Welcome friend! Today, we are going to embark on a five year tour of creativity books that have shaped me. I have read many but these aren’t just mere books to me. They have been teachers, personal coaches and inspirations. They have encouraged me to spend more time on my craft while validating all that I do. I think of them as catalysts that have fueled my journey and the proof is Armed with A Book. Let’s begin in 2018 where I learned how to steal ideas from an artist. 😉
Creativity Book # 1
Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon
Synopsis:
You don’t need to be a genius, you just need to be yourself. That’s the message from Austin Kleon, a young writer and artist who knows that creativity is everywhere, creativity is for everyone. A manifesto for the digital age, Steal Like an Artist is a guide whose positive message, graphic look and illustrations, exercises, and examples will put readers directly in touch with their artistic side.
My review:
This is the earliest work that I enjoyed! A book from 2012 that I read in 2018, I love that so many years later, there are almost 6000 people reading this book at the time of writing this review. Wow! What better way to see a book continue to be meaningful in today’s day and age! If you are looking for a quick, smooth, breezy read about creativity, Steal Like an Artist is a great pick. It will take you two hours to read if not less and there is art in that which will serve as a feast for your eyes.
Biggest Takeaways:
Austin Kleon speaks to the graphic designer in me with his use of fonts, pictograms and photographs. In a few pages, Kleon shares some very easy ways in which we can create more:
- Collect ideas from everywhere
- Do hands on work
- Just make, don’t worry about the timing
- Share widely, even if it’s selective
- Have multiple side projects to make more progress
- Pursue connections from all over the world, get to know people who you admire
- Be a positive presence in the community
- Make room for being bored and dreaming
- Refine the work
A quote:
It’s not the book you start with, it’s the book that book leads you to.
Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon
Add to your Goodreads shelf.
Creativity Book # 2
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
Synopsis:
Gilbert offers insights into the mysterious nature of inspiration. She asks us to embrace our curiosity and let go of needless suffering. She shows us how to tackle what we most love, and how to face down what we most fear. She discusses the attitudes, approaches, and habits we need in order to live our most creative lives. Balancing between soulful spirituality and cheerful pragmatism, Gilbert encourages us to uncover the “strange jewels” that are hidden within each of us. Whether we are looking to write a book, make art, find new ways to address challenges in our work, embark on a dream long deferred, or simply infuse our everyday lives with more mindfulness and passion, Big Magic cracks open a world of wonder and joy.
My review:
Big Magic is a wonderful reminder of why we pursue the things we do. It talks about the drive that lets us hone these creative outlets time and time again. It puts into perspective where our work as creators ends and the audience takes on its own role.
Big Magic brings together the experiences that the author has had, the struggles she has faced as a writer and what she has learned from other creators out there. It felt so good to see behind-the-scenes of a bestselling author and to relate to her as a person. If you are curious about Elizabeth Gilbert’s journey or think this is a book that might inspire you too, do check it out.
Read the in-depth version here.
Biggest Takeaways:
- This book started my philosophy around inspiration. Big Magic taught me to be grateful for many things but most importantly, it reminded me to be thankful that I can connect with something called “inspiration” and make something whether it is a piece of art or a beautiful spread in my journal. It reminded me that completing a project has a huge value itself.
- It is also the book where I first confronted my personal struggle of separating the joy of creation from the reception of my work on social media like Instagram. Big Magic inspires me even today to be authentic without conforming to the pressures of seeking external validation. I have found a sense of freedom in sharing creative work without the weight of expectation.
A quote:
You made it; you get to put it out there. Never apologize for it, never explain it away, never be ashamed of it. You did your best with what you knew, and you worked with what you had, in the time you were given. You were invited, and you showed up, and you simply cannot do more than that.
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert, pg 263
Add to your Goodreads shelf.
Creativity Book # 3
Your Writing Matters: 34 Quick Essays to Get Unstuck and Stay Inspired by Keiko O’Leary
Synopsis:
What you write can change someone’s life.
In this engaging collection of short essays for writers, Keiko O’Leary explores what it means to live life as a writer, offers encouragement and inspiration, and suggests practical techniques to cultivate your writing life. Drawing on her experience as a writer, writing group leader, and workshop instructor, Keiko writes about topics such as:
MOTIVATION: “You deserve to create what’s in you to create.”
