The 5 Books You Should Read Now to Improve Your Creative Journey

This answer may surprise you:

When asked what has the greatest influence on my creative process, people usually think I’m kidding when I say books.

Let me tell you, I couldn’t be more serious. 

If you feel the same and/or want to be improve your creative journey, here are the 5 books you should read now to improve your creative journey.

Show your Work by Austin Kleon

Showing your work can be a scary, daunting task. Especially when it feels like a direct reflection of your very self and soul.

Rejection or criticism is always a possibility, and it can be hard to swallow. BUT, how will anyone discover our work if we're not showing it? Risking rejection will always pay off in the end. This book will encourage you to show your work and teach you why you must get your work out there.


Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon

THIS is such a powerful book. It's a quick read too and, just like Show Your Work, made a lasting impact on me. It explains how we are a mash-up of what we choose to let into our lives.

In other words, we are the sum of our influences. Energy flows where our focus goes. Though we don't get to choose our family, we do get to pick our teachers, our friends, the music we listen to, and the books that we read. The sum of what we choose is bigger than the parts and we become a remix of all of our choices. Therefore, we should choose well and surround ourselves with the education, inspiration and people who will be most beneficial to us in our lives. And this is so important.


The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

There are several reasons why we all put up walls around our creativity at times (procrastination, self destruction, etc), but this book aims to help you conquer your fears and commit to making your creative goals a success. You will learn how to overcome the obstacles and inner barriers we all face, all the while following your biggest dream.


Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

It's incredibly inspirational and calls you to live your most creative life. Gilbert 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.

I listened to the audio book and the energy and motivation was just amazing.


The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron

If you've been creating for very long, you've undoubtedly felt 'the creative block', which is what this book aims to help us overcome. The book leads us through a 12 week program to help us recover our creativity from a variety of blocks and teaches us how to replace them with artistic confidence and productivity.

 

To see even more of my favourite books for creatives, visit this link.

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