Six Books Every Creative Should Read

     When I hit a roadblock and am feeling uninspired, I turn to the words of other creatives who have made a profession out of their work. I find that painting when I’m just not “feeling it” makes me resent the piece I’m working on, and that’s not very fair to the painting! I have read the following six art-related books in the past year and find them all to be motivating and inspiring. I hope you enjoy them too! I’ve written a brief summary of what I took away from each book, but please feel free to reach out to me if you’d like to hear more about them.

1. Manage Your Day to Day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus, & Sharpen Your Creative Mind
By 99U

​     This book was instantly influential on my art practice. It offers an incredible amount of wisdom on how to best use your time, structure your routine, and keep consistent with your creativity. Each section is written by a different author who is considered an expert on the topic at hand. My biggest takeaways were that when I’m painting, my phone should be nowhere in sight. When I’m in the studio I owe it to myself and my creative career to prioritize making art over answering emails as soon as they come in. It’s important to schedule your creative time into your day and commit to it! Since finishing the book, I have restructured my days so that I get to my studio first thing in the morning. I get in between 6 to 7 a.m. which gives me a few hours of painting before going to work at my retail job at 10 a.m. I have found that mornings are when I’m most alert and productive, and dedicating that time to my studio has already made a significant impact on practice. I’ll write a separate post about that in the future!

2. Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear
By Elizabeth Gilbert

     It’s difficult to put into words the divinity of Big Magic. Elizabeth Gilbert encourages the reader to go after their creative pursuit in the most warming, conversational way. She reminds us that all creatives are human. Most people experience a fear of putting their heart out in the air for the universe to see, or don’t know how to give themselves permission to start in the first place. Her encouragement to find what makes your soul sing is contagious and makes you want to start creating immediately! Since finishing the book, I have fallen in love with her podcast “Magic Lessons.” The podcast is a continuation of Big Magic in which she offers direct advice to audience members who are facing creative blocks. It’s one of my favorite things to listen to while I’m painting! I absolutely recommend this book to anyone pursuing a creative practice.

3. The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles
By Steven Pressfield 

     ​This book is a swift kick in the butt that essentially says, stop thinking and start making! Steven Pressfield identifies many of the obstacles in the creative process which he labels as “resistance.” He then tells you exactly how to defeat the resistance that is keeping you from finishing your work. His writing style is direct, humorous, and motivational. It’s a quick read that should be kept close by for the days you find yourself procrastinating your creative practice!

4. Turning Pro: Tap Your Inner Power and Create Your Life’s Work
By Steven Pressfield

     Turning Pro is the follow up to The War of Art. It gives more tangible advice on what to expect if you are trying to pursue creativity as a full-time profession. Pressfield straight up tells you that you need to say goodbye to your comfort zone and get ready to make a lot of sacrifices in your social life if you think you have what it takes to make it as a pro. It’s encouraging but not sugar-coated. I’m a big fan of his no-nonsense style. 

5. Steal Like An Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative
By Austin Kleon

     ​This book is a quick read full of humor and illustrations. It tells the reader how to take a compilation of the art that inspires you from several artists and turn that into a style of your own. Kleon stresses that you just need to start. You don’t have to have a defined style at the beginning, it will develop as you keep creating. It’s a refreshing read with practical advice for the modern-day artist. 

6. Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking
By David Bayles and Ted Orland

     ​This is a book about making good art. It’s about ordinary people creating at a level that isn’t genius, but important nonetheless. The authors comment on “the way art gets made, the reasons it often doesn’t get made, and the difficulties that cause so many artists to give up along the way.” It confronts fears about yourself, the opinions of others, and finding yourself in the vastly diverse artistic world. 

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     I am a bookworm by nature and already have several more books sitting on my nightstand in my “to-read” pile. I will write another blog post in the future about the following:

• Do the Work: Overcome Resistance and Get Out of Your Own Way
• A Big Important Art Book
• The Artist’s Way
• Art Before Breakfast

 
     If you have any favorites that aren’t on my lists, please share them with me! I’m always on the hunt for books that will help me on my way towards an art career.