CREATIVITY: “Your personal geography is a wellspring of memoir and poetry, and a source of authentic detail for fiction.”
LEGACY: “Through your writing, you help people experience meaning, not only in what you write, but also in their own lives.”
Whether you have years of experience or are just starting out, these essays will support you on your writing journey.
My review:
Your Writing Matters emphasizes the inclusivity of all forms of writing, not just traditional storytelling. It is relatable to bloggers and writers beyond novelists, which is a refreshing change from other books I have seen on writing. Keiko’s personal love for reading and how she integrates it into her essays is noted, adding depth to her identity beyond being a writer.
I appreciated the emphasis on prioritizing one’s passions while letting life flourish in its entirety. There are lessons that Keiko shares that she has learned from everyday life and applied to her writing which were helpful for me to reflect upon.
Read the in-depth version here.
Biggest Takeaways:
- Your Writing Matters is not just about producing a novel or a specific type of writing but rather embracing any form of writing as valuable and significant. This concept reinforced the idea that my writing, whether personal reflections, blog content, or musings, holds weight and importance.
- Keiko highlights the importance of a system to support intention, sharing her personal way of organizing the stories and ideas she has.
- This book is the much needed reminder to persist in writing, even if it’s not the primary pursuit. If we love it, we should return to it. My writing matters.
- Keiko encouraged me to keep a compliments list! Though I am not actively maintaining one anymore, I always note down positive things that people tell me.
A quote:
Do your top thing, and put it first, but let the rest of your life flower, too. The other things you love, the care and depth with which you do them, the appreciation you give to the passing and irretrievable moments of this one life – all will return to you and help you as you work on your top thing, and your life will become a story.
Your Writing Matters: 34 Quick Essays to
Get Unstuck and Stay Inspired by Keiko O’Leary, pg 108
Add to your Goodreads shelf.
Creativity Book # 4
From Chaos to Creativity by Jessie L. Kwak
Synopsis:
Art and writing can be the most fulfilling part of our lives. But it’s often difficult to make space for it in our day-to-day existence, especially if we’re not at the point yet where creating it is our job. Sometimes we have so many ideas it’s difficult to keep them all organized, much less maintaining a creative schedule or dedicated workspace. With all the clutter overwhelming your scattered brain (not to mention your desk), it’s all too easy to fall into procrastination and disarray. From Chaos to Creativity is a series of glowing beacon. Jessie L. Kwak has written a Getting Things Done for artists and writers, drawing on her experience as a professional copywriter with a novel-writing habit, and from interviews with other authors, artists, musicians, and designers, to teach you how to focus on the good ideas, manage your project, make time in your life, and execute your passions to completion. Make great art by channeling your chaotic creative force into productive power and let the world see what you’re capable of!
My review:
From Chaos to Creativity is divided into four distinct parts: Planning, Working, Dreaming, and Testing. The book guides readers through a system for enhancing creativity, offering tools and exercises at the end of each section for practical application. I identified with these stages and felt validated! The significance of pursuing hobbies and relaxation as a productive endeavour stands out for me. From Chaos to Creativity advocates for the value of joy and relaxation in adult life, redefining productivity based on personal fulfillment rather than societal standards.
If you want regular creativity in your life, this is the book for you! It’s not just for the people who made it into a full time job. No matter how much time you are able to dedicate to creativity, the actual doing, the reason you need a system is to cut out the crap – the indecision, the lack of inspiration, the what-do-I-do-next. When I started collecting my ideas in one place, I started to spend more time doing.
Read the in-depth version here.
Biggest Takeaways:
- The four-part division served as a solid framework that resonated deeply with my own creative process. This book has helped me become better organized and see the little things I do to support my creative endeavours.
- I love the emphasis on action over results. Progress, even incomplete, is better than stagnation. This philosophy aligns with Your Writing Matters.
- This was new and fun: The concept of having a “No list” to eliminate tasks that won’t be pursued!
- Setting a dedicated time to sort through the creative chaos and finding spots to collect ideas has changed how I pursue writing and reading. Thank you Jessie!
A quote:
When you give yourself space, that’s when you have those eureka moments, those flashes of insight that transform your ideas from ordinary to brilliant.
