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Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity Paperback – Deckle Edge, December 27, 2007

by David Lynch (Author)
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In this "unexpected delight,"* filmmaker David Lynch describes his personal methods of capturing and working with ideas, and the immense creative benefits he has experienced from the practice of meditation.

Now in a beautiful paperback edition, David Lynch's Catching the Big Fish provides a rare window into the internationally acclaimed filmmaker's methods as an artist, his personal working style, and the immense creative benefits he has experienced from the practice of meditation.

Catching the Big Fish comes as a revelation to the legion of fans who have longed to better understand Lynch's personal vision. And it is equally compelling to those who wonder how they can nurture their own creativity.

Catching Ideas

Ideas are like fish.

If you want to catch little fish, you can stay in the shallow water. But if you want to catch the big fish, you've got to go deeper.

Down deep, the fish are more powerful and more pure. They're huge and abstract. And they're very beautiful.

I look for a certain kind of fish that is important to me, one that can translate to cinema. But there are all kinds of fish swimming down there. There are fish for business, fish for sports. There are fish for everything.

Everything, anything that is a thing, comes up from the deepest level. Modern physics calls that level the Unified Field. The more your consciousness-your awareness-is expanded, the deeper you go toward this source, and the bigger the fish you can catch.

--from Catching the Big Fish
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    192 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    TarcherPerigee
  4. Publication date
    December 27, 2007
  5. Dimensions
    7 x 0.5 x 7 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1585426121
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1585426126
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“The quirky helmer known for Boy Scout demeanor and twisted tales shares his creative vision in a surprisingly gentle tome informed by the underlying teachings of Transcendental Meditation. But don’t worry: David Lynch, one-time creator of “The Angriest Dog in the World” comic, keeps the proselytizing to a minimum. He addresses topics ranging from working with wood (for it) to director’s commentaries (against) in deceptively simple, yet ultimately affirming, chapters. There’s much for fans and aspiring filmmakers to enjoy.”
—Variety
 
“Ideas are like fish. If you want to catch little fish, you can stay in the shallow water. But if you want to catch the big fish, you've got to go deeper," says David Lynch the idiosyncratic filmmaker whose creations include Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive, Inland Empire, and the cult TV classic, Twin Peaks. He claims that he has savored the pleasures of diving deep thanks to a 33-year practice of Transcendental Meditation (TM). He describes the fun of gathering what he calls "firewood" (all kinds of ideas and things for a film), the joy he takes in seeing an aging building or a rusted bridge, and the respect he has for Fellini and Kubrick. Lynch loves making movies and diving deep, and this testament bears witness to both loves.”
—Spirituality & Practice
 
“In Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity, David Lynch puts aside his filmic quest to get inside the viewer’s head and lets them instead inside his, an invitation almost as rare as a ticket to fiction’s Wonka Chocolate Factory, and possibly just as out of this world. Catching the Big Fish is a blend of thoughts and themes, sometimes random like a stream of consciousness, or — the analogy he personally prefers for creativity — casting a hook into a bottomless sea. The book melds biography, film analysis, philosophy and spirituality with a heart-on-sleeve sincerity, while incorporating a narrative of the author’s passion for charting the world of dreams and ideas and rendering them unto action.”
—BlogCritics
 
“With this book, Lynch offers us a rare glimpse into his own head. In the process, he reveals just enough biographical information, philosophy of film, and general behind-the-scenes dirt (including the connection between Lynch's Lost Highway and O. J. Simpson)to keep the attention of those more interested in Lynch's films than in his consciousness.”
—Booklist

About the Author

Three-time Oscar™-nominated director David Lynch is among the top filmmakers of our era. He recently received a Golden Lion Award for lifetime achievement at the Venice Film Festival, adding to a long list of honors and awards. His popular and critically acclaimed films have been credited with propelling independent and avant-garde film into the mainstream. Lynch speaks regularly to standing-room crowds on a variety of topics. In 2005, he founded the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace (www.davidlynchfoundation.org), which raises funds to promote consciousness-based education for children.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ TarcherPerigee (December 27, 2007)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1585426121
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1585426126
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7 x 0.5 x 7 inches
  • Customer Reviews:

