Creativity Books – Written Sources of Creative Inspiration |
Posted: October 5, 2020 |
As a life-long artist and designer, there have been numerous times when I’ve been without the necessary motivation to sit down and do my work. Things would happen in life that got in the way of it – any number of obstacles of various shapes and colors. And, as I am one of those creative types that cannot go for very long without exercising my creative muscles, life can become unbearable during those times.
Since I really didn’t have an artist mentor or coach in my early years as a visual artist, one of the ways I dealt with my creative 'black hole' moments was to turn to creativity books. In my experience, a creativity book is a good method of stirring up the creative muse, to inspire us to sit down (or stand up) and do our creative work.
Of the many creativity books I have read, two of them stand out to me as having been notably inspirational to me as a visual artist and musician.
The very first creativity book I ever read was The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron. It was important to me early on as a painting, visual artist, not only because I needed guidance for my painting, but because I needed context and support for living my life as a fine arts painter. Painting was a lonely endeavor, and I learned early on that moral support for exploring my creative passions was not something to come by easily. This book not only inspired me in that way, but it gave me a glimpse into a deeper, more spiritual way of looking at my creative passions and talents. And it had lots of exercises, practical ways to get into my creative flow and get working.
A decade or so later, I came across another book, which my psychologist at the time recommended to me – The War of Art, by Steven Pressfield. I was going through a rough patch in my early 30s and needed a creative reboot. The War of Art gave it to me. Practical, sensible, and unerringly honest, this creativity book inspired me to keep going with my painting no matter to what degree I thought I had failed at living my creative dreams. What Pressfield’s book proposed that I hadn’t heard before, was that you have to do your creative work even and especially when you don’t feel like doing it. In order to accomplish your goals and 'go pro’ with your art, you have to bite the bullet and show up every day in the studio, no matter what. This gave me the conviction and energy to continue with my painting, knowing that being creative was a part of me, and part of my life’s purpose – and that my happiness depended on my pursuing it.
What I learned from my creativity books over the years was invaluable to me as a working artist, yet there was so much I learned from trial and error as well. Eventually, after having been a successful artist in my own right, I felt compelled to give back, to pass along what I had learned so future generations didn’t have to spend decades of their life of trial and error trying to figure it all out. So I wrote my own creativity book, entitled, The Infinite Artist. It’s my own take on the problems and solutions in the life of a creatively driven person. It’s about authenticity, about how creative flow works, about the spiritual side to making art, and about why art is so necessary – not merely for the individual who harbors the passionate creative impulse but for our cultures and societies as well. It also has practical information in it, such as how to earn a living with your art and how to find your audience.
I hope this book finds its way into the hands of as many creatives as possible who are in need of help. I often wonder if it will always be the case that artists are not likely to get their support from the culture they live and work in. As Eric Maisel once said, “Support is often in terribly short supply in a creative person’s life. There is no one to talk to about the work. There is no one to talk to about the struggle. There is no one to talk to about the enormous gap between the dream the person had and the reality the person is living. Indeed, many creative people have been looking their whole life for one single advocate, for one person who will say, ‘You have it in you and I will help.’”
I concur. It is so often an uphill battle for the creative person, and we artists need to do what we can to support each other, to find better ways to navigate the long, sometimes rocky journey of the creative life path.
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