5 books to unlock your creativity (that aren’t The Artist’s Way)
If you’re looking to unlock your creativity, The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron is held up as a kind of creative bible that absolutely must be read. I personally have never clicked with it though, as I find it’s overly prescriptive, rigid and frankly a little judgemental.
Happily it's far from the only book worth reading on the subject. There are plenty of other books you could explore which offer a far more flexible attitude towards creative discovery, and there are 5 in particular which I’d recommend as they helped me greatly on my own journey of creative unlocking.
Ten years ago, I didn’t see myself as creative at all - and yet today I write to you as an artist running my own creative business. Over the last decade I’ve gone on a deep journey of creative exploration and discovery, and I can say without a doubt that the following books played a key role in me becoming the artist I am today.
I’d love for you to read these books too, whether alongside The Artist’s Way or instead of it.
Note: there are no affiliate links below, just honest-to-goodness recommendations
Creative You by Otto Kroeger & David B. Goldstein
Best for: creatives who love personality type quizzes
Creative You doesn’t seem to be widely-known, but it’s one of my favourite books for exploring inner creativity. It uses the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to show how creativity manifests in different ways depending on your personality type. It’s one of the best books I’ve discovered for challenging and breaking down the myths and social assumptions about creativity. If you’ve ever felt like you’re “not creative”, or that your creativity looks different to how it seems to show up in others, this is a great place to start.
The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
Best for: creatives who love inspiring quotes & snippets of wisdom
The Creative Act seems to be a ‘marmite’ book: you either love it or hate it. I absolutely adore it. It sees creativity as something universal, and life itself as a work of art. It helps separate creativity from productivity pressures and invites you to notice how creativity shows up in everyday life.
This book offers insight and bite-sized wisdom rather than any practical how-tos, but its short chapters make it easy to dip into whenever you need a little creative reassurance.
We Need Your Art by Amie McNee
Best for: self-employed artists & creative business owners
We Need Your Art offers a thoughtful alternative to The Artist’s Way, with creative insight and practical suggestions for moving past creative blocks and resistance. It has a 2-week creative reset you can try, which is long enough to make a difference, but short enough to actually stick with.
I loved the strong and empowering tone of this book too, and the fact it acknowledges the challenges of making art within a capitalist system. I deeply related to a lot of what was written, and I think it offers a modern and compassionate perspective on making art.
Creativity Begins with You by Andy Neal & Dion Star
Best for: creatives who want to get out of their comfort zone
Creativity Begins with You takes a more academic approach to creativity than the other books suggested here, offering activities for creative students wanting to unlock their creativity. I found it to be a really interesting read though, as the activities and exercises get you thinking about what creativity truly is (beyond art). One of my favourites even encourages you to do absolutely nothing - showing the power of simply changing up your routine and mindset (read the book and find out all about that one!)
Conscious Creativity by Phillipa Stanton
Best for: creatives who are time-scarce and want some easy activities
Conscious Creativity is actually two books: Look, Connect, Create and The Workbook. It’s worth getting both together, but if you were to choose one, I’d recommend The Workbook, which is full of simple creative exercises to ignite creativity. Overall, the books get you noticing how creativity is a part of your everyday life, and show how small acts can unlock your creativity. It’s easy to open up and pick an activity at random too, so I’ve found myself coming back to this book again and again over the years.
Unlock your creativity with me
I’m all about supporting self-employed creatives & change-makers unlock their full creative potential and bring their creative projects & dreams to life. There’s several ways you can unlock your creativity with me:
Buy the Creative by Nature journal & playbook
Creative by Nature is a journal & playbook that invites you to unravel the unique way your own wonderful, magical creativity manifests in the world and be truly, creatively you.
Through 6 chapters of creative play, reflection and exploration, you’ll appreciate and acknowledge your natural creativity, nurture your ideas, and unlock your true creative self. In the final chapter you’ll draw up your very own creative compass - a blueprint of your creativity to guide you back to yourself for years to come. Find out more about Creative by Nature here.
Join The Play Space
A 6 week group programme that guides you to build a gentle, sustainable and above all joyful practice of creative play into your everyday. Creative play is the first and crucial step to finding creative freedom and fulfilment. Play inspires new discoveries, new ideas, and new creations. It helps us discover our likes and dislikes, and our unique creative voice. Find out more about The Play Space here.
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