Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity: 10th Anniversary Edition

Pretty much only for fans of David Lynch, this book is a collection of short thoughts/chapters focusing on how David uses transcendental meditation (TM) to improve his creative processes. I read it in about a half hour as each chapter was about a page or less (on Kindle, anyway). But I can see this book being akin to a religious text where you are perhaps meant to read it multiple times, or to pick certain chapters to read when you need them; it is not a novel and anyone looking for juicy tidbits about his movies or television shows will be disappointed. It really is all about how David Lynch has used TM since the 70’s to ‘expand his container’ and allow himself to dive deeper where he catches the larger, far more interesting fish that he’s presented his entire career. An absolute must-read for Lynch fans!

This is an insightful, inspiring and motivating book. If you have a creative pull and want to delve into how to tap into it well this book is for you. Lynch talks about his inspirations and how he fishes ideas and nurtures them into something he can express. This is a must read for creatives of all fields and interest.

For all of those who complain that this is neither an in-depth autobiography nor a detailed instructional manual on how to practice Transcendental Meditation - well, it's a bit silly to think such a small book would be a comprehensive ANYTHING. With that said, this little gem reads like you're having a short but intense one-on-one chat with Lynch. Its style is genuine, colloquial, and conversational. More a series of interview high-points than a structured beginning-middle-end journey. He is brutally honest about how he sees himself, how he sees the world, and what he thinks of each of his own artistic endeavours. I take off one star because there are multiple chapters that are literally ONE SENTENCE. Which, frankly, is a bit off-putting and results in a lot of wasted paper. But it's a quick, enjoyable read, and I'd still recommend it to anyone who enjoys Lynch not just as a director or artist, but as a person. It's almost impossible to read the book without hearing it in his voice... which is lovely.

I just finished reading it. It took me a few days but it's actually short enough that one could sit down and read in one whoop. I love that the chapters are short. When you explain something in a way that makes it easy for the reader understand, you don't need to have a bunch of words because it would just muck it up. I meditate already but I need to do it more and this book has inspired me to look into TM. I am an artist of sorts and I am inspired to tap into more of me to help get that rolling in an enjoyable way. I think we're all artist tho, even if you don't think you are. I think we suppress our creativity, maybe not intentionally but it's full potential is not something that many of us know about. I love David Lynch and I had no idea that he had written this. I was intrigued with the wee bit that I had read by someone's sharing and knew I had to read it. I can't wait to read it again and find more treasures within its contents.

This book has a lot of interesting information in it. David Lynch talks about his experience with Transcendental Meditation and its positive effects on him. He also talks about his strategies for living a life as an artist. And there are several different pages about the movies he's made, the actors in them, and his thoughts on film in general. His biggest points are the importance of healthy living, the importance of meditation, and being your natural self. His advice for creativity, I thought, was pretty helpful for just about any artistic medium. The book is pretty short. It doesn't go super in depth into any one topic. Mr. Lynch spends about a page or two on each idea. It's really interesting to hear everything in his direct voice, but some more detail would have been nice. I loved how positive David Lynch seemed in the whole book. About the biggest thing I took from the book was his advice on being healthy yourself. He says, for an artist, you have to understand things like depression to create conflict in a story. But, if you, yourself, are depressed, it will be very hard to create. So he suggests different ways throughout the book to keep yourself healthy and still make art. This was a great way to see into David Lynch's world through his own words. There's lots of great words, advice, and information, but it is very brief. But, if you're interested in David Lynch and his approach to life strategy, it's a great book.

Short essays from a talented director on - just what the title says. I'm so sad David Lynch passed and we won't see anymore movies or other work from him. If you are a fan then I suggest you pick this up.

1. The importance of meditation and mindfulness in the creative process 2. The role of intuition and the unconscious mind in creativity 3. The power of visualization and the importance of having a clear vision for a project 4. The value of taking risks and embracing uncertainty in the creative process 5. The importance of remaining true to one's own vision and avoiding the temptation to compromise for the sake of commercial success 6. The role of synchronicity and the interconnectedness of all things 7. The transformative power of art and the ability of creative expression to bring about positive change in the world 8. The importance of maintaining a sense of curiosity and openness to new ideas 9. The power of intention and the impact of our thoughts on our reality 10. The value of a positive attitude and the role of perseverance in achieving success.

This book is beautifully designed. - such a pleasure to hold in your hand, and the words on the page breathe easily, so read easily. You can open any page and read an interesting bit. I've uploaded a couple passages - for instance, I love Angelo Badalamenti and how he worked with David Lynch... not a big long read, but just enough to capture how much David loved working with him. If you are a David Lynch fan, I would recommend instead of this book, his autobiography/biography ROOM TO DREAM. It's such a creative way to write memories from different points of view. This book leans more heavily on his practice of Transcendental Meditation.

Ótimo

Un buon complemento per chi ama l'arte di David Lynch e vuole scoprire di più sulla sua visione del mondo e la sua poetica. Il prodotto è maneggievole e di facile lettura. L'impostazione in micro-capitoli rende la lettura più leggera.

I like the format: small chapters with a specific content or idea or point to make, sometimes only one page long. It shows the author's evolution in his creative process, the questions he asked himself, and how meditation helped him during all these years. The author is not trying to teach or convince, he just shares his life experiences. I liked this approach very much, and found it inspiring.

Estaba entre ésta edición en pasta dura o la de aniversario con contenido extra pero me agradó mucho ésta en pasta dura, es una edición muy bonita y no puedo hacer más para leerlo.

Top