10 Must-Read Books Creative People Will Love
Have you ever noticed how huge the “self-help” section of the bookstore is? There are a lot of books out there to help you figure out what you want to do with your life. Some are good, but most are not that helpful, especially if you’re looking for something specifically geared toward creative entrepreneurs and ambitious artists. If you’re looking for a little career advice and maybe some creative insight, we’ve got a killer reading list to get you motivated and inspired.
1. Damn Good Advice (For People with Talent) by George Lois ($6): Fiercely motivating, this book really delivers on its promise. Instead of reading it from cover to cover, you can open the book to any random page and get inspiration when you need it most.
2. Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? by Seth Godin ($10): Beginning with the frightening premise that being “good enough” is no longer enough, Godin talks about how to make yourself stand out from the crowd and get the job that everyone else wishes they had.
3. Quitter: Closing the Gap Between Your Day Job and Your Dream Job by Jonathan Acuff ($14): If you spend most of your time at work day dreaming about quitting your day job and chasing your big dream, then you need to read this book. Acuff notes that finding out what you love doing most is about reuniting with an old love that you may have squashed for years for more “practical” jobs.
4. Show Your Work by Austin Kleon ($10): Full of ideas and advice on how to make sure that people discover your amazing work, this book advises to not try to be an immediate expert. Just share what you love, and the people who love the same things will find you.
5. I Am That Girl by Alexis Jones ($10): If you’re looking to turn you life around, I Am That Girl is an empowering book about accomplishing your dreams, finding your potential and staying true to who you are.
6.The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life by Twyla Tharp ($11): Perfect for anyone wanting to flex their creative muscle, this book is filled with exercises, advice, stories and amazing quotes to inspire you as you develop your own creative habit. There are also rituals for preparation if you’re feeling a little creatively “stuck.”
7. Manage Your Day-to-Day by Jocelyn Glei ($11): Like it or not, we’re usually juggling errands, work and other life distractions before we even get to start thinking about being creative. This book offers some help on how to be creative amidst the chaos that is modern life.
8. Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us All by Tom Kelley ($17): We are totally on board with the belief that everyone is creative in some sort of way. But a huge part of creativity is being confident enough to take risks and share your work. This book offers lots of advice on how to become a confident artist. (Photo via @emmajanekepley)
9.The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right by Atul Gawande ($11): Hey all you list lovers, this one’s for you. A whole book dedicated to talking about how valuable a good list can be.
10. The Book of Doing: Everyday Activities to Unlock Your Creativity and Joy by Allison Arden ($12): You won’t have any excuse with these 94 activities that take you out of your comfort zone and hopefully show off a new aspect of creative genius. Sometimes you just need to get silly and do more of the things you love without putting any pressure on making it the perfect project.
Are there any other books you think should be included? Share your suggestions in the comments below!