Smart Thinking Books | Rod Judkins

Books

Make Brilliant Work: From Picasso to Steve Jobs, How to Unlock Your Creativity and Succeed

Make Brilliant Work is for individuals who seek success but feel limited by their talent, skills, or knowledge. The book will leave you with essential tools to overcome these obstacles, blocks, and blind spots and fulfil your true potential.

In Make Brilliant Work, you will learn from cutting-edge research in art and design, psychology, and science. The book explores a range of case studies to show how success is not the result of talent or intuition but practical, step-by-step processes. Apply these to your life and work to achieve your goals. Many of the successful creative people you'll meet in the book failed at school, lacked natural talent, were not exceptionally gifted, or fired from their day jobs. But their methods produced brilliant work and led to international success – and they will work for you, too. Achieving brilliant work is no longer due to talent, information, or skill but about overcoming inner and outer blocks and generating great ideas.

Make Brilliant Work is a route map of radical new paths to success.

Some reviews for Make Brilliant Work:

"Whatever your creative hang-up, Rod Judkins has steps you can take now and a wealth of examples to support his advice. An admirably straightforward, no-nonsense guide to getting over yourself and getting to work."

Mason Currey, Author, Daily Rituals: How Artists Work
"It's full of left-field thinking and case studies that illustrate that the path of success in whatever creative field is playing with the form, seeing what everyone else is doing and doing the opposite, and taking influences from unexpected places. I loved it, gained a great deal from reading it, and if there's a better, more enthralling idea in terms of the creative process than "I bet I can like something worse than you can like," I'd be greatly surprised."

Phil Beadle, author, Rules for Mavericks
“This book is packed with great stories and ideas to power up your work journey with creativity and success by doing things differently.”

Susie Pearl, author of Instructions for Happiness and Success

The Art of Creative Thinking

Have you ever been in a situation where you needed a creative solution but lacked the methods or processes to solve the problem? In 87 chapters, The Art of Creative Thinking provides 87 secret techniques successful creative people use to innovate and invent. The Art of Creative Thinking reveals how we can transform ourselves, our businesses, and society through a deeper understanding of human creativity. Apply creative thinking to every area of your life to benefit and improve yourself and your work.

I studied successful creative thinkers from every walk of life, drawing on an extraordinary range of reference points - from the Dada Manifesto to Nobel Prize Winning economists, from Andy Warhol's studio to Einstein's desk. I distilled a lifetime's expertise into a concise, surprising book that will inspire you to think more confidently and creatively.

Change Your Mind: 57 Ways to Unlock Your Creative Self

Our actions, art, and work are practical manifestations of our thoughts. If your thoughts are not working well for you, change them. Your thinking determines the quality of your life and achievements. Unfortunately, your brain can get stuck repeating the same ideas. But your mind is not fixed; no matter your age or previous experience, you can transform yourself.

Change Your Mind will show you how creativity is a skill you can benefit from, whether you're working towards an exhibition, trying to start your own business, compose music, or be more innovative in the office. Follow the 57 insider tips, including how to focus more effectively, never wait for inspiration but instigate ideas, and how you can always turn a failure into success.

With real-life insights into the minds of writers, artists, and musicians, from Picasso to Paul McCartney, Change Your Mind will unlock your inner creative genius.

Some reviews for Change Your Mind: 57 Ways to Unlock Your Creative Self:

"The book ends with the comment that 'While everyone else is thinking of reasons why a task is too difficult, impossible, the creative are thinking of reasons why it's possible.' So, what are you waiting for? If you need any more persuasion, why not pick up a copy of Change Your Mind for yourself? It's a pleasure to read, and I'm fairly sure it will get those creative juices flowing."

Amelia's Magazine

Ideas Are Your Only Currency

Turn your mind into an idea factory! This interactive book will prepare you for a fluid, global, and the interdisciplinary world by helping you become an innovator and 'ideas person.' The 100 interactive exercises will develop your ability to think up great ideas quickly and easily and solve problems in any situation.

Ideas Are Your Only Currency will stretch you to think conceptually. Each page has a design project for the reader to fulfil. You will learn to produce innovative and inventive solutions. I developed the exercises from the most exciting design projects I've set at Central Saint Martin’s College of Art, one of the foremost centres of creativity in the world. Years of experience in creating challenging, conceptual projects have gone into generating the exercises. Make yourself indispensable by becoming an 'ideas factory.'

Some reviews for Ideas Are Your Only Currency:

"Some business books are annoying because they try to tell you what to think. This one, however, shows you how to think. It features artfully simple prose, immersive and witty illustrations, and a range of eminently quotable aphorisms by anyone from Socrates to Pamela Anderson. Whatever job you are doing today, this book will help you do it better tomorrow, with a smile on your face."

Harper’s Bazaar
"The main message I took from this book is that ideas are a limitless currency generated within that can add monetary value, but have worth beyond this as they permeate throughout society. To stay relevant, be an ideas person."

Roche Mamabolo

Figurative Painting with Collage

Collage is an innovative and exciting technique that invigorates the artistic process through unusual associations and dislocated imagery. This practical book shows how collage can be used to portray the figure in new and challenging ways. Written for both novices and experienced artists, it explains the fundamental techniques used to manipulate different paints and collage, whilst encouraging experimentation and individual development.

Here is a small selection of translations of my books

If you have any questions about my work or would like to find out more about my workshops, courses or speaking events, please get in touch.

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