If only creativity could be compressed and put in cans. It’d save many a person a whole lot of their precious sanity. For many, the daily grind is facing a blank canvas, a white sheet of paper, or the blinking cursor on a wordless Word document. Perhaps it is more productive–rather than gnawing and praying for inspiration–to find a creative process through which we can generate new ideas with more regularity. And so, we find a less obvious book list from which creative people (that is, absolutely any of us) can draw inspiration.
A Cook’s Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines
By Anthony Bourdain
Covering his travels through Portugal, France, Vietnam, Russia, Morocco, Tokyo, and Cambodia, the 6’4” stand-out-like-a-sore-thumb chef and writer pens a detailed, entertaining exposition of his search for “the perfect meal.” With heaps of delicious book and movie references throughout the book, Chef Bourdain manages to both entertain and showcase a creative process steeped in a get off the couch and look for incredible experiences attitude. If you’re looking for something to get you out of your living room, comfort zone, rut (or whatever else) look no further.
The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future
By Chris Guillebeau
Half the creative battle is figuring out the idea in your head; the other more pivotal part is the idea’s execution. Somewhere in the book you find Friedrich Engels’ quote, “An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory.” This is a good starting point for discussing this helpful guide to finding an opportunity, creating value, and launching a product (or creative endeavor). In it, one finds motivating and simple examples of everyday people stumbling on accessible ideas and bringing them to life side-by-side tools to help in making decisions, launching campaigns, and “[Doing] what you love”. For those working on making a new product or putting something new into the world, this might be a good tool kit.
A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future
By Daniel H. Pink
This book begins with the idea that the 21st century’s abundance of material has satiated the needs of many for wide ranges of products from food to candles, and that given this saturation, rather than choosing out of need we may be making consumer decisions by use of less logical motivations. The argument is that more than knowledge workers in the Information Age, we are “creators and empathizers” in the Conceptual Age. In this age, we find “six senses” associated with the right side of the brain with which we can create better (and highly demanded) products, services, and solutions. Looking to make a large creative impact in the workplace? Or looking for creative aptitudes to cultivate? This is a terrific read.
Gunn’s Golden Rules: Life’s Little Lessons for Making it Work
By Tim Gunn
Written by the mentor on the hugely popular fashion TV show Project Runway, this book offers an insider’s view of the fashion industry, veering from fashion academia all the way to fashion on TV. Though essentially a book on manners and etiquette, with all its little anecdotes from New York’s fashion scene and recounts of how Gunn himself “made it work,” one is introduced to a no-nonsense, thrifty, and humble creative process. More than just a guide to being creative, but a take on how to persevere gracefully come what may, this is a fun yet impactful read.
Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?
By Seth Godin
Commenting that “our economy now rewards artists far more than any other economy in history ever has,” Godin asserts that each us is an artist more than capable of creative effort in any sort of job. This book focuses on creating good art in different scenarios, echoing helpful traits the likes of optimism, non-attachment to outcomes, and bravery in the face of change, to name a few. Rather than, as the author puts it, “[trading] our genius and artistry for apparent stability” we can nurture the traits of an artist in any walk of life. For inspiration in being ruthlessly creative and finding the artist within in any profession, this is a splendid place to start.
This list certainly isn’t exhaustive or absolutely necessary. The search for doing new things in new ways varies from person to person, suggesting the adage different strokes for different folks. Above, you find a list of enjoyable books written by some talented and creative authors. Both the books themselves and the stories of the people who’ve put them together are enough to inspire one and enrich one’s own creative process, at least in my opinion. Finding your own pace and method, though, are such personal trips (important ones, too) that often require more than just a spark, but perseverance. A book at the right time and place can certainly be of astounding impact, but maintaining its momentum is then the task of the reader.