Phil Cousineau

PHIL COUSINEAU is an award-winning writer and filmmaker, teacher and editor, lecturer and travel leader, storyteller and TV host. His fascination with the art, literature, and history of culture has taken him from Michigan to Marrakesh, Iceland to the Amazon, in a worldwide search for what the ancients called the “soul of the world.” With more than 25 books and 15 scriptwriting credits to his name, the “omnipresent influence of myth in modern life” is a thread that runs through all of his work. His books include Stoking the Creative Fires, Once and Future Myths, The Art of Pilgrimage, The Olympic Odyssey, The Hero's Journey, Wordcatcher and The Painted Word.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Phil Cousineau takes us on another tour of intriguing word origins with by exploring the colorful back stories of the few hundred words in The Painted Word. In this follow up to his popular 2010 book of word stories, Wordcatcher, Cousineau lures readers by his love of language and inspires them to be more daring and playful with words.

To untangle the knot of interlocking meanings of these painted words, logophile and mythologist Phil Cousineau begins each fascinating word entry with his own brief definition. He then fills it in with a tint of etymology and a splattering of quotes that show how the word is used, ending with a list of companion words. The words themselves range from commonplace — like biscuit, a twice-baked cake for Roman soldiers — to loanwords including chaparral, from the Basque shepherds who came to the American West; words from myths, such as hector; metamorphosis words, like silly, which evolved from holy to goofy in a mere thousand years; and words well worthy of revival, such as carrytale, a wandering storyteller. Whether old-fangled or brand new, all the words included in The Painted Word possess an ineffable quality that makes them luminous. Every reader will relish this beautifully illustrated book complete with dozens of gorgeous artworks by Gregg Chadwick. The Painted Word is the perfect gift for every book lover.

PRAISE:
“A mystagogue, a carrytale and a thaumaturge, Cousineau makes us Argus-eyed to the ubuntu of the aprocryphal and Gemutlichkeit it provides, and if you don’t know what I’m talking about, then you definitely need this book.” —Lemony Snicket

"Reading the pages of this beguiling paperback, we sense Cousineau's delight and enthusiasm for words and their ability to enchant and mesmerize." —Spirituality and Practice

Click here to listen to Phil Cousineau's interview for The Painted Word on KQED Radio's "Forum with Michael Krasny."

Based on twenty years of teaching, Phil Cousineau's Stoking the Creative Fires will guide you on your creative journey.

~ What are you on fire about now?

~ Where does your fiery urge to create come from?

~ What do you do to rekindle the inner flame of creativity when it is nearly extinguished by despair or fear?

~ And what are you doing to pass on the torch of your inspiration?

These questions are at the heart of one of the greatest human mysteries of all—creativity. "Creativity is as natural as breathing," he writes. "To create is to grow, which in turn makes us feel vitally alive."

In this book, Cousineau explores many different types of creativity, from painting and writing to photography and movies, its use in psychological practice, its role in community life, the cultivation of work habits, the use of dreams and role of mentors, the dreaded creative block, the myth of genius, and the spiritual side of art. His goal is to demystify the creative process by revealing how every project is a creative journey that can be completed—if we keep moving with tenacity, humility, and heart.

"Inspiration is a flash of fire in the human soul," writes Cousineau. "There is a force within you that breathes divine fire and brings your work to life. Honor it at all costs."

Stoking the Creative Fires offers a multitude of stories, ideas, and exercises drawn from historical and contemporary figures, artists of all kinds, and lessons from Cousineau's own experience—giving people the tools they need to rekindle passion in all areas of their lives and the inspiration they need to live passionately and creatively.