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OUT NOW – Imaginary Friends and Foes of Creativity

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OUT NOW – Imaginary Friends and Foes of Creativity

Imaginary Friends and Foes of CreativityDiscover how Alan Oram’s new book is sparking creativity and imagination.

We’re buzzing with excitement here at Alive with Ideas because Alan, one of our very own directors and founders, has just launched his new book, Imaginary Friends and Foes of Creativity. It’s out right now and available on Amazon!

If you’ve ever struggled with creativity, this book is your ultimate companion on the journey to unlocking your true creative powers.

 

The book’s journey:  From workshop ideas to an inspiring resource

Alan’s creative adventure with this book started back in 2020 during lockdown. What began as a collection of workshop activities designed to help people explore their creativity gradually evolved into something much bigger.

Over evenings and weekends, Alan nurtured these ideas, turning them into a full-fledged book. And with fantastic input from the Alive team—providing illustrations, design expertise, and a splash of creative flair—it’s now a wonderful resource that’s in the real world.

Imaginary Friends and Foes of Creativity was written to help you push past the blockers that hold back your imagination and embrace the enablers that fuel it. It’s a book about understanding the ups and downs of creativity and overcoming struggles like self-doubt, fear, and perfectionism, all whilst celebrating the joy and achievement of pursuing creative endeavours.

 

Highlights and activities to boost your creative confidence

So, what’s inside? There’s lots to explore. The book is packed with activities designed to help you think outside the box, explore new ideas, and build creative habits. From fun brainstorming exercises to deeper reflective practices, there’s something for every creative adventurer.

Some of the activities were born directly from workshops Alan has run over the years, and they’re designed to inspire anyone looking to take their creative thinking up a gear.

Following the book’s practical exercises, you’ll learn to identify your “friends” of creativity—the things that empower your ideas—and confront the “foes” that may hold you back. Whether it’s perfectionism or a fear of failure, Imaginary Friends and Foes of Creativity will help you work through it all – with plenty of fun along the way.

 

Full circle – from workshops to book and back again. Let’s bring creativity to Life!

We’re also excited about taking the book off the page and into face-to-face creativity sessions for comms teams. Imagine diving into these activities in a collaborative workshop setting, surrounded by like-minded people looking to boost their creative energy. It’s a powerful resource – and we’d love to hear from you if you’re interested in joining us for one of these sessions.

 

Build your creative powers

Imaginary Friends and Foes of CreativityWhether you’re a seasoned creative or just looking to bring more imagination into your work, Imaginary Friends and Foes of Creativity is the tool to add to your arsenal.

But, if you’re not ready to dive into the book, we have another way to keep your creativity flowing…

Sign up for our weekly Creativity Bootcamp emails, where we send out fun, bite-sized creative activities to help you practice and refine your creative skills.

Find out more about our Creativity Bootcamp here: Creativity Bootcamp

If you’re keen to build a creative habit, here’s some extra info on how to get started: Build Your Creative Habit

So grab your copy of Imaginary Friends and Foes of Creativity today. Let’s take the next (and best) step in your creative journey together.

 

Get the book on Amazon here: Imaginary Friends and Foes of Creativity on Amazon

 

Whip your cognitive muscles and artistic abs into great shape with the help of our Creativity Bootcamp...

Signup for your fast paced weekly creative bootcamp email

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Jo Hobbs — Communications Manager

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Sarah Crowdy — Campaign and Media Officer Communications, South East Water

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Sobha Varghese — Tata Consultancy Services

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Alexander Mills, Communications Manager — South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue

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DR ELENI ATHANASAKOS, Lead Paediatric Clinical Scientist — NHS Barts Health

“‘The short animation developed in co-production with clinicians and young people is outstanding! Informative, developmentally appropriate, vitally fun and engaging. We are really grateful for the expertise of the Alive with Ideas team for their innovative approach in building children’s health literacy.'”

Kath Evans — Director of Children’s Nursing at Barts Health

“Our mission was to update our brand visuals to better reflect our innovative and forward-thinking organisation. After receiving numerous pitches from different branding agencies, Alive stood out with their clear passion and understanding of our identity and goals. We thoroughly enjoyed working with the Alive Team to create an engaging new brand that we are immensely proud of.”

Lianne Springer — Communications and Engagement Lead

“Alive wowed us during the pitch process and they didn’t stop wowing us throughout the whole project. Every person we worked with at Alive were so friendly, knowledgeable and clearly passionate about what they do. They have worked with us to really understand what we do and have created a new brand and website that really stands out from our competitors. Thank you!”

