Twelve Books to Pack for Your Creative Journey
Twelve Books to Pack for Your Creative Journey
As an obsessive student of self-study and creativity, my library overfloweth with trusty old friends who, time and again, have the power to inspire my inner muse and, when needed, employ a much-needed kick in the tush.
The following books are my essential go-to’s—from zen-infused philosophical musings, to prompt-laden guides, to self-help books that (ahem) actually help—with the overall thesis being: We Are All Creative.
**
The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity
By Julia Cameron
A 12-week program designed to shepherd the broken artist to a place of creative recovery by nurturing their intuition and passion, chock-full of exercises such as the well-regarded “Morning Pages” and “Artist Dates.”
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear
By Elizabeth Gilbert
A New York Times bestseller, Gilbert offers a charming and conversational approach to the paradoxes of the creative process, with the unshakeable belief that ideas are living, breathing organisms waiting to be realized.
Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within
By Natalie Goldberg
Though writer-centric, this easily digestible book beautifully explores the freedom in unleashing your inner artist through bite-sized stories, zen practices, and insightful lessons learned.
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
By Anne Lamott
Also composed with the writer in mind, Lamott imparts universal observations on the intersection of reverence and creativity beneficial to all artists, via a collection of anecdotes as provocatively honest as they are refreshingly witty.
No More Secondhand Art: Awakening the Artist Within
By Peter London
A heady, slightly academic read focused on the pursuit of creativity as an act of personal and transformative growth, worth every underlined sentence, highlighted excerpt, and note-saturated margin.
Fearless Creating
By Eric Maisel
Known as the father of creativity coaching, Maisel generously distills years of working with artists of all levels and disciplines into an enlightening six-part breakdown of the creative process.
One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way
By Robert Maurer
While this quick guide on making lasting change through small steps isn’t specific to the artist’s journey, per se, it is essential reading to reframe how small rewards lead to large returns—key ingredients for building a sustainable creative life.
The Courage to Create
By Rollo May
A thought-provoking, timeless examination of the alchemistic creative psyche with an emphasis on cultivating courage, meaning, and authenticity.
Free Play: Improvisation in Life and Art
By Stephen Nachmanovitch
A deeply brilliant, if at times dense, undertaking of the importance of process over product, practice over perfectionism, and trust over control, Free Play instills the mantra: Sit back, relax, and enjoy the creative ride.
The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles
By Steven Pressfield
The War of Art is a swift, shake-you-awake manifesto on what Pressfield so aptly describes as the nemesis to creativity: Resistance; overall, a no-nonsense read for how to muster the strength to carry on in the face of artistic adversity.
Letters to a Young Poet
By Rainer Maria Rilke
A series of ten letters written by Rainer Maria Rilke to an aspiring artist, this treasure-trove of insight revealed Rilke’s humble yet expansive wisdom on life, art, and their perpendicular nature.
The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life
By Twyla Tharp
From world renown choreographer Twyla Tharp, this every-artist’s handbook examines the importance of developing good habits to yield creative bounty, full of tough-love and tried-and-true practices.
**
Consider joining Inward & Artward’s monthly virtual book club (ArtWord Lit Club) focused on the creative process, the art of inspiration, and purposeful personal development!