We all want to be a part of a thriving community. But few of us know how to meaningfully contribute to the places where we live, work, learn and play.

Whether you dream of launching a community innovation center, want to enhance your town with colorful murals, or are simply looking to strengthen relationships with your neighbors, Designing Creative Communities is the guide for you.

Award-winning community builder, Spud Marshall, coaches emerging leaders and community members alike through a simple process for how to transform your town into a creative place to call home. Filled with stories from Spud's work over the past decade, Designing Creative Communities teaches you how to actively create change and have a lot of fun along the way.

The book will introduce you to the CANVAS Framework where you'll learn how to:

• Chart your path (and avoid getting an RV stuck in the mud).
• Ask probing questions (by jumping into an inflatable ball pit on the street).
• Name early adopters (and create a secret society).
• Visualize a prototype (while ensuring that bees don't escape into your home).
• Articulate your story (using a giant blue chameleon car).
• Sustain efforts with partners (without harming a single piano).