10 Books Every Creative Should Read
As creatives, we're always looking for ways to sharpen our craft, deepen our process, and build the discipline needed to show up consistently. Whether you're a writer, designer, artist, or multi-passionate creator, these ten books will help you unlock your creative potential and develop the mindset and habits that sustain a creative life.
I've curated this list with the That Creativity Co community in mind—each book offers practical wisdom, inspiring insights, and actionable takeaways. Let's dive in.
1. Steal Like an Artist – Austin Kleon
Summary: Austin Kleon's manifesto encourages creatives to embrace influence, remix ideas, and find their unique voice by learning from others. It's a liberating guide that reframes originality and gives you permission to create without waiting for perfect inspiration.
Key Points:
All creative work builds on what came before
Collect ideas and influences that resonate with you
Remix and transform what you learn into something new
Share your work and your process
Quote: "You don't want to look like your heroes, you want to see like your heroes."
Takeaway: Stop waiting for original ideas to strike. Start creating, learning from others, and making the work your own.
2. The War of Art – Steven Pressfield
Summary: Pressfield identifies Resistance as the invisible force that keeps us from doing our work. This book is a kick in the pants for anyone who struggles with procrastination, self-doubt, or fear of failure.
Key Points:
Resistance is the enemy of creativity
Turn pro: show up every day, no matter what
Fear is a compass—it points to what you need to do
Your job is to do the work, not judge it
Quote: "The more important a call or action is to our soul's evolution, the more Resistance we will feel toward pursuing it."
Takeaway: Stop overthinking and start creating. Treat your creative work like a job—show up consistently, even when you don't feel like it.
3. Show Your Work – Austin Kleon
Summary: Kleon's follow-up to Steal Like an Artist teaches you how to share your creative process and build an audience. It's a guide for introverts and anyone who feels uncomfortable promoting their work.
Key Points:
Share your process, not just your finished work
Be generous and teach what you know
Build your creative network by engaging with others
Document your journey daily
Quote: "Don't think of your website as a self-promotion machine, think of it as a self-invention machine."
Takeaway: Your creative journey is valuable. Share your work-in-progress, connect with your audience, and build community through generosity.
4. Big Magic – Elizabeth Gilbert
Summary: Elizabeth Gilbert explores the nature of creativity and inspiration with warmth and wisdom. Big Magic encourages you to live a creative life driven by curiosity rather than fear, and to approach your work with lightness and joy.
Key Points:
Ideas are living entities looking for collaborators
Choose curiosity over fear
You don't need permission to create
Make space for creativity without demanding it pay the bills
Quote: "Do whatever brings you to life, then. Follow your own fascinations, obsessions, and compulsions. Trust them. Create whatever causes a revolution in your heart."
Takeaway: Creativity is a gift to be enjoyed, not a burden. Pursue what excites you without waiting for permission or validation.
5. Deep Work – Cal Newport
Summary: Newport makes the case for focused, distraction-free work as the key to producing high-quality creative output. In a world of constant interruptions, Deep Work teaches you how to reclaim your attention and do your best work.
Key Points:
Deep work is rare and valuable in today's economy
Schedule uninterrupted blocks of time for focused work
Minimize shallow work (emails, meetings, social media)
Build rituals and routines that support deep focus
Quote: "To produce at your peak level you need to work for extended periods with full concentration on a single task free from distraction."
Takeaway: Protect your creative time fiercely. Deep, focused work is where your best ideas come to life.
6. Creative Confidence – Tom & David Kelley
Summary: The Kelley brothers, founders of IDEO, argue that everyone has creative potential—it's just a matter of unlocking it. This book blends psychology, design thinking, and real-world stories to help you build confidence in your creative abilities.
Key Points:
Creativity is a skill, not a talent—it can be learned
Overcome fear of judgment by reframing failure
Use design thinking to solve problems creatively
Build creative habits through small experiments
Quote: "Creativity is something you practice, not just a talent you're born with."
Takeaway: You are creative. Build your confidence by taking small creative risks and embracing experimentation.
7. The Artist's Way – Julia Cameron
Summary: A classic 12-week program for unblocking creativity, The Artist's Way uses exercises like Morning Pages and Artist Dates to help you reconnect with your creative self. It's part workbook, part spiritual guide.
Key Points:
Morning Pages: write three pages of stream-of-consciousness every morning
Artist Dates: schedule weekly solo outings to refill your creative well
Overcome limiting beliefs about creativity
Recover your sense of play and possibility
Quote: "Creativity is the natural order of life. Life is energy: pure creative energy."
Takeaway: Make space for daily creative practice. Morning Pages and Artist Dates are simple but transformative habits.
8. Atomic Habits – James Clear
Summary: James Clear's groundbreaking book shows how small, incremental changes lead to remarkable results. For creatives, it's a blueprint for building sustainable habits that support long-term creative practice.
Key Points:
Focus on systems, not goals
Make habits tiny, obvious, attractive, and easy
Use habit stacking to build new routines
Identity-based habits: become the type of person who creates regularly
Quote: "You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems."
Takeaway: Build tiny creative habits and let them compound over time. Consistency beats intensity.
9. Keep Going – Austin Kleon
Summary: The third book in Kleon's trilogy, Keep Going is about sustaining a creative practice over the long haul. It's full of encouragement, practical advice, and reminders to stay curious and keep making things—even when it's hard.
Key Points:
Every day is a fresh start
Build a "bliss station"—a dedicated creative space
Forget the noun, do the verb (focus on creating, not being "a creator")
Protect your enthusiasm and energy
Quote: "The real risk is in not making stuff."
Takeaway: Creativity is a marathon, not a sprint. Show up daily, protect your energy, and keep going no matter what.
10. How to Be Everything – Emilie Wapnick
Summary: If you've ever felt torn between multiple interests, this book is for you. Wapnick celebrates "multipotentialites"—people with many passions—and shows how to build a fulfilling creative life without limiting yourself to one path.
Key Points:
It's okay to have many interests and pursue them all
Combine your passions in unique ways
Four work models for multipotentialites: Group Hug, Slash, Einstein, and Phoenix
Your diverse interests are a superpower, not a flaw
Quote: "There is no one right way to be creative, and there is no one right way to live a life."
Takeaway: Embrace your multifaceted nature. Your diverse interests make you uniquely creative and valuable.
Final Thoughts
These ten books have shaped my creative journey, and I hope they inspire and equip you too. Whether you're building discipline, finding your voice, or learning to share your work with the world, there's something here for every creative.
Which book will you start with? Let me know—I'd love to hear what resonates with you.
Keep creating, Joseph
