologist,naturalist and creative artist myself, I found this approach enriching and validating. Additionally, what makes Shaw’s book so enjoyable and readable is his weaving in of his own personal experiences with artists and spiritual teachers, as well as his own personal life and family experiences.
[/su_content_slide] [su_content_slide]I particularly loved the way in which Shaw approaches this subject with a respectful sense of awe, demonstrating a powerful humility that is itself inherent to the creative process. I also deeply appreciate the accessibility of his message, as there is a take-away for all of us, regardless of where we may be in our journeys towards self-actualization and personal growth.
[/su_content_slide] [su_content_slide]This is a wonderful exploration of the nature of curiosity. It confronts the myth that some people are not creative, while others are. In beautiful language and with compelling stories, this book lays out a view of how creativity is an inherent part of everyone’s being, just waiting to be tapped into.
[/su_content_slide] [su_content_slide]Austin Hill Shaw beautifully blends his very honest and personal experience, with poignant examples from Sir Isaac Newton, Einstein, Huston Smith and many others, and his with own insightful analysis of everything from the origins of the cosmos to the creative processes at work within us all. I came away from reading his book believing more fully in my own ability to be a creative person and with a deeper appreciation for the creative processes at work in the world around me.
[/su_content_slide] [su_content_slide]Your book is on my nightstand, slowly being absorbed, so I have your words to guide me along and remind me of a powerful, creative man.
[/su_content_slide] [su_content_slide]Those of us who are healthy, happy and feel empathy for our fellow man, have a moral obligation to provide future generations every chance of success. Austin Shaw takes a large step in that direction with this informative work.
[/su_content_slide] [su_content_slide]This book took me to a state of contemplation very quickly. From its factual statistics, to its haunting descriptions, to its clear descriptions about the motivations for suicide and their connection to creativity and our desire to belong as human beings, each part of it cut to the bone.
[/su_content_slide] [su_content_slide]Thank you for providing us with your words. You made me an immediate fan.
[/su_content_slide] [su_content_slide]While reading your book I could feel my walls melting away.
[/su_content_slide] [su_content_slide]Austin’s recent critique of a piece I wrote provided help with the technical aspects of my writing as well as encouragment to dig deeper into myself to facilitate more people being able to relate to what I’m expressing. The conversation left me feeling deeply enriched. Austin is a brilliant writer and an excellent group facilitator. He leads with confidence and warmth, making others feel empowered in their own gifts. It’s a real honor to work with him.
[/su_content_slide] [/su_content_slider]Austin has a huge heart, an eloquent tongue, and an enormous intellect all grounded by tranquil humility.