8 must-read books on creativity

Feeling stuck? Procrastinating on your actual creative projects? These reads are for you.

Sometimes I think there’s risk in over-intellectualizing creativity to the point that you spend more time reading about creativity than, you know, actually creating. But other times, it’s nice to hear somebody else’s take on a craft you’ve been in for a while (or are just thinking of getting into). The books below are ones that filled my cup, ultimately allowing me to create with more vigor than I might have otherwise. I hope they fill your cup, too!

Note: I’m a writer, so a few of these books are specifically about writing. I’m sure they include some takeaways that could be applicable to other crafts, but I’ve put them in a separate section toward the bottom so you know what you’re getting into.

Another quick note: If you decide to buy print versions of any of these books, please order them from your local bookstore or from Bookshop.org. Any time someone orders a book I recommended off of Amazon, it feels like someone poked my voodoo doll.

The Creative Act: A Way of Being | Rick Rubin

I’ll admit I had no idea who Rick Rubin was when I asked for this book for Christmas. (My partner and a quick scroll through Wikipedia set me straight.) Knowing now that he’s one of the most successful musical producers of our lifetimes, I appreciate the way he collects his creative insights in a way that makes them applicable to any craft. Rubin takes a bit of a spiritual approach here, which made it tough for me to read The Creative Act for more than a few minutes at a time; that sort of thing just isn’t super engaging to me. But the wisdom he shared was invaluable, and I put a lot of sticky notes in this one to come back to later. If you’re interested in shaping a creative mindset, not just actual practice, this book is for you.

Bonus: I read The Creative Act as a buddy read with Jamie, a friend of mine and one of the readers behind @samepage.differentbook on Instagram! Jamie and her friend Jenna co-review books of various genres from opposite sides of the United States. I highly recommend their page if you’d enjoy gorgeous flatlays, diverse book recommendations, and a loving little corner of the internet.

The Conscious Creative | Kelly Small

This is what the newsletter you’re reading is all about, baby! The Conscious Creative focuses on fostering a creative self and community while cultivating empathy, keeping historical underrepresentation and oppression in mind, and challenging your own artistic integrity. Though these sound like heady concepts, Small writes about them in snack-size bites that make each topic super easy to absorb. This is an excellent start for anyone beginning to question their role in capitalism or working to consider their creative path from a holistic, intrapersonal perspective.

Make Your Art No Matter What | Beth Pickens

This is a great book for those who are just now thinking about creating a consistent creative practice (or have struggled to do so in the past). It’s also a good option for beginner-level freelancers working to make their craft their livelihood. Pickens has a friendly and nonjudgmental way of writing about creativity that I found very welcoming, even if she didn’t dive very deep into the topics she discussed. If you’re working to prioritize your craft, take a look at Make Your Art No Matter What.

The Creative Habit | Twyla Tharp

It’s not everyday that you get a perspective on creativity from a dancer and choreographer, but I’m grateful for Twyla Tharp’s. Dispelling the notion that profound or effective work is the product of elusive, sporadic bursts of inspiration, Tharp illustrates through The Creative Habit that creativity is best viewed as a habit you can nourish over time. It’s freeing to realize that the gift of talent—something that seems to be handed to other creatives from the heavens, but usually isn’t—is not the secret to great art. Consistency, preparation, and a creative mindset (see The Creative Act above) are.

Refuse to Be Done | Matt Bell

I’ve been evangelizing Refuse to Be Done since I read it in January. Though this is a fairly short and easy read, it’s jam-packed with tips on finishing your first draft and then editing it in a constructive, not-so-overwhelming way. I appreciate that, unlike many writers of Bell’s demographic, Bell doesn’t go about delivering his advice from a high horse. Instead he readily admits his own creative shortcomings, then explains how he works through and around them in an effort to make himself a better writer. If you’re struggling to make it through your first draft or you’re feeling daunted by the editing process, I highly recommend picking up a copy of Refuse to Be Done.

Letters to a Writer of Color | Numerous essayists

Letters to a Writer of Color is a beautiful collection of 17 essays about craft and the sociopolitical environments in which it takes place. There are perspectives about the identities we write ourselves into; the complexities of writing about our traumas; resisting the thin veil of validation that “authenticity” provides, and more. I truly believe this book is a gift, regardless of the demographic(s) to which you belong, and its layered perspectives on craft are ones I’ll return to again and again.

Bird by Bird | Anne Lamott

This is one of those books that I was required to read during school and didn’t quite appreciate until later. The Los Angeles Times describes Bird by Bird as a “warm, generous and hilarious guide through the writer's world,” and I couldn’t come up with a more accurate description if I were paid by the Times to do it. Lamott’s voice is kind and welcoming, and she’s upfront about the insecurities she’s faced both as a writer and a person moving through this complicated and challenging world. If you think you’d enjoy craft advice intertwined with memoir, this is a great pick for you.

The Art of Time in Fiction | Joan Silber

My latest craft read, The Art of Time in Fiction is a small but mighty book on pace. Silber does a fantastic job of illustrating what she calls “classic time,” “long time,” “switchback time,” “slowed time,” and “fabulous time” using classic examples across the literary canon. I appreciate that this book offers both a zoomed-out look at pace in fiction and concrete tips about artfully conveying the passage of time. Whether you’re working on microfiction, a novel, a film, or a play, you’ll get a lot of value out of this read. (And if fiction isn’t your thing, Sven Birkerts wrote The Art of Time in Memoir, a part of the same craft collection!)

What’s been inspiring me lately:

✰ Space. A vast thing, I know, but also an unexpected one for me. I used to explicitly not care about space, but after having to write about it for work, I’ve begun to understand the wonder, curiosity, and intrigue it inspires. I’m excited to keep learning about space and to see how questions about it weave themselves into my future creative work.

✰ Solitude. Frazzled by the business of life and a few emotionally challenging components of the last couple weeks, I’ve found myself drawn to moments with myself. It’s restorative for me to sit in silence with myself, go for nature observation walks alone, or spend an hour at the gym with my headphones on. When I find myself aggrivated and overwhelmed, solitude is often what refills my creative cup.

Illustration by Jaakko Pallasvuo.