4 Books for Creative People (Like You)

Reading - Constantin Gabor
I was riding my mountain bike with a friend one day and, since I was the only one carrying a backpack, he asked me what was inside. So I told him: a rain jacket, the bike repair kit and a book.

Why a book? Because you never know when you'll have time to read. So carry one with you all the time. It's the most productive way to kill time. I specifically got out and cycle 15 km just to get to a nice place where I can read (usually the mountain resort outside my home city).

If you ask me what I like more: to watch movies or to read books? My answer is this: I appreciate a good movie but I also like to read. So, because I see myself as a sort of web writer, I enjoy writing as well. Coz reading and writing go so well together, you can't have one without the other.

To be clear though, I prefer movies for fiction and books for anything non fiction.

The real reason I like to read for is access. I literally get access to other people's minds and this is huge for me. Think about this: if you're a big fan of Stephen King, your chances of having a three hour chat with him are pretty slim. But he offered you his autobiography so you can actually have him speak directly to your mind. Isn't that amazing?

There's tremendous value in books. I'm particularly interested in the writer's own personal journey (I love biographies) because it gives me reassurance. Coz you see, most of the time, as creative people, we tend to go into self pity thinking that we don't have the right conditions to create our masterpiece. We don't have the right gear, we don't have the supporting family, we don't have this or that.

But then you read these books and see the struggles these people went trough and you may say: Hey, I'm currently better off than these guys were. Hell, if they did it, I can succeed too! And that enables you to get rid of all your lame excuses and start working on your thing - whatever that may be (a video, a book, a play).

Now, if you're a creative person (and you are since you're interested in video editing) and if you're smart (you are for the simple fact that you're reading - most people watch TV or browse the internet for cat videos), you'll learn a lot about the creative process from other professionals: writers, cartoonists, musicians.

So while my reading list is constantly getting longer, here are my top 4 books on doing creative work:

1. The War of Art
Get it with free shipping worldwide on BookDepository.com

What a gem! After I read it, I felt blessed that Steven Pressfield took the time to kick my ass by writing this book.

You don't have to create the best stuff. You just have to create. Overcome resistance. The rest will be given to you.

If you ever had a time where you struggled and you knew you were procrastinating, or maybe your creative work wasn't paying good enough (or maybe it didn't pay at all), this is a book for you. And hey, if you find it in a book store, jump to the chapter called LARGO and read it there. You'll love it!

2. Ignore Everybody and 39 other Keys to Creativity
Get it on BookDepository.com (free shipping worldwide)

Some people hate it. I don't.

Written by Hugh MacLeod, the cartoonist who blogs on GapingVoid.com, it touches on how creative success tends to denature the relationship between you and your friends (a sensitive topic - bluntly articulated). Perhaps that's why you have to ignore everybody.

What you need is sovereignty over your own creative process. That's the most fulfilling part of doing the work you love.

3. Evil Plans - Having Fun on the Road to Wold Domination
Get it on BookDepository.com

Okay. So you're pursuing a career as a creative professional but for some reason your art doesn't pay the bills. What do you do?

You become an exponent of the sex and cash theory. You're constantly working on your plan B while keeping your job in order to support yourself and your family. The main point here is to be persistent and strategic while building your plan B - improving your portfolio until you can actually quit your job and do creative work.

4. On Writing - A Memoir of the Craft
Get it on BookDepository.com

The most popular movie of all time is based on a novel by Stephen King. So, if his creative piece has such a deep resonance with us all, I guess we can take his advice on creativity.

He says you have to do two things if you wanna write well: write a lot and read a lot. There is no other way.

Can we extrapolate this onto videography? I guess we can: shoot a lot, edit a lot, watch a lot of good movies & videos. Do your best learning from the best.

The first part of the book is his autobiography and you'll see that ideal conditions simply don't exist. All you have is all there is so get going.

Over to you

Did I tell you I'm an avid reader? I'm sure this list ca be longer and I need your help.

What other titles can you recommend? Anything that inspired you to create art or to get things done. Just leave a comment below and let me know.

Thanks!


If you enjoyed this article, click to get free email updates.

You like my stuff? Help me out and spread the word. Share this. Thanks!

2 comments :

Please use your personal name. Any business names or irrelevant links will be considered spam. Thanks for joining the conversation!