Louise Burnard, Head of Marketing and Communications UK — Be | Shaping the Future

“I think the team have done such a brilliant job, particularly with responding to our requests. It's one of the best mental health videos I've ever seen. Very proud to be associated with your exemplary work. Thank you so much.”

Dr Anna Batho — Clinical Psychologist – Critical Care, UCLH

“We have worked with Alan, Caroline and the wider Alive With Ideas team for many years. In that time, they have provided a dedicated service that is second to none. We appreciate their attention to detail and creative approach to bringing our brand, communications and stories to life. And would recommend them to anyone looking for creative communications support.”

Georgia Beech — Internal Communications Specialist, Ocado Group

“This is brilliant. I wanted to give my heartfelt thanks to all of the team who worked on this. You all understood exactly what we wanted to communicate and why, and then managed to do it in a way that was far better than anything I could have imagined. I’m a bit choked up to be honest!”

Sarah Wright, Head of Communications and Campaigns — NEA

“Each time I work with the team, I am always stunned at the effort and creativity that goes into each detail and am always eager for the end result. The team is extremely accommodating and always provide a fresh approach to our projects that elevates our communications materials!”

Alana Khaytin, Communications Specialist — Braskem America

“What I really appreciate about Alive is that they work with us as partners, and care as much about getting it right for our patients as we do.”

Sara Langston, Patient Engagement & Marketing Manager — italk

“Alive are unique in how much they deeply listen and invest in you and your ideas. I have not come across a company that listens as much as they do to ensure your needs are understood and met (actually - they always exceed my needs and expectations). Everyone I recommend Alive to has an equally brilliant experience. When you work with Alive, you are not only getting some genius creativity brought into your life, you are also hanging out with some of the best examples of human beings I’ve ever known.”

Steph Tranter, Hybrid Exec Coach & Psychologist — StephTranter.com

“The (Alive) team were able to creatively pull together and document (in just over 2minutes) everything our service has achieved over the last few months, from thousands of prescriptions deliveries to hundreds of phone calls made to the vulnerable. The final product was so powerful and reflective of what our service has and continues to achieve. It couldn’t have been better received within the service – thanks Alive for once again helping us to communicate our vision!’”

Emma Wright — South Yorkshire & Rescue

“We worked with the team at Alive to create our staff recognition video.
At a time like this, its never been more important to share the amazing work that our staff have done and continue to do on a daily basis under very difficult circumstances. We wanted to shout about this and recognise that when the time came, South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue stepped up to the plate. We didn’t want an ordinary thank you post on social media or a basic email sent out internally, we wanted something special. Enter Alive. ”

Emma Wright — South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue

“Our company is fun, we have great brands, but most importantly we’re all about our people – and I wanted an agency who would understand that and help us bring it to life through our website and other comms. Straight away I felt that Alive ‘got’ us and provided the creative inspiration exactly where we needed it, as well as the technical expertise to deliver a well-functioning website.”

Keren McCarron, Head of Corporate Affairs & Communications — KP Snacks

“Boom!
Thank you so much. Incredible work done at incredible speed by incredible people.
Outstanding work as ever and what a turnaround. As for the concepts – wow. These are that good it would be an insult to describe them as just good. It’s a joke, quite frankly. This is exactly the Alive effect I was after. Right now I feel like I am living in an Alive With Ideas wonderland. Thank you!”

Jack Grasby, Campaigns Manager — SYFR

“If you are looking to improve creativity and build teamwork, I highly recommend a session like this for your team. No matter where you are in your creativity journey, a workshop like this can give your team a boost of energy and ideas to invigorate their creative thinking.”

Amy Lilja, IC Manager — Hennepin Healthcare

“Alive were there to help when we were working every hour to respond to the coronavirus outbreak. They gave us the creativity, ideas and support we needed to deliver campaigns which empowered our residents in the most difficult time most of us have ever seen, personally and professionally. The team understood what we needed, worked closely with us and delivered fast without any compromise on quality. Working with Alive has been a joy in the darkest of times and I have no doubt will have helped to save lives. Thanks team x”

Julie Odams, Assistant Director of Communications & Customers — Derbyshire County Council

“We got 'Alive' involved to help us shift mindsets across our organisation and they delivered! Using simple, clear and creative ideas the team have delivered us a campaign which has seen a dramatic increase in idea sharing and development. They’ve also played a significant role in creating a culture of shared success. I wouldn’t hesitate to work with again, in fact, we already are!”

Gavin Buckle — B&Q
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