Status
Available
Publication
Drawn and Quarterly (2008), Edition: 1, 209 pages
Description
How do objects summon memories? What do real images feel like? For decades, these types of questions have permeated the pages of Lynda Barry's compositions, with words attracting pictures and conjuring places through a pen that first and foremost keeps on moving. What It Is demonstrates a tried-and-true creative method that is playful, powerful, and accessible to anyone with an inquisitive wish to write or to remember. Composed of completely new material, each page of Barry's first Drawn & Quarterly book is a full-color collage that is not only a gentle guide to this process but an invigorating example of exactly what it is: "The ordinary is extraordinary."--Publisher description.
User reviews
LibraryThing member figre
I'm going to give this book five stars and I am going to suggest you buy a copy for your friends, foes, family, co-workers, co-slackers, cohorts, and anyone else you can think of and I am going to rave about everything I got from it and I am going to say that it has changed the way I look at
I'm going to do all of those things and, for a certain group of you out there, you are going to say that I am insane and that it is none of those things and you bought the book and it didn't work for you and it has nothing to do with business.
And I don't care, because this book has, indeed, had a profound effect on me. And it is a book I will keep next to me on my desk because I will be revisiting it time and again to learn, to remind, and to (yuck – I hate this word, but I'll use it anyway 'cause it is the only one I know that really fits this particular point) motivate.
If you don't know who Lynda Barry is, I cannot give you a good, succinct description. Look it up on Google and Wikipedia and whatever your favorite source of misinformation and check out Amazon and Drawn & Quarterly and search for Ernie Pook's Comeek and, maybe number one and foremost, check out "The Near-Sighted Monkey", the site where Barry shares her teachings and whatever she is doing at the time.
Among her many skills is her ability to connect with artists (and non-artists) who are struggling with the concepts of creativity. This is evident in her classes and the afore-mentioned near-sighted monkey site. This book brings much of that information together and, in so doing, is a combination "how-to" for kick starting creativity and some deep thoughts about what we even mean when we talk about the subject.
It is put together in Barry's trademark style – a combination of her distinctive drawing with a collage technique (that's it, now I've definitely lost some of you). It immediately starts in by asking big questions about creativity ("What is an idea made of? ") and then jumps into the continuing series of autobiographically toned comics. Yes, you might call this "new-agey", but I don't think that is a bad thing. Any book that makes me start thinking about such things as "When did you first notice you were bad at something? And then what happened?" or "When images come to us, where do they come from?" or "What are we doing when we are looking?" is a good book. And, no, there are no answers; but what good is a book full of answers.
The second part of the book is specific training exercises for writing - for extracting images. And that is where it all comes together to speak to how creativity can be developed.
I work with business people on the development of creativity in a business environment. And, trust me, this all speaks to what they are trying to do. Most might shy away from it. But the ideas and concepts are ones that anyone, in any environment, can use to build their creativity. Do they all want to be creative writers? No. Can they use the concepts in this book to be better business writers? Yes. Can they use the concepts to be more creative and innovative? Yes, with a number of exclamation points following.
And, if it can do that for three-piece suited, corporate types, imagine what it can do for you.
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creativity and creation and I am going to say that it opened brand new worlds, thoughts, and ideas for me.I'm going to do all of those things and, for a certain group of you out there, you are going to say that I am insane and that it is none of those things and you bought the book and it didn't work for you and it has nothing to do with business.
And I don't care, because this book has, indeed, had a profound effect on me. And it is a book I will keep next to me on my desk because I will be revisiting it time and again to learn, to remind, and to (yuck – I hate this word, but I'll use it anyway 'cause it is the only one I know that really fits this particular point) motivate.
If you don't know who Lynda Barry is, I cannot give you a good, succinct description. Look it up on Google and Wikipedia and whatever your favorite source of misinformation and check out Amazon and Drawn & Quarterly and search for Ernie Pook's Comeek and, maybe number one and foremost, check out "The Near-Sighted Monkey", the site where Barry shares her teachings and whatever she is doing at the time.
Among her many skills is her ability to connect with artists (and non-artists) who are struggling with the concepts of creativity. This is evident in her classes and the afore-mentioned near-sighted monkey site. This book brings much of that information together and, in so doing, is a combination "how-to" for kick starting creativity and some deep thoughts about what we even mean when we talk about the subject.
It is put together in Barry's trademark style – a combination of her distinctive drawing with a collage technique (that's it, now I've definitely lost some of you). It immediately starts in by asking big questions about creativity ("What is an idea made of? ") and then jumps into the continuing series of autobiographically toned comics. Yes, you might call this "new-agey", but I don't think that is a bad thing. Any book that makes me start thinking about such things as "When did you first notice you were bad at something? And then what happened?" or "When images come to us, where do they come from?" or "What are we doing when we are looking?" is a good book. And, no, there are no answers; but what good is a book full of answers.
The second part of the book is specific training exercises for writing - for extracting images. And that is where it all comes together to speak to how creativity can be developed.
