In an autobiographical meditation brimming with exuberance and hope, StarChild comic book creator James A. Owen seeks to show how we can all harness our potential and become luminaries in the world—and he has the experience to back it up.
Owen’s story contains no shortage of potentially catastrophic incidents. To his credit, and to the reader’s delight, he relates these with both tranquility and humor. He first recalls the event that nearly ended his budding career, when an errant young driver turned into his car and crushed his drawing hand. For a man whose work revolved around illustrations, the injury had potential for ruination. Yet Owen heads this prologue with the curious reflection, “the real tragedy was that I’d finally figured out [how to tune] the radio.” Cue audience devotion.
This is not just another story of incredible perseverance in the face of immense challenges, although it contains those elements. Owen, on his probable death bed at age eleven, reads a reimagined Superman tale and resolves that he is going to live to contribute meaningfully to the world. He does.
Owen, at sixteen, decides that he’s going to start a printing press to actualize his dreams of comic book greatness despite outside resistance. He does. Owen, in his early twenties, sells everything to pursue a job in Ireland. Down to a dollar in his pocket, he pushes connected aspirations into reality here, as well.
How Owen manages to relate these triumphs without making his audience feel comparatively meek is a wonder, but he does this, too. And all of his experiences are shared to push one persistent encouragement: “if you really want to do something, no one can stop you.”
Owen is convinced, and seeks to infect his audience with the conviction, that life is, indeed, composed of a series of choices. If one resolves—really resolves—to achieve some daunting goal, it can be achieved, without exception or condition. Owen counts the times he was told “no” or “impossible,” notes that he never accepted such repudiations as absolute, and relates how he wrangled incredible personal success—all on the steam of personal resolution.
So, too, can we all forge our personal success stories, Owen insists. We can reject the temptations of regret and fear, without which “there’s nothing left but possibility and joy.” We can actualize our grandest dreams, and bring them to bear for the good of humanity. These are lofty propositions, but Owen delivers them with such charm and conviction that readers will find it difficult to escape his enchantment. This work is an astounding manifesto for creativity, sure to alternately move and inspire its readers.
James A. Owens is the founder and executive director of Coppervale International, an art and design studio that published the periodicals International Studio and Argosy, develops television and film projects, and is redesigning an entire town, among other ventures. James has written and illustrated two dozen StarChild comics, the MythWorld series of novels, the bestselling Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica series, and more. He lives in Arizona with his family.
My Review:
The Author Mr. Owens does a good job discussing choice and the power of decision making. As a Choice/Reality therapist, I know how important the power of choice can become in the lives of those who need guidance and encouragement. This book is filled with examples of how the power of choice and positive thinking in one's self can change the course of one's life.
Mr. Owens story about his own personal life is inspiriting and motivating. Throughout the book, Mr. Owens story continues from one choice to another, he set the path of his own destiny by not allowing anyone to make decisions for him, and by not taking no for an answer. Throughout the book Mr. Owen repeats the quote over and over "If you really, really want to do something, no one can stop you. But if you really don't want to do something, then no one can help you" this is a powerful statement. Making decisions that will improve your life, and take chances are sometimes the one way to accomplish dreams.
Overall this was a delightful book, an inspiring book. There was a time during the book that the story felt redundant to me, because it was the same story over and over, albeit different circumstances. I would read this book again, and I would recommend it to anyone who is willing to put in the effort to improve one's life. This book is positive, inspiring, and will help those who are searching for positive choices and decisions, it will encourage those who read it to want to strive harder to accomplish those dreams. This book is a good motivational read!
Thank you Shadow Mountain Publishing for allowing me to review this book. I was given a free review copy of this book for my honest review. I was not paid for this review; the opinion expressed is my own.
Sandie
