You may not at all think of yourself as a creative person, but you would be wrong. Have you ever thought of a new way to solve a problem? Taken an out of the box route to work? Decided to try a new food? Said something that shocked yourself in mixed company? That would be your creativity eeking out. Routine is important to many of us, but without changing it up in even small ways, even the most steadfast can become stagnant.
The earliest poets thrived on this notion. Artists and writers often describe the pursuit of their craft as essential to their survival. Poetry is more than stringing words together to create a piece of pretty. It’s is about finding an outlet through creativity. The following are some titles that put it succinctly.
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
Instructions on Writing and Life
“…good writing is about telling the truth. We are a species that needs and wants to understand who we are.”
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
a Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity
The beauty of knowing one’s own creativity is discovering what holds us back and pushing against that. Cameron offers wisdom and suggestions for exercises in doing just that.
Elements of Style (Illustrated) Strunk, White and Kalman
We all remember this essential title from our Writing Composition classes. Nothing kills creativity like the rules of grammar, right? Well, you might just feel differently about this creativity killer when you experience it illustrated.
A Poetry Handbook by Mary Oliver
How does one craft a poem? Oliver describes how poetry connects the heart and the mind in this wonderful explanation of the craft.
Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody
the Last Book on Novel Writing You’ll Ever Need
Understandable, practical, easy to follow guide for writing a novel. Yes, you can write a novel.
The Writing Life by Annie Dillard
“He is careful of what he reads, for that is what he will write. He is careful of what he learns, for that is what he will know.”
On Writing: a Memoir by Stephen King
No one writes like Stephen King. His memoir will inspire writers thoroughly. He explains how his desire to write propelled him through his childhood, overcoming his near-fatal accident, and on and on. His writing is never ending.
Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg
With humor and practical advice, Goldberg talks about freeing the writer within in this audiobook version.
Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury
“Self-consciousness is the enemy of all art, be it acting, writing, painting, or living itself, which is the greatest art of all.“
