“We are all creative beings. We all have a vast, untapped creative capacity within us.” – David Usher (from page 219 of the book)

In David Usher’s debut novel, “Let the Elephants Run,” Usher takes it upon himself to not only tear down, but rip to shreds and set fire to the enigmatic cloak that has for so long separated the “normal” person from the “creative type.”

Its aim is to let the reader know that they are just as capable of producing creative work as the most successful artists and musicians in the business today and to provide constructive steps for them to get there. But what gives this man, or anyone for that matter, the authority to provide some sort of secret to unlocking creative genius?

Well, by age 48, Usher has had a 21-year music career including four successful albums through his band Moist as well as six solo albums, two of which peaked in the Canadian top 10 (and for anybody wondering, he’s actually a fantastic musician, give him a listen). He also created Cloudid Creativity Labs, an innovative company that brings together artists, designers and programmers.

After experiencing so much creative success in his life, he now wants to help others do the same. At the beginning of the book Usher describes what you will find if you walk into an average preschool room: “…kids in one corner riding imaginary horses, others with their hands deep in paint making incredible art…We don’t need to teach children to be creative; in fact, most of the time we just need to get out of the way.”

He then goes on to explain that standardized education or “factory education” teaches that inherent imagination out of us. But, and this is the claim that comprises the premise of the entire rest of the novel, we can get that magic back.

All it takes, Usher says, is a little rewiring. The rest of the book is a beautiful mess of personal anecdotes and catalysts for creativity strung together by a narrative tone so open and light it feels like Usher is your older, cooler brother who believes strongly in your work.

His motivational suggestions range from the very specific (sleep on the opposite side of the bed, drive a different way to work) to the very generic: (“Fill in the page below.”) He challenges the reader to take a real look at themselves and the type of artist they are and see what might be getting in their way.

He breaks up the read with vivid pictures and offers plenty of open space to do with what you wish. Seems a little hokey though, does it not? If creativity is an essential part of every human and it is not just a gift a select few are blessed with, then why even buy the book? Well, because it’s worth it.

Much like Stephen King’s “On Writing,” this book is just as much a manual as it is a permission slip. Usher takes 219 unique and artistic pages to let you know it’s OK to be a child again. It’s OK to unleash your creativity. It’s OK to let the elephants run.

Underneath the layers of practical wisdom there is a larger gift Usher has for us that makes the reading experience more than worth the price of admission: its energy. The book has an electric pulse that radiates from its very spine; it is the frenzied energy that is creativity, and its what drew me to pick it up off of the bookstore shelf to begin with.

I highly recommend this book to all people; poets, drummers, students, retirees, plumbers, politicians and burnouts alike. Physical books may seem like a bit of a nuanced extravagance nowadays, but this one is well worth the investment.

This is not the kind of book you want to borrow, but buy and own, write and color inside of and return to throughout your artistic journey. It will provide an ephemeral burst of inspiration to even the most closed of minds, and for those that are truly receptive to it, the contents of this book could do anything from blast away writer’s block to radically shift your perception, and ultimately, your life.

“Let the Elephants Run” is currently available for pre-order through Amazon, Barnes and Noble and IndieBound and will be available for purchase respectively on May 12.