As the title suggests, this book moves from doom to bloom, with an essential phase of groundwork in between. The “doom” explores why it is impossible to make anything grow when we are completely burnt out, and how to begin extracting ourselves from that personal hell. The groundwork comes next: once out of survival mode, the soil must be prepared before anything can grow. Water, compost, seeds, all the elements needed to support renewal are carefully laid out. Finally comes the time to bloom, moving through the seasons by cultivating curiosity, focus, catharsis, and rest. Richly illustrated, this guide offers a distinctive and accessible approach to recovering from burnout and reconnecting with creativity. With its many practical tips and the recurring image of a seed slowly growing, the book makes complex ideas easy to grasp. It is, simply, a very nice book.
“If you’ve gone through periods of your life on the verge of flames, you might be familiar with how emotional fuel plays out. The tiniest thing can set you off. You get hit with an unexpected bill, receive an unpleasant email or hear an ungrateful remark, and you feel yourself go up in flames. Sometimes you recover, remind yourself that it’s just a hiccup and get back to enjoying your life. Other times, when life’s lemons are particularly sour, this one tiny spark sets off a chain reaction. The conditions of your life make sure that a dropped cigarette becomes a forest fire.”