From Chaos to Creativity by Jessie L. Kwak
Add to your Goodreads shelf.
Creativity Book # 5
The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin
Synopsis:
From the legendary music producer, a master at helping people connect with the wellsprings of their creativity, comes a beautifully crafted book many years in the making that offers that same deep wisdom to all of us.
“I set out to write a book about what to do to make a great work of art. Instead, it revealed itself to be a book on how to be.” –Rick Rubin
Many famed music producers are known for a particular sound that has its day. Rick Rubin is known for something else: creating a space where artists of all different genres and traditions can home in on who they really are and what they really offer. He has made a practice of helping people transcend their self-imposed expectations in order to reconnect with a state of innocence from which the surprising becomes inevitable. Over the years, as he has thought deeply about where creativity comes from and where it doesn’t, he has learned that being an artist isn’t about your specific output, it’s about your relationship to the world. Creativity has a place in everyone’s life, and everyone can make that place larger. In fact, there are few more important responsibilities.
The Creative Act is a beautiful and generous course of study that illuminates the path of the artist as a road we all can follow. It distills the wisdom gleaned from a lifetime’s work into a luminous reading experience that puts the power to create moments–and lifetimes–of exhilaration and transcendence within closer reach for all of us.
My review:
In The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin, I felt seen. This book is profoundly connected with my journey in the realm of creative living. It offers valuable perspectives on various facets of the creative process and the artistic life, serving as a guide and mentor for my creative endeavours. It applies to no matter what your craft is, I could relate for writing, taking bookstagram photos, blogging, art…
I did not know how many aspects of the creative process there were until I read this book! There are discussions about the nature of inspiration, the artist’s continuous engagement with creativity throughout the day, and the distinction between doubting the work and doubting oneself. I really liked the book’s guidance on habits and discipline.
The Creative Act is the perfect combination of buddhist teaching and creative living. If you enjoy zen writing with abstract ideas, you might like this book. It has a philosophical feel. Just like From Chaos to Creativity helped me recognize I have a system for creative living, The Creative Act helped me see process, the hurdles and the brilliance in being a creative. I look forward to coming back to this book again.
Read the in-depth version here.
Biggest takeaways:
- The creative process isn’t confined to specific moments but is an integral part of life, occurring continuously throughout the day. Being in the state of creativity is a natural, perpetual engagement with ideas and inspirations. Now that I know, I see it all the time!
- Two years since Big Magic, The Creative Act built on my external validation struggles. It redirected the focus from external measures or public validation to an internal sense of accomplishment and personal fulfillment. Success is redefined as something felt deeply within the soul, not determined by external variables. This idea fuels my work.
- The way I write has changed because of this book. I have been able to embrace the idea of each work being an iteration, a snapshot of a moment in their life. There is so much room for self-compassion in the creative process.
- The best work is yet to come.
A quote:
Once you acquiesce to the demands of the creative life, it becomes a part of you. Even in the midst of a project, you still look for new ideas each day. At any moment, you’re prepared to stop what you’re doing to make a note or a drawing, or capture a fleeting thought. It becomes second nature. And we’re always in it every hour of the day.
The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin, pg 296
Add to your Goodreads shelf.
~~ Concluding Thoughts ~~
In the pursuit of creativity, these five books stand as pillars, each offering a unique facet of inspiration and guidance. They’ve taught me to cherish the process, to embrace the iterative nature of creation, and to find joy in every stroke of the keyboard and pen, whether it is on my work computer (inspiration does not keep office hours, nor should it), my journal or on my phone.
As I end this compilation, I look to the future. I am excited to see which books will join this list.
Questions for you
I want to know from you:
- Have you read any of these books?
- What is your craft? How do you pursue creativity?
- Which books have been memorable on your journey?
- Are there topics you find yourself reaching for regularly?
Wishes
May we both find many more people and books that understand us on our creative odyssey, illuminating our path as these have done for me.
I’ve read (and reread!) Big Magic and Rick Rubin’s The Creative Act and they are permanent additions to my collection of books on creativity. I would add Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott and Beautiful Writers by Linda Sivertsen. Appreciate the other recommendations!
Thanks for reading, Tina! I haven’t read the two books you mention and they are on my TBR now. 🙂