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David Lynch

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
1,671 global ratings
Non-linear thoughts to contemplate
4 Stars
Non-linear thoughts to contemplate
This book is beautifully designed. - such a pleasure to hold in your hand, and the words on the page breathe easily, so read easily. You can open any page and read an interesting bit. I've uploaded a couple passages - for instance, I love Angelo Badalamenti and how he worked with David Lynch... not a big long read, but just enough to capture how much David loved working with him. If you are a David Lynch fan, I would recommend instead of this book, his autobiography/biography ROOM TO DREAM. It's such a creative way to write memories from different points of view. This book leans more heavily on his practice of Transcendental Meditation.
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Top reviews from the United States

penny
5.0 out of 5 stars Great for inspiration
Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2024
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I love this book. I love David lynch but also it’s just so easy to digest and makes me feel creative everyday by giving me that extra kick in the but.
One person found this helpful
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Bill Harvey
5.0 out of 5 stars Ten key themes in the book
Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2023
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1. The importance of meditation and mindfulness in the creative process

2. The role of intuition and the unconscious mind in creativity

3. The power of visualization and the importance of having a clear vision for a project

4. The value of taking risks and embracing uncertainty in the creative process

5. The importance of remaining true to one's own vision and avoiding the temptation to compromise for the sake of commercial success

6. The role of synchronicity and the interconnectedness of all things

7. The transformative power of art and the ability of creative expression to bring about positive change in the world

8. The importance of maintaining a sense of curiosity and openness to new ideas

9. The power of intention and the impact of our thoughts on our reality

10. The value of a positive attitude and the role of perseverance in achieving success.
31 people found this helpful
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Nelle Mercer
4.0 out of 5 stars Non-linear thoughts to contemplate
Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2023
Verified Purchase
This book is beautifully designed. - such a pleasure to hold in your hand, and the words on the page breathe easily, so read easily. You can open any page and read an interesting bit. I've uploaded a couple passages - for instance, I love Angelo Badalamenti and how he worked with David Lynch... not a big long read, but just enough to capture how much David loved working with him. If you are a David Lynch fan, I would recommend instead of this book, his autobiography/biography ROOM TO DREAM. It's such a creative way to write memories from different points of view. This book leans more heavily on his practice of Transcendental Meditation.
Customer image
Nelle Mercer
4.0 out of 5 stars Non-linear thoughts to contemplate
Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2023
This book is beautifully designed. - such a pleasure to hold in your hand, and the words on the page breathe easily, so read easily. You can open any page and read an interesting bit. I've uploaded a couple passages - for instance, I love Angelo Badalamenti and how he worked with David Lynch... not a big long read, but just enough to capture how much David loved working with him. If you are a David Lynch fan, I would recommend instead of this book, his autobiography/biography ROOM TO DREAM. It's such a creative way to write memories from different points of view. This book leans more heavily on his practice of Transcendental Meditation.
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3 people found this helpful
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Miss Kiley
5.0 out of 5 stars What a wonderful book.
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2012
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I just finished reading it. It took me a few days but it's actually short enough that one could sit down and read in one whoop. I love that the chapters are short. When you explain something in a way that makes it easy for the reader understand, you don't need to have a bunch of words because it would just muck it up.

I meditate already but I need to do it more and this book has inspired me to look into TM. I am an artist of sorts and I am inspired to tap into more of me to help get that rolling in an enjoyable way. I think we're all artist tho, even if you don't think you are. I think we suppress our creativity, maybe not intentionally but it's full potential is not something that many of us know about.

I love David Lynch and I had no idea that he had written this. I was intrigued with the wee bit that I had read by someone's sharing and knew I had to read it. I can't wait to read it again and find more treasures within its contents.
2 people found this helpful
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Frank
3.0 out of 5 stars Meditation, Creativity, and Film
Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2013
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This book has a lot of interesting information in it. David Lynch talks about his experience with Transcendental Meditation and its positive effects on him. He also talks about his strategies for living a life as an artist. And there are several different pages about the movies he's made, the actors in them, and his thoughts on film in general.

His biggest points are the importance of healthy living, the importance of meditation, and being your natural self. His advice for creativity, I thought, was pretty helpful for just about any artistic medium.

The book is pretty short. It doesn't go super in depth into any one topic. Mr. Lynch spends about a page or two on each idea. It's really interesting to hear everything in his direct voice, but some more detail would have been nice.

I loved how positive David Lynch seemed in the whole book. About the biggest thing I took from the book was his advice on being healthy yourself. He says, for an artist, you have to understand things like depression to create conflict in a story. But, if you, yourself, are depressed, it will be very hard to create. So he suggests different ways throughout the book to keep yourself healthy and still make art.

This was a great way to see into David Lynch's world through his own words. There's lots of great words, advice, and information, but it is very brief. But, if you're interested in David Lynch and his approach to life strategy, it's a great book.
13 people found this helpful
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David Tappan
5.0 out of 5 stars A peek into David Lynch's creative process
Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2021
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Anyone familiar with Lynch's work would agree it is difficult to imagine how exactly he conjures the images he does. This book gives us a peek into how exactly he does it. This isn't a how-to guide to make David Lynchian copycat films/ art, but a much more potent guide to unlocking your own unique brand of creativity.