I work with business people on the development of creativity in a business environment. And, trust me, this all speaks to what they are trying to do. Most might shy away from it. But the ideas and concepts are ones that anyone, in any environment, can use to build their creativity. Do they all want to be creative writers? No. Can they use the concepts in this book to be better business writers? Yes. Can they use the concepts to be more creative and innovative? Yes, with a number of exclamation points following.
And, if it can do that for three-piece suited, corporate types, imagine what it can do for you.
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LibraryThing member JRlibrary
I ordered this book site unseen as a result of reading a review on a leadership blog. I'm not convinced I would have purchased it had I just picked it up in the stores, as the illustrations seem quite dark, and for my brain, the layout of the information causes me to feel something similar to a
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headache. This is definitely a problem with ME and not the book. I have a similar reaction when I try to read graphic novels that don't have much structure; one's where the words are just all over the page, and there are no frames drawn. Once you get past the chaos, the book is interesting, but again, not enough content for my liking. The author raises some great questions, and makes no bones about the fact that she doesn't have any answers. All in all, this was disappointing for me, but it is still a conversation starter so it might find a place on my coffee table. Show Less
LibraryThing member tiamatq
I don't think I've ever sat down and read straight through a book of writing exercises. And, at a very basic level, that's what "What It Is" is. And I sat down and read through the whole thing, while taking time to digest it. It's about writing, drawing, images, memory, creativity, a magic
This is a great book for anyone who's ever felt stuck writing or drawing (or just in the creative process). Barry's collage work in the first half of the book gets you to ask yourself questions about imagery and memory. The second half has writing exercises and tips for how to make more for yourself. They're excellent and I can't wait to start using them. It's also probably the only time I'll ever cry over instructions for a writing exercise.
If there's anything that takes away from the book, it's that I wanted to see more about Barry's life. The short passages about her childhood and education are very interesting, but take up only a small portion of the book. It's somewhat depressing to hear that her comics became such a source of concern/depression for her, but I can understand that feeling of it becoming work and the pressure to only make "good" art. And I love her moments where she's talking with her husband and thinking of all the stuff she forgets, but goes over conversation she had years ago where she said awful things.
Okay, that's my awkward ending... go read this book.
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cephalopod, and Lynda Barry's life. All done on a yellow legal pad of paper.This is a great book for anyone who's ever felt stuck writing or drawing (or just in the creative process). Barry's collage work in the first half of the book gets you to ask yourself questions about imagery and memory. The second half has writing exercises and tips for how to make more for yourself. They're excellent and I can't wait to start using them. It's also probably the only time I'll ever cry over instructions for a writing exercise.
If there's anything that takes away from the book, it's that I wanted to see more about Barry's life. The short passages about her childhood and education are very interesting, but take up only a small portion of the book. It's somewhat depressing to hear that her comics became such a source of concern/depression for her, but I can understand that feeling of it becoming work and the pressure to only make "good" art. And I love her moments where she's talking with her husband and thinking of all the stuff she forgets, but goes over conversation she had years ago where she said awful things.
Okay, that's my awkward ending... go read this book.
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LibraryThing member saltypepper
This is not a comic, such as the Ernie Pook work. This is not a novel, like Cruddy. This isn't even "Autobifictionalography" as Barry has described One!Hundred!Demons! This is something else altogether.
The first section of this book (the blue bordered pages) is loosely structured and dark and
The first section of this book (the blue bordered pages) is loosely structured and dark and
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raises a lot of questions. I advise readers to stay with it. Why? Because what Barry is building to is the idea that it is okay not to know, that being in a state of uncertainty is important for creative work, that artists need to be able to sidestep the question of whether the work they're creating is good or not, at least while they're making it. The next section (the pinkish bordered pages) are a series of very specific detailed exercises designed to help one do that. Show Less
LibraryThing member kpickett
I can remember loving to draw and write and imagine as a child. I can also remember a later time when I stopped doing those things; when there were the good drawers and writers and the rest of us just stopped trying. I can't remember what changed in between those times. What was the event that made
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me stop drawing and writing and making stories? Lynda Barry examines that question in her own life in What It Is. The first half of this beautiful graphic novel is a short autobiography of Barry's life as a writer/reader/artist/creator from early childhood past college. The second half of the book is advice and projects for young (or old) writers to spark their creativity. They key she says is to never let your pen stop moving. The last part of the book are more projects and ideas to use. This would be a great book to use in a creative writing class for students of any age. It makes me want to go home and begin to write. Everyone has something to express. Show Less
LibraryThing member chellerystick
This volume takes Lynda Barry's fiction writing courses to the streets.
The first half or so contains a memoir of her early artistic development, in the vivid style of her comics and graphic novels. What always amazes me about her work is how it makes me feel that she is a "kindred spirit," even
The other part of the book consists of several exercises for improving your fiction writing. In particular, Barry seeks to elicit memories and details about things in your past to create descriptive prose of them. She also provides a number of different activities to help you to trigger stories and images. Although her focus is on fiction and memoir, these exercises will also be useful to the practice of the poetry workshop aphorism "Show, don't tell," and her scrapbook/sketchbook approach to the book will likely inspire a number of experiments that will not fit neatly into prose.
