The 3 best books to read for creativity
Taking a Zen-Like Path to Living and Writing Creatively
‘When the time is ripe for certain things, they appear at different places, in the manner of violets coming to light in early spring.’
Farkas Bolyai, Hungarian mathematician and father of János Bolyai, who co-discovered non-Euclidean geometry.
Hi there!
Creativity lies at the heart of writing, yet it can feel elusive and unpredictable - as I’m sure you know!
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So, to get us in the mood, I’m sharing with you my top three books on how to live a creative life. This is a very bijou and personal list and is free for everyone to read. There are no how-to manuals here!
What I’m talking about is how to establish the right mindset to lead your life in an intentional and joyful way in order to be creative.
1. Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
I should be honest at the start and tell you that I’m from a scientific background and I don’t believe Gilbert’s thesis that ideas are like magic fairies and you have to grab them by the toe before they flee, pay them homage and due diligence lest they flit to another writer.
Yet, there is so much that resonates with me about how ideas sometimes seem to appear, almost from nowhere, and, on rare occasions, slide through you as if you are merely a conduit, words tumbling from your pen onto the page. Or that several people often have the same idea at the same time. Or that ideas can soak through you, staining your very being, like wine through water, as Emily Brontë once wrote.
In spite of the somewhat woo-woo nature of ideas being kind of like spirits that are driven to be manifest, Gilbert is no ‘candy-ass’ sitting there waiting for a visitation; instead, she works ‘like a farmer’.
Even more important than the work ethic, is that Gilbert explores what it takes to be a creative person.
The short answer is bravery.
In Big Magic, Gilbert discusses the relationship between creativity and fear, offering a heartfelt guide to living a creative life. She challenges the myth of the tortured artist, advocating instead for a joyful, lighthearted approach to creativity. Gilbert encourages writers to follow their curiosity, make peace with fear, and commit to their craft with a sense of playfulness and resilience.
Gilbert’s wisdom is especially helpful for writers who struggle with self-doubt or the pressure to produce perfect work (er, that’s most of us?!).
‘Do whatever brings you to life. Follow your own fascinations, obsessions, and compulsions. Trust them. Create whatever causes a revolution in your heart.’
Additionally, her encouragement to detach from the outcome of creative efforts can liberate us from the fear of failure, allowing for more authentic and experimental work.
‘Recognising that people's reactions don't belong to you is the only sane way to create. If people enjoy what you've created, terrific. If people ignore what you've created, too bad. If people misunderstand what you've created, don't sweat it. And what if people absolutely hate what you've created? What if people attack you with savage vitriol, and insult your intelligence, and malign your motives, and drag your good name through the mud? Just smile sweetly and suggest - as politely as you possibly can - that they go make their own fucking art. Then stubbornly continue making yours.’
And, of course, Gilbert knows what she’s talking about. Her memoir, Eat, Pray, Love, was a best-seller for three years and made into a best-selling movie starring Julia Roberts.
People spoke to her about her great good fortune as if it were a curse: ‘How are you going to top that?’
‘But such thinking assumes that there is a ‘top’ - and that reaching the top (and staying there) is the only motive one has to create. Such thinking assumes that the mysteries of inspiration operate on the same scale that we do – on a limited human scale of success and failure, of winning and losing, of comparison and competition, of commerce and reputation, of units sold and influence wielded, such thinking as assumes that you must be instantly constantly victorious – not only against your peers, but also against an earlier version of your own poor self. Most dangerously of all, such thinking assumes if you cannot win, then you must not continue to play.’
2. The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin
I must admit, I didn’t know who Rick Rubin was. But I saw his book everywhere: a strange beast, a huge grey tomb with a black circle on the front. I was drawn to it, pulled as if it was some magnetic force, and in a spontaneous act when I was on a child-free weekend away (writers can’t afford spontaneous acts involving money!) I bought it.
And it changed my life.
Rubin produced legendary acts, such as The Clash, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Eminem and Slayer. In The Creative Act, Rubin explores creativity as a way of life. Rather than providing rigid formulas, Rubin shares philosophical reflections and practical advice to cultivate a creative mindset. He emphasises that creativity is not confined to artists but is a universal human trait that can be nurtured through presence, curiosity, and openness to the world around us.
Rubin’s holistic approach encourages us to view creativity as a process of discovery rather than an outcome. His Zen-like insights are particularly valuable for overcoming creative blocks, embracing imperfection, and staying connected to the joy of creating.
‘Creativity begins with an empty mind. To create something new, we must first become open to everything.’ Rick Rubin
Like Gilbert, Rubin emphasises feeling the fear (he calls it uncertainly and anxiety) but advocates ignoring the discomfort and pressing on with the art.
