‘The Audacity: Why Being Too Much Is Exactly Enough’, by Kathryn Ryan

 What’s it about:

This is part-memoir, part life-instruction about Ryan’s various life lessons. It follows her life-span as she goes from school, to working at Hooters and then on to become a comedy star. It’s written in a personable, chatty and highly readable tone.

What Lynn learned:

This is jam-packed with great lessons as each chapter is written with a ‘How To’ in mind e.g. ‘How to Be the Most Popular Girl in School’, ‘How to Get Started in Comedy’, ‘How to Potty Train Your Baby by Ten Months’, and ‘How to Survive Controversy’.

Some top insights:

• Writing in ‘your voice’ is powerful. This book was totally Kathryn Ryan – she writes just like she chats away on her podcast and in her comedy. It felt really engaging and ‘proof’ that she wrote it herself.

• There were lots of great insights into relationship patterns and how to decide what is helpful for you and make sense of your own behaviour. It was really interesting to reflect on how the murder of Kathryn’s friend when she was a teenager had an impact on her future patterns, ‘I think traumatic events have a way of writing on the canvas of who you are, especially when your brain is still growing’ (p. 53)

• That parenting can be done ‘your way’ as when her daughter is born, Ryan does potty training her way – something I’d be terrified to do as I’d want to follow all the textbooks.

• It was super interesting to see the road Ryan took to become the celebrity she is today – doing gigs while working and being a single mum, her tours of festivals…

• I wish I could say I learned how to not care what other people think of me like her – but I don’t think I can absorb that from a book.

Fave quotes:

• ‘I love her so much but I don’t have the tools to be around her anymore, to carry on any kind of relationship alongside alcohol abuse, so I’m out’ p.236

• ‘My guess is that I find toxicity intoxicating. I sought out mental stimulation and attention (positive or negative) above stability simply out of boredom. Diabolical men are very complicated and require vigilance, saving and understanding’ p. 165

• ‘When I was little, I wanted to please people and become a doctor. I was effortlessly academic and thought that saving lives might be the most heroic use of my time….. Whatever I was going to do, I knew that I definitely wanted to be the boss and that I wanted to be wealthy and glamorous while doing it’ p. 85

Why relevant right now:

Laughs are always relevant. Also, there’s a recent Louis Theroux interview with Kathryn Ryan where you can hear a lot of her stories told in person.

Interest factor: 4/5

Coffee table cred: 4/5

Ignorance of external world while reading: 4/5

Book cover design: 3/5

Help the existential crisis: 4/5

‘Creativity: A short and cheerful guide’ by John Cleese

What’s it about:

Yes, THAT John Cleese. This is a super quick read, summed up here:

‘Creativity is usually regarded as a mysterious, rare gift that only a few possess. John Cleese begs to differ, and in this short, immensely practical and often very amusing guide he shows it's a skill that anyone can acquire. Drawing on his lifelong experience as a writer, he shares his insights into the nature of the creative process, and offers advice on how to get your own inventive juices flowing.’ (As per Goodreads)

What Lynn learned:

• To remind myself to walk away and get a sleep when I can’t ‘solve a problem’.

• There are definite benefits from switching from ‘hare mind’ to ‘tortoise mind’.

• Not having clarity when being creative during the creative process is pretty essential… although I find it uncomfortable.

Fave quotes:

• “Most adults, by contrast, find it hard to be playful — no doubt because they have to take care of all the responsibilities that come with an adult’s life. Creative adults, however, have not forgotten how to play.”

• “Put simply, you can’t ask your unconscious a question, and expect a direct answer—a neat, tidy little verbal message.”

Why relevant right now:

Embracing creativity in all areas of our lives is a wonderful, often challenging, thing.

Interest factor: 2/5

Coffee table cred: 3/5

Ignorance of external world while reading: 3/5

Book cover design: 3/5

Help the existential crisis: 3/5