It's here! Browse the 2024 Penguin Christmas gift guide
Creativity

Creativity

A Short and Cheerful Guide

Summary

_____
We can all be more creative. John Cleese shows us how.

Creativity is usually regarded as a mysterious, rare gift that only a few possess. John Cleese begs to differ, and in this short, immensely practical and often very amusing guide he shows it's a skill that anyone can acquire. Drawing on his lifelong experience as a writer, he shares his insights into the nature of the creative process, and offers advice on how to get your own inventive juices flowing.
_____
'Humorous and practical ... Whether you're hoping to write a novel or paint a masterpiece, you're sure to feel inspired' OK Magazine

'His candor is endearing ... An upbeat guide to the creative process' Kirkus

'A jovial romp ... Cleese fans will enjoy, and writers and other artists will breeze through, picking up a few nuggets of wisdom along the way' The Festival Review

'A sincere and thoughtful guide to creativity, and a very useful book' Graham Norton

'Wise words on the serious business of being silly' Sunday Business Post

Reviews

  • A sincere and thoughtful guide to creativity, and a very useful book!
    Graham Norton, BBC Radio 2

About the author

John Cleese

John Marwood Cleese was born in 1939 in Weston-Super-Mare. He studied Law at Cambridge University and has enjoyed a successful career in comedy, theatre, film and television.

He first achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report. In the late 1960s, he co-founded Monty Python, the comedy troupe responsible for the sketch show Monty Python's Flying Circus and the four Monty Python films: And Now for Something Completely Different, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Life of Brian and The Meaning of Life.

In the mid-1970s, Cleese and his first wife, Connie Booth, co-wrote and starred in the British sitcom Fawlty Towers. Later, he co-starred with Kevin Kline, Jamie Lee Curtis and former Python colleague Michael Palin in A Fish Called Wanda and Fierce Creatures. He has appeared in many other films, including the James Bond films, Harry Potter and Shrek and has guest-starred in numerous TV shows.
Learn More

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more