Phil Cousineau

Divided into three parts - Inspiration, Perspiration, and Realization - Stoking the Creative Fires brings the reader full circle through the process of creation - from the initial impulse to finding the time and tapping into the source, to focus, to be disciplined, and to deal with the fear of failure or the failure to rekindle one's resources, and finally to making it real - doing it over and over again and keeping the fires alive.

Recommending Joseph Campbell's advice to "follow your passion," Cousineau gives readers fuel for their journey towards a whole and creative life.

"In his latest creation journey, Phil Cousineau sacks the forest caves of Ali Baba to reveal the art treasures of the globe. He flips us back to a tearoom chat with Samuel Johnson and into the sculpture studio of Barbara Hepworth. Yogi Berra and Gaston Bachelard dream and instruct us through the voyage of the word and imagination. He playfully turns our eye to the theogony of creative gods, spills their secrets, invites us to rise. Back on earth, with wisdom and sensuous generosity, he guides us through classical and pop culture. Read Phil. Note a thousand windows open and beyond lies your singular path."
--Willis Barnstone, author of The Gnostic Bible

"This lovely and important book should greatly help creative people in the way they practice their art, whether it is writing, painting, sculpting or dancing, by showing them how to keep alive the fire of their imagination."
--Jean Erdman Campbell, dancer and choreographer

"Phil Cousineau, the quintessential Renaissance Man of the new millennium, has assembled a high octane blend from the great minds throughout the ages which will fill your creative tank with passion, ideas and inspiration so you can explore who you are and share it with the world. As Neil Young sings, "Dont give up until you drink from the silver cup." Enjoy and create!"
--Jeff "The Dude" Dowd