Useful Books For Creative Souls

I brought a book up from my studio called The New Creative Artist by Nita Leland. My intention was just to leaf through it and feed my strong desire to do more visual art. I stepped away from painting for a while because writing projects took up a lot of my time—which I love. But there is a part of me that will always be strongly a visual artist. I’m self-aware enough to realize that sometimes I need a way to stoke the fires of that part of my brain. I thought this book might do that.

I found someone awesome to dine with. While my dinner date waited for me to update my blog, he made himself comfortable on the floor, right on top of the register that forced warm air into the room. When it’s cold, placing your butt on the heat register is the best idea.

I turned and saw that he had The New Creative Artist in his lap and was slowly leafing through it. I hadn’t even opened it yet. It had just been sitting on the chair, waiting patiently for me. The book piqued his curiosity, which then hooked mine—especially because he is a self-proclaimed non-creative person. It’s funny how sometimes it takes someone else to get my butt in gear. This was the moment where, like a little kid, I wanted to grab the book and say, “Gimme that.” I didn’t of course. But as soon as I had time alone, I greedily opened it.

I’m glad I did. I guess it took him opening the book to get me going.

Buzzing with inspiration

I’m not very far in, but I’ve already been hit in the face with a wave of thoughts about creativity. One thing that really stood out is that whether I am writing, drawing, painting—whatever—there is something similar in the process of enhancing creativity and growing ideas across all the arts.

What I read didn’t just apply to visual art. It also applied to writing. It applies to other art forms too (dance and music included).

I’m going to blog more thoroughly about the steps to creativity according to this book in another post. For now, I just need to remember to be kind and patient with myself, as well as diligent and persistent. I need to stay curious about where ideas are hiding—like maybe they are hiding in a book I’ve had for a few years that I never opened, that sat in the studio, that I brought upstairs, that sat on my chair for too long…

So maybe consider opening a book. Or an old journal. Or playing a song you haven’t listened to in a while.

It might just prompt you.

As always, thank you for reading, Lovelies