Shape of Ideas: An Illustrated Exploration of Creativity

What does an idea look like? And where do they come from? Grant Snider's illustrations will motivate you to explore these questions, inspire you to come up with your own answers and, like all Gordian knots, prompt even more questions. Whether you are a professional artist or designer, a student pursuing a creative career, a person of faith, someone who likes walks on the beach, or a dreamer who sits on the front porch contemplating life, this collection of one- and two-page comics will provide insight into the joys and frustrations of creativity, inspiration, and process - no matter your age or creative background.

“"'What do ideas look like? Where do they come from?'... Surprisingly, Snider's beautifully composed cartoons have cogent answers to those questions -- or if they don't, he's at least an urgent asker. He's created something unique: a synthesis of comics, philosophy, and poetry: a thoughtful new way of packaging eternal ideas in cartoon boxes."”

'What do ideas look like? Where do they come from?'... Surprisingly, Snider’s beautifully composed cartoons have cogent answers to those questions — or if they don’t, he’s at least an urgent asker. He’s created something unique: a synthesis of comics, philosophy, and poetry: a thoughtful new way of packaging eternal ideas in cartoon boxes. The Los Angeles Review of Books
The tongue-in-cheek wit and self-deprecating style make this a pleasant introduction to the joy and frustration of making any kind of art, and the beautifully designed presentation—with a charming die-cut cover—is a fine proof of concept. Publishers Weekly
Grant Snider’s The Shape of Ideas is a creative kaleidoscope of humor, insight, and truth. An inventive window into the creative experience filled with hope and encouragement for daydreamers and doodlers, sketchers and scribblers, inventors, explorers, and spinners of yarns. -- Clare Vanderpool Newbery Medal Winner for Moon Over Manifest and the Printz Honor for Navigating Early
“...a lighthearted visual examination of the labor behind the creative process.” Hyperallergic
A friendly, encouraging depiction of the creative process, with its highs and lows, from a comics creator. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
Grant Snider's work delivers introspection, humor, and inspiration in visually stunning drawings. They are a colorful look into the creative process—from the moments of quiet contemplation to the days of frenzied desperation. -- Susan Cain author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
"The Shape of Ideas is a book about looking, process, struggle, and how one creative orthodontist in Wichita has no choice but to create, and has done so since he can remember." NPR Wichita

Grant Snider is an orthodontist by day and an artist by night. His comics have been featured in the Kansas City Star, the New York Times, and the New York Times Book Review, as well as The Best American Comics in 2013. He lives in Wichita, Kansas, with his wife and three children.

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