Books are one of the best ways to learn new skills, develop insights and gain knowledge, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that there are plenty of excellent reads out there focused on creativity (and entrepreneurship).
Be more creative in the upcoming year. Here are the best books on creativity that will help you become more creative for 2022 and beyond:
[divider width=”full”]
Recommended Reading:
- Characteristics of a Know-it-all Person and How to Deal with Them
- 13 “New Month, New Goals” Tips to Make the Rest of This Year Your Best Year Yet
- 9 Surprising Advantages of Creativity in Business
[divider width=”full”]
1. The War Of Art: Break Through Your Blocks & Win Your Inner Battles by Steven Pressfield
The Resistance is our inner critic who says:
- “You can’t do that. That’s not the way things are done.”
- “You’re not good enough. Nobody’s going to like your work.”
- “You don’t have the right connections. Nobody’s going to listen to someone like you.”
- “You don’t have enough money. People won’t pay to hear what you have to say.”
- “You’re just dreaming. Nobody’s going to believe you.”
And so on.
As humans, it’s no surprise that we have a natural aversion to risk, and we’re much more likely to take the path of least resistance. This is also one of the reasons why we fail at some of our goals and why we often choose to put off our dreams until a better time (sometimes, it never happens). The human brain, after all, is wired for comfort.
In this famous book, Steven Pressfield discusses the inner workings of the Resistance and how to overcome it. According to Pressfield, in order to achieve any of our goals in life, particularly in our creative life, we need to be able to get past our own Resistance. And if you’re not sure where to start, this book will help.
2. The Little Book of Big Change: The No-Willpower Approach to Breaking Any Habit by Amy Johnson
As creatives, we often find ourselves struggling with some bad habits. The problem is we can’t seem to break these habits for good. Even if we try to make changes, they don’t stick long.
But the good news is this: we are not our habits.
We are much more than the sum of our parts. We have free will, and as such, we can choose our thoughts and actions… every day!
That’s why if you’re struggling with your productivity, having a hard time coming up with creative ideas for your next project, or simply addicted to social media, then Amy Johnson’s The Little Book of Big Change will help you regain your control.
In this book on creativity, Amy shares her approach to helping people break old habits (and even addictions) and create new ones. As you go through this wonderful little resource, you’ll learn how to overcome the negative brain wiring (the source of bad habits) by replacing it with positive reinforcement to allow new and better habits to form.
3. The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron
The creative process is like a journey of discovery. It begins with a spark. Some even call it an aha moment, where we realize that we have found something that’s missing from a bigger piece of a puzzle.
In the beginning, we may not know exactly what we are looking for, but that tiny spark gives us a direction where to look. Over time we do some things to gather a few clues about what we should be focusing on. It could be as simple as reading a book or hearing a lecture, or something even smaller – found in the littlest of things and in the most unexpected of places.
But this spark can be so elusive. Sometimes, it’s barely noticeable. When that happens, it’s easy to become stuck on our own journey. And if this goes for too long, we become uninspired to act.
So, what can we do to find that ever-elusive spark to light our creative journey?
The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity was written to help you discover and develop your inner creative self.
The program is based on a spiritual principle that creative expression is the natural direction of life, and it includes a 12-week course that teaches you about yourself and your creative process. Through exercises, journaling, group support, and personal reflection, you will learn to break through the barriers that are holding you back from expressing your creativity in any way that you choose.
The Artist’s Way is not a book to be read as a whole. Instead, it’s a ‘book-in-progress’ that takes you step-by-step through each week’s lessons and activities. In that way, you can work at your own pace so you can find that creative spark even in the most inconspicuous of places.
4. Evolve or Die: Lessons for World-Class Innovation & Creativity
If you fail, try again.
You’ve probably heard this phrase so many times before, most likely because it’s true. In the world of innovation and creativity, succeeding in the first attempt is almost unheard of. You’re expected to go through several failures before you get it right as a creative.
