Inspiring and Encouraging Reads for Creative People (aka Everyone)

These are some books I've read recently and have found to be very helpful in guiding me through my creative endeavors. I get scared about "well, what if I'm not good at any of these things," and "what do I do when I get stuck and can't think of anything?"

If you've ever made anything, you can probably relate. Here are a few very inspiring, (some somewhat dense), but totally worth it reads:

The Gift: Creativity and the Artist in the Modern World (by Lewis Hyde)
(maybe sounds cheesy, but trust me if you can)



Art As Experience (by John Dewey)
(known for his philosophy on education and teaching, this book is quite insightful and encouraging for creative people)




Living Without a Goal: Finding the Freedom to Live a Creative and Innovative Life (by James Ogilvy)
(maybe this one sounds cheesy too, and you're thinking I'm a huge cheeseball by now. I promise I am, but not when it comes to books. These have genuinely helped inspire me. I'll follow up with some favorite quotes from them to help convince perhaps...)

How to Be An Explorer of the World: Portable Life Museum (by Keri Smith)
(you can find the link to her blog under the blogs I like to the left; her website is awesome too)



The Drunkard's Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives (by Leonard Mlodinow)





Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life (by Amy Krouse Rosenthal)
(this one's just fun--her optimism and quirkiness is inspiring. Watch her cool YouTube video too.)



Unrelated to creativity, but well worth the information and awareness:
The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals (by Michael Pollan)




(Images all taken from amazon.com-- I hope that's ok ??)