June 28, 2021
Applying the metaphor of a complete “home rehab” to the mind, Maisel (The Power of Daily Practice), a psychotherapist and Psychology Today blogger, presents an engaging series of visualization techniques for overcoming emotional roadblocks. Maisel focuses primarily on the struggles creative types have with negativity, boredom, existential sadness, and self-sabotaging behaviors and emotions. Readers are asked to picture their “mindroom”—where they’ve resided with the same thoughts for too long—then to visualize adding windows, opening those windows, letting sad thoughts out, and welcoming in positive thoughts. Continuing in this vein, Maisel also recommends picturing colorful wallpaper to help make one’s interior life beautiful, an easy chair to replace one’s “bed of nails,” and a well-stocked hat drawer to allow one to play many roles. Maisel also includes vague sketches of those his methods have helped, such as a Manhattan waitress and struggling artist who used visualization to take her art ambitions more seriously. While the advice can be repetitive and the personal stories of those aided by visualization are included haphazardly, Maisel’s buoyant tone and thorough explanation of his technique will help readers looking to push through mental roadblocks and improve emotional well-being. Those eager to jump-start their creative spark should take a look.