It’s not about luck or good timing. The champions of innovation and creativity are those who are willing to try and try again until they get it right. They know that they must push themselves to their limits to be better than the competition. And they are willing to put in the time and effort necessary to learn from their failures and learn from each other.
Evolve Or Die: Lessons for World-Class Innovation & Creativity is chock full of stories of people who have gone through this process of trying, failing, learning, and eventually, succeeding. Each story is accompanied by a lesson learned, which I firmly believe can help in the reader’s creative journey.
5. Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us All by Tom Kelley & David Kelley
You probably don’t realize it yet, but everyone has the innate ability to develop creative thinking, but it takes hard work to unlock it and put it to use.
Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us All is an excellent book for all creative types or anyone who wants to be more creative and innovative in their work and life. It explores the creative process and gives practical suggestions on applying it. In addition, this excellent book also provides a blueprint for innovators to look at the world around them in ways that they might not have considered before.
The authors provide a wealth of real-world examples and stories from their own experiences and others. They also offer a few innovation roadmaps, which can be a starting point for anyone who wants to get their creative juices flowing.
6. The Little Book of Talent: 52 Tips for Improving Your Skills by Daniel Coyle
Talents are like tiny gemstones that need a little polishing to shine. Thankfully, The Little Book of Talent shows us 52 different but practical ways to do just that!
Author Daniel Coyle made this book extremely easy to read. Also, it provides tons of actionable ideas that will keep you busy for quite some time.
This book is a must-have for creatives, leaders, and innovators. I love the ideas behind this book. It’s well written and gives fun and actionable tips for anyone who wants to supercharge their creative thinking.
7. The 30-Day Creativity Challenge: 30 Days to a Seriously More Creative You by Ed Bell
If you think that creativity is only for artists and writers, then you’re wrong. Anyone can harness creative thinking skills. The real challenge is in learning how to unleash those skills.
The 30-Day Creativity Challenge: 30 Days to a Seriously More Creative You is jam-packed with unusual and fun 10-minute activities that will stretch your mind in new ways. Each day for 30-days, you are given a different exercise or challenge to perform. By doing these activities, you will learn how to be more creative and innovative in all areas of your life. So, if you’re feeling stuck or bored, then this book could just be what you need.
8. The Creative Habit: Learn It And Use It For Life by Twyla Tharp
The Creative Habit: Learn It And Use It For Life was written by one of the world’s leading authorities on creativity. Tharp also briefly describes her creative process and experience as a dancer, choreographer, and teacher in this book. She also talks about the importance of having a vision for your art and how to develop it in your mind, body, and spirit.
Most importantly, this book was written to resonate with all creative minds, not just dancers and choreographers. It also provides excellent advice for anyone who wants to infuse more creativity into their own lives and work.
The Creative Habit: Learn It And Use It For Life by Twyla Tharp is rich in inspiring and helpful narratives that will help you bring more creativity into your life. Furthermore, she shares some helpful tips on how to become more creative and overcome obstacles when trying to create something original.
[divider width=”full”]
Recommended Reading:
- Motivation vs Inspiration: 11 Easy Ways to Tell Them Apart
- How to Get Better Deals: The 15 Essential Rules for Negotiation
- Battle of the Brains: Street Smarts Vs. Book Smarts
[divider width=”full”]
9. HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Creativity by the Harvard Business Review
The Harvard Business Review has done a masterful job selecting the top articles to describe how creativity looks from different perspectives.
The articles cover creativity in different fields but more emphasis on the field of business and entrepreneurship. The selections range from essential tips for cultivating creativity to specific strategies for doing so.
The articles have been edited well, providing valuable insights and advice on how to bring out the creativity in others, as well as oneself. This book can also be a valuable resource for any leader or creative person trying to develop an innovative culture in their organization.
10. Making Ideas Happen: Overcoming the Obstacles Between Vision and Reality by Scott Belsky
It’s easy to think that creativity means instantly coming up with brilliant ideas, but being able to execute them is just as important. Scott Belsky’s Making Ideas Happen is a must-read for anyone trying to make an idea or a bunch of ideas happen.