Highly recommended.
The first half or so contains a memoir of her early artistic development, in the vivid style of her comics and graphic novels. What always amazes me about her work is how it makes me feel that she is a "kindred spirit," even
Show More
though the time, the place, the social class, the culture, all of the gauntlets that children are made to run are entirely different. She is a sensitive, creative person in an insensitive place.The other part of the book consists of several exercises for improving your fiction writing. In particular, Barry seeks to elicit memories and details about things in your past to create descriptive prose of them. She also provides a number of different activities to help you to trigger stories and images. Although her focus is on fiction and memoir, these exercises will also be useful to the practice of the poetry workshop aphorism "Show, don't tell," and her scrapbook/sketchbook approach to the book will likely inspire a number of experiments that will not fit neatly into prose.
Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member Narboink
There is a wonderful simplicity at the center of the jumbled confusion that seems to characterize the aesthetics of this book. It was recommended to me by a friend who took a class with Ms. Barry: she said that "What It Is" pretty much tells you all you need to know to be a writer. I agree. While
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it probably won't necessarily make you a great writer, it does a wonderful job in contextualizing the creative process in a universal and highly accessibly way. Since finishing it some weeks ago, the precepts and insights of the book have only grown more pertinent. Good stuff. Show Less
LibraryThing member mrichter
This is such a great read for children and adults alike. Linda Barry delves into her feelings of inadequacy during elementary school. The text in this book is presented in an amazingly creative way. I love all of the illustrations it is a collage of thoughts and feelings. I think we can all
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identify in some way with Barry's fears. Hopefully by making this book available even just to look through in the classroom we can remind ourselves how important it is to honor the creative process and appreciate all the different ways creativity is expressed. Great Book, entertaining and funny! Show Less
LibraryThing member bderby
Lynda Barry combines collage, comic, and brainstorming techniques to create this text which defies categorization. The activities in this book will spark memories and encourage creative writing about them. Barry's ideas help the individual explore their own memories and unlock details they didn't
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even know they had retained. "What It Is" tells the story of Barry's journey from minimalist artist to vivid cartoonist, and lays out a path for the transformation of the reader as well. Show Less
LibraryThing member PhoebeReading
Lynda Barry's latest is more of an artist journal/workbook than a comic book. There are only about thirty pages, maybe, of comics, which are very close to the style and autobiographical content of One Hundred Demons. The loose story of the comics, the surrounding pages, and the instruction manual
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for journaling that takes up the book's final third, surrounds the maturation of both Barry's creative process and her burgeoning childhood self-consciousness. In the workbook "section", she tries to dissuade us from becoming similarly blocked up and self-conscious. The exercises therein sound all right, though, perhaps, seem like they would be a little stronger for the writing process than the drawing process. My biggest beef with the book is in the pages that are neither comic book or workbook. Made up of collage and watercolor paintings, they have a magical, mysterious quality to them As objects of art, they're great (if a little muddy-looking in the reprinting), but after pages and pages of them, they sort of run together and lose their charm. Show Less
LibraryThing member JanBrady
I wish I'd waited for the paperback. The content is great, but the hardcover version--as is usual in books with mostly graphic content--is (or was) high.
LibraryThing member alycias
"I loved to copy comics at night in front of the tv. I liked ballpoint pens on notebook paper and a show on I didn't care about. Sometimes I drew with the radio on. It was a form of transportation. I did it because it helped me to stay by giving me somewhere else to go.
Maybe this is why we draw
-pg. 105
Maybe this is why we draw
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shapes in the margins during meetings or on the backs of envelopes when we're waiting on the phone. Drawing can help us to stand to be there. That, alone, is something. Give a kid a crayon and some paper when they are stuck waiting somewhere. Somehow it changes things. How?"-pg. 105
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LibraryThing member amaraduende
This book is a touching collage of thought fragments, pictures, questions and doodles from a troubled child and creative adult. Musings on creativity, dance, writing, remembering, and self-expression.
LibraryThing member mrsdanaalbasha
I really liked this book, not just for the art but the great brain storming in every page and how the author leads you to create new ideas, characters and even creatures!
LibraryThing member Dabble58
So much fun that I returned the library version and plan to pick up the book to own. Surprisingly inspirational - when I first opened it I felt overwhelmed (I find graphic novels hard to keep track of, visually) but within a few moments I was scrawling down wee poems and thoughts for other writings
Highly recommended and not just for kids at all.
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and enjoying myself mightily. I suspect it will be an addition to my 'on the desk' series of books to get my writing started.Highly recommended and not just for kids at all.
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Subjects
Awards
Eisner Award (Nominee — 2009)
WLA Literary Awards (2009)
Best Fiction for Young Adults (Selection — 2009)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2008
Physical description
209 p.; 8.66 inches
ISBN
9781897299357
Local notes
graphic novels