As the Buddhist saying goes "A finger pointing at the moon is not the moon. The finger is needed to know where to look for the moon, but if you mistake the finger for the moon itself, you will never know the real moon."

Catching the Big Fish might require a few read-throughs, but if you fully digest and internalize the lessons here to make them your own, I'm sure you'll come out the end a better artist.
10 people found this helpful
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cblarch
5.0 out of 5 stars In love with this book
Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2023
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Inspiring, very easy read. Extremely helpful and loving for creative peeps like me.
5 people found this helpful
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Amy Barnes
4.0 out of 5 stars Lovely, but short
Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2024
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For all of those who complain that this is neither an in-depth autobiography nor a detailed instructional manual on how to practice Transcendental Meditation - well, it's a bit silly to think such a small book would be a comprehensive ANYTHING.

With that said, this little gem reads like you're having a short but intense one-on-one chat with Lynch. Its style is genuine, colloquial, and conversational. More a series of interview high-points than a structured beginning-middle-end journey. He is brutally honest about how he sees himself, how he sees the world, and what he thinks of each of his own artistic endeavours.

I take off one star because there are multiple chapters that are literally ONE SENTENCE. Which, frankly, is a bit off-putting and results in a lot of wasted paper. But it's a quick, enjoyable read, and I'd still recommend it to anyone who enjoys Lynch not just as a director or artist, but as a person. It's almost impossible to read the book without hearing it in his voice... which is lovely.
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Rafael de Avila
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfecto para un regalo
Reviewed in Mexico on February 10, 2024
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Es justo lo que buscaba!
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angela
5.0 out of 5 stars The secret to becoming an even better artist in time
Reviewed in Canada on January 25, 2022
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As we age, the thinking goes, we loose much of our gifts, and abilities, and sense. A society where youth prevails likes to promote that thinking. Nevertheless, when we see David Lynch take up, 25 years later, his masterpiece « Twin Peaks », and make, as hard as it is to believe, an even greater work of it, we wonder: How does he do it? Call him a genius? Nowadays we do not believe in such myths any longer. We watch him in the documentary « the art life » and see him at work. And then, by the most elating of hasards, we fall upon this, his book on transcendental meditation, a sort of companion to the documentary mentioned above. Trusting our interest and attention to all things creative, he gives us the secret to his art life, transcendent, unparalleled but how worthy of emulation. He says, if a group of people meditate together, the life of those around them, fourfold as large a community, becomes better, more peaceful. Happier. He gives the aspiring artist, or the aspiring art lover, a treasure of advice, with the generosity meant to convince the reader that it is all within one’s reach. This book is an event that can become one’s transformative moment of revelation, its unveiling, the recognition of what lay within ourselves, imperfectly understood. A wonderful gift.
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Verolama
5.0 out of 5 stars Per appassionati di cinema
Reviewed in Italy on January 10, 2021
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Comprato per fare un regalo ad un appassionato di cinema, libro molto apprezzato.
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Devanshu Biswas
5.0 out of 5 stars Made me think about my decisions
Reviewed in India on October 31, 2020
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I dont read books often but I am glad I read this. It is more than just a talk about meditation
One person found this helpful
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Konstantin Semionov
5.0 out of 5 stars This does more than just talk details
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 18, 2020
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Instead of talking about what camera he uses or lens or anything else, David Lynch gives us much more. He shares an abstract process of "fishing for ideas" which has enough space in it to be interpreted and adopted by anyone. Some might say that it is too abstract, but telling people what to do only teaches them one way of thinking, which might not even work for them, instead of figuring out the best way for themselves.

Some very important points in this book, which, if you are creative, could help you achieve more. It's also not necessarily for filmmakers but for musicians, painters, photographers and anyone else who wants to find the creative voice within and start generating ideas.

The book is an almost square shape, and is easy to read at home, but might be a bit challenging on the road.
Customer image
Konstantin Semionov
5.0 out of 5 stars This does more than just talk details
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 18, 2020
Instead of talking about what camera he uses or lens or anything else, David Lynch gives us much more. He shares an abstract process of "fishing for ideas" which has enough space in it to be interpreted and adopted by anyone. Some might say that it is too abstract, but telling people what to do only teaches them one way of thinking, which might not even work for them, instead of figuring out the best way for themselves.

Some very important points in this book, which, if you are creative, could help you achieve more. It's also not necessarily for filmmakers but for musicians, painters, photographers and anyone else who wants to find the creative voice within and start generating ideas.

The book is an almost square shape, and is easy to read at home, but might be a bit challenging on the road.
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6 people found this helpful
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