Want to know a little more about creativity in general and creative thinking?
To be human is to be creative - so it's likely worth the effort!
With the advancement of technology, it’ll never be more important IMO, either.
Over the summer, we’ve dusted off some older books and explored some new ones on this topic. See below my current Top 5, with a brief summary for each - in no particular order. They are all great and worth a read!
The Art of Creative Thinking by Rod Judkins
It has the tag line ‘89 ways to see things differently’, which is exactly what it helps you do. Rod is a serial author and lecturer on creative thinking in Central Saint Martins College of Art, UCL and ESCP Europe.
Why read this? Creativity in business is paramount to helping organisations grow, stay relevant and adapt, in an increasingly ever-changing business landscape. Rod, through 89 examples / prompts essentially, shows a variety of ways people and organisations can be / have been creative in the workplace or life. They are very upbeat, practical, insightful and inspiring along the way. It’s peppered with great quotes and examples too!
Highlight? Many pages of this book have been dog-eared for future reference, but this quote from T.S Eliot particularly resonated with us “If you aren’t in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?” and the adages ‘be a beginner, forever’, ‘doubt everything, forever’ and ‘challenge the challenging’, which all aim to help spark ideas, learning and ways to make things better.
Creative Calling by Chase Jarvis
Chase is an award-winning artist, entrepreneur (founded and sold CreativeLive), best-selling author, and one of the most influential photographers of the past 20 years.
Why read this? The book opens by saying “It’ll help you establish a daily practice, infuse your world with meaning and succeed in work + life.”. It helped us understand that creativity isn’t just making ‘art’, it’s much more than that. It can help you make a good idea manifest in your life (and career) generally, to help you live the life you want. The book is also very practical, with chapters like ‘develop your systems’, ‘find your people’ and ‘do your best work’.
Highlight? We came away from this book really trusting my creative instinct more, so hopefully it does the same for you! When we create, we tap into something powerful inside us and the best thing is, “you can’t use up creativity, the more you use, the more you have”, to quote Maya Angelou. A favourite line -> “Life gets so much easier once you decide to play your own game. Don’t just try to be better. Be different.”
Creativity by OSHO
Osho is a well known revolutionary contributor to the science of inner transformation and continues to inspire millions of people worldwide in their search to define a new approach to individual spirituality, that is self-directed and responsive, to the everyday challenges of contemporary life. That’s a biggie!
Why read this? As Osho points out in the foreward to this book, historically, the creative person has been all but forced to rebel against the society. But, nowadays, the situation has (thankfully) dramatically changed. Today, the ability to respond creatively to new challenges is demanded of everybody, from corporate CEOs to "football moms." Those whose toolbox for dealing with life includes only what they have learned in the past from their parents and their teachers, are potentially at a distinct disadvantage both in their relationships and in their careers. Making a switch from imitative and rule-bound behaviour to creative innovation and flexibility, requires a profound change in our attitudes about ourselves and our capabilities. The book highlights the need to bring more creativity, playfulness, and flexibility to our lives and is kind of like a manual for thinking "outside the box" - and learning to live there as well. The book is a whirlwind, in a good way, and quite spiritual too.
Highlight? Again, this book bursts with examples and practical things you can do to unlock your creativity and boost your confidence. The line “Each person comes into this World with a specific destiny - they have something to fulfil, some message has to be delivered, some work has to be completed. You are not here accidentally - you are here meaningfully. The whole intends to do something through you” really resonated with us.
The Artists Way by Julia Cameron
Why read this? This is a classic and has been on the shelf for years. We bought it over Covid. We dip into it every now and then. It’s a very practical book, essentially providing a course for you to rediscover your creative self over 12 weeks, with guidance on what to do and inspiration for each week. If you feel ‘you’re not creative’ or want to dabble with arts & crafts and /or reset your creative practice, this is a great book for you.
Highlight? “To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong” is a quote Julia references from Joseph Chilton Pearce. This is something we always make clear at the start of any M.Y.O class, that there is no right or wrong and it’s ok to just experiment and play as you explore your innate creativity. What flows out, is what flows out and you should try to enjoy the process. People can often put a lot of expectation on themselves when it comes to getting creative through arts & crafts, especially when trying something for the first time, which would not normally be the case when trying something for the first time, right? People don’t expect to be able to do an ollie the first time they get on a skateboard, so don’t expect a Van Gogh the first time you paint. Dabble, experiment and play, try to learn along the way - it will all be fine :)
The creative act: a way of being by Rick Rubin
This one was recommended by my friend Kieron O'Neill , who is a big music fan.
Why read this? When buying the book [I trust Kieron’s recommendations so bought it blind], I thought it would be Rick regaling lots of fun and inspiring stories about the wide variety of hugely successful bands he has worked with over the years as a music producer (think Beastie Boys, Rage Against the Machine, Adele, Run-DMC, Neil Young, Public Enemy and Metallica - plus lots more), but it wasn’t. It was even better! They provide profound wisdom from working with all those bands, in a lovely melodic and inspiring book, that “pushes you to reconnect with a state of innocence, from which the surprising becomes inevitable and that could help you create moments - and lifetimes - of exhilaration and transcendence within closer reach for all of us”. More of that please! Rick is a master at creating the environment and space for creativity to surface and reveal itself and you may just find that he does that for you.
Highlight? The book is structured around short chapters on ‘78 areas of thought’ and littered with examples or profound thinking on each. You can easily pick up and read any page. I flew through it. “Think to yourself: I’m just here to create” and “maybe the best idea is the one you’re going to come up with this evening”. Like all these books, it was an easy read and may fill you with hope, optimism and ways to explore your magical creative side.
Special mention to Bono’s book called Surrender. It’s written in a uniquely quirky and creative way, with lots of their own illustrations. Charting their life via 40 songs. I found it particularly inspiring to read how U2 was formed. The drummer Larry Mullen posted an ad for other band members in his school in the late 1970s ‘Drummer seeks musicians to form band’. The band members that got together that week, are the one that remains today, nearly 50 years and 100s of songs on. Wow! Bono also met his now wife the same week! What a difference 7 days can make, eh.
It just goes to show that you’re one spark or connection away from creating or finding something magic and meaningful in your life. Have faith.
There are many more, but this is a top 5 - for now.
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Got any other recommendations on the topic of creativity or creative thinking? Please do share as we continue to explore this space around a human's highest cognitive function.
Creativity and creative thinking is a topic we’ve been fascinated by since setting up a creative studio for grown ups called M.Y.O, based in Central London. Feel free to check out the website and come along to dabble with arts & crafts.
Thank you for reading and let us know how you find the books :)