It’s no secret that the most successful people are those who have developed the ability to execute. This book also reveals the specific traits and habits of most serial creatives through a series of interviews with them. These serial creators also share what they have learned over years of trial and error.
If you want to learn to make ideas happen, this book is an excellent place to start. Suppose you are a business person trying to build an idea into a product, service, or company. In that case, Making Ideas Happen will help you understand the mindset, skills, and attitude necessary for your creative success.
11. Wired to Create: Discover the ten things great artists, writers, and innovators do differently by Scott Barry Kaufman & Carolyn Gregoire
Creativity is more than just a handy buzzword for marketing executives to wave around in boardroom discussions. It is a vital ingredient in the success of any organization. And yet, it is surprisingly elusive, even for the most brilliant of minds.
Scott Barry Kaufman and Carolyn Gregoire have written an essential book about the process of creativity. This book reveals much about the creative process and the mental equipment needed to achieve originality.
The authors have done extensive research and followed the insights of many of the world’s most creative people. They have distilled what they have learned into a few essentials of creativity, and they have given each of these elements a page-by-page explanation.
This is a book that every writer, inventor, artist, or anyone who aspires to be more creative should read. It is thorough, well-researched, and above all, easy-to-read.
There are many books about creativity, but this is one of the very few that teaches you the practical and science-backed ways to be more creative.
12. inGenius: A Crash Course on Creativity by Tina Seelig
There are many misconceptions about creativity and innovation, but Tina Seelig sets the record straight with this outstanding book. She explains what creativity is, how it works, and how it can be unleashed in all of us… if we remove the mental roadblocks that keep it buried.
This book gives the reader practical advice on how to be more creative on a regular basis. It shows you how to find your own “innovation engine,” tap into it, and use it to solve problems, create new businesses, and even change the world.
InGenius is not only a book that teaches theory. It is a manual that teaches YOU how to apply theory to creative careers, even real-life situations. When you finish this book, you will have all the essential tools you need to jumpstart your creativity.
13. Light the Dark: Writers on Creativity, Inspiration, and the Artistic Process by Joe Fassler
This collection of 46 pieces is an absolute gem. Each essayist shares a piece of their soul with the readers on these pages. Whether the topic is the importance of being a reader, the healing power of great writing, or the simple beauty of words on the page, each contributor has something profound to share with the readers of this book.
It’s important to note that several recurring themes run throughout the book. One of them is the idea of finding inspiration from unexpected places. Here, you’ll also read stories of writers who were inspired to keep going when everything around them said stop and writers who found their muse in the most unlikely of places.
Another theme that keeps popping up over and over is the idea of finding comfort in the words on the page. Whether it’s the writer embracing the act of writing as a way to process his feelings, or the reader feeling understood and validated by a particular piece of writing, these people know how important it is to find whatever it is you need to feel whole in writing.
If you’re a writer struggling with creative blocks, this is a must-read for you. The essays in this book will inspire you, teach you, and offer guidance on writing, no matter where you are in your writing journey.
[divider width=”full”]
Recommended Reading:
- 6 Traits of a Shallow Person & How You Can Deal with One
- Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset: Your Questions Answered
- How to Have a Productive Day: 18 Tips to Help You Make the Most of Your Day
[divider width=”full”]
Best Books on Creativity: Final Thoughts
So that’s it for our 13 best books on creativity for the year 2022. I hope this little compilation of creative thinking books will help you unlock your creative potential and boost your innovative thinking for the new year and beyond.
Read an amazing book from this list? Let us know how it helped you in your creative journey by leaving a comment below.
Got more creativity books to add to this list? Comment below and tell us your favorite books and how they helped you supercharge your creativity and innovation!
Until then, enjoy the New Year, and I’m excited to see you elevate your creativity in the following years to come!
Disclaimer:
This post may contain affiliate links. Meaning, if you click on one of the product links, I will earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Creativity Mesh.
