Creative Modes, Creative Ways

Dominic Hay has written one of the few distinctly original books about #creativity that I have ever seen.

Most books about creativity are not very original or different; I know because I have read more than a hundred of them (yes, I keep a list). Understanding creativity has been a professional necessity. My career includes marketing research and advertising, so I have worked on dozens of new product launches for major companies. I also have a long history in theatre, on stage and behind the scenes, and have appeared on TV several times. I have enjoyed working with countless highly creative people.

Dominic has always struck me as a Renaissance Man, constantly learning and experimenting and teaching new forms and methods and media. He always “thinks different” and is eager to share his knowledge and ideas with others. I hope you get the chance to have lunch with him some time, to experience the wide range of his knowledge and opinions; I always head home with my head spinning (in a good way!) He has both boundless #curiosity and the ability to concentrate intently on a subject for extended periods. His education and career path have been truly eclectic; his fascinating range of experiences informs the concepts in these pages.

We met in the 1990's in the arts scene in the Toronto area, Dominic coming from the visual arts side and me from theatre. We were lucky to live in a growing city that supported the arts, with municipally funded performance spaces and galleries and an arts council that supported more than a hundred community groups. Even the local chamber of commerce had a Business and Arts committee.

Dominic and I first talked about creativity training at least twenty years ago. In 2015 he started authoring this book; his concept of Creative Modes began percolating then.

Reading the original manuscript was a delightful surprise. (I learned long ago to expect the unexpected from Dominic.) Its high quality reflects his usual exacting standards of thought and artisanship, and the different approaches he offers are original and refreshing, providing you with many ways to explore your creative process.

Dive in!

Gray Hammond, March 2022