Also like Gilbert, he stresses being creative without seeking an outcome. The outcome and the deadlines and the whole marketing and money schtick comes later.
‘The question of worth it is reliant on an outcome. We don't make these things for an outcome. It’s not the mindset to make something great. The outcome happens. You are making the best thing you can make. It's a devotional practice. Whatever happens after that happens and that part that happens after it is completely out of your control. Putting any energy into that part that's out of your control, it's a waste of time. All it does is undermine your work. Your work is to make the best thing you can…It’s okay to think about outcome after you've finished the thing you're making. Once you've made it, then you can say, Hmm, what can I do to turn people onto this? But in the making of it, it's premature.’
3. Zen: The Art of Simple Living by Shunmyo Masuno
I spotted this book in The Bristol Museum and Art Gallery. At the time, a young Japanese man who was deeply upset, was pointing out to the museum curator that a Greek statue had been badly vandalised - there was a paint can on the goddess’ head and she was splashed with pink paint. The curator kindly replied that this was a piece by Banksy and it was art.
Anyhow, see note above about not spending money spontaneously, so on my third trip to the Museum and to look at this book, I bought it for myself as a Christmas treat and as Eudaimonia inspiration, only later realising how well the ideas of Zen monk, Shunmyo Masuno, resonated with me and with those in Rubin’s book.
Masuno is unusual in that he’s not only the head priest of a Buddhist temple in Japan, but also an award-winning Zen garden designer with clients worldwide, a professor who lectures on garden design at numerous universities and art colleges and the father of two young children. In other words, he’s a person rooted in the real world whose advice is practical and tangible.
‘When your life is clutter-free, your mind becomes clear. From a clear mind, great ideas emerge.’ Shunmyo Masuno
In his book, he provides 100 practical lessons for leading a more mindful and intentional life. The book emphasises simplicity, presence, and a deep connection to the present moment—qualities that are essential for nurturing creativity. Each chapter offers small, actionable steps, such as creating a serene workspace, cultivating gratitude, or starting the day with a moment of stillness.
Once again, he advocates detachment from the outcome, focusing on the joy of the process.
‘The Zen Mind is said to be “unmoved even when the eight winds blow” We strive to remain unperturbed, no matter the situation - and even to be calm and good-humoured. Try feeling yourself from attachment to things…To live freely, we must acquire an unfettered mind.’ Shunmyo Masuno
Let me know what you think. Have you read any of these books? What resonated with you? Are there any books you think would align well with these ones?
Fab recommendations! I just wish I could afford them (think being a writer's bad, right? Just try being a publisher! Then try being a publisher that can't get listed on Amazon... 😅) I've already spent this year's book budget a dozen times over, so in the meantime, I take inspiration from the points which you've drawn out of them (and I love the anecdote about the vandalised statue!)
Bit of a tangent here, but on believing in magic fairies... until 3 years ago, my own scientific background would have had me adding the same disclaimer as yours. Then I read The Matter With Things, by Iain McGilchrist (a fantastic, if flawed, book, which uses more-science-than-I-ever-want-to-read-again in an attempt to dispel scientism. McGilchrist comes off every bit as cranky and opinionated as Richard Dawkins, but his thesis has altered my universe. Sadly the book costs the best part of £100... so that's where my book budget for 2022 went!)
"Fairies" is just a word, a metaphor (somewhat like "atoms" and "cells" are metaphors for things which, although they don't exist as distinct entities, divisible from the rest of reality, we can learn much by pretending that they do). And, while science is still dominated by hardcore materialism, the thesis that consciousness provides the universal substrate (as espoused by the likes of Bernardo Kastrup and Rupert Sheldrake) is beginning to catch on in the mainstream. My own experiences in recent years seem to suggest that there are, indeed, conscious currents in the noosphere and, hey, why not call them fairies!
It seems anyway that the "as if" plays a huge role in creativity, and so acting _as if_ fairies exist, honouring and paying homage to their fairy splendiferousness, may prove to be all that's really needed. I _do_ believe in fairies, I do I do I do!
(Although, personally, I love the ancient Greek idea of the Muse, a consciousness that does not gift her idea to writers, instead she sings _through_ them. Or, as you say, "slide through you as if you are merely a conduit").
One other book that I _have_ read, which is great for creativity, is The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron. Of course, at the time I balked at its description as a "spiritual path" and references to "God" (although she is pretty loose in her definition of what God could be - the Muse definitely fits). But it contains a great toolkit for nurturing creativity. In particular, "morning pages" are boss.
Now then, if only I could make my life is clutter-free, so that mind will become clear, hmmm...
PS, "see my article on ways to thrive in life ADD LINK" - looks like you forgot to add the link 🤭