Fav Five 🖐️ | 5 books to fuel your creativity

5 powerful reads to help overcome creative blocks

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Anita Dollmanits

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Dear Friend,

Did you know that Julia Cameron’s “The Artist’s Way” reignited my passion for writing and illustrating last year, leading to the creation of musings by mika?!?

Books have an amazing way of unlocking and unleashing our dormant curiosity and creativity. At least, that has been my experience.

Currently, I’ve been reading “Big Magic” by

Elizabeth Gilbert

. This book opened a small crack, allowing creativity to seep in. It dared me to be brave. It dared me to make a messy start. It encouraged me to embrace curiosity rather than perfection.

This morning, it led me to pick up a paintbrush.

I love digital art—just me, my iPad, and Apple Pencil. It’s what I’m comfortable with. I have the brushes I love, the colours I have selected over time, and a system that works for me.

I’ve been wanting to create a different kind of art for a while, but I just haven’t been able to get past the wall I created in front of me. It was like the wall I faced with starting my Substack. I stalled for 8 months! I got hung up on what exactly I was going to write about, which killed all creativity. Finally, thanks to “The Artist’s Way,” I was able to let go and just start writing.

I am not a painter. I own one brush, an old palette from over a decade ago, and some watercolors from a morning class I took many years ago. I think the wall I created was because I didn’t know what I wanted to paint and knew I would be really bad at it. But like I talked about in my recent post, I needed to be brave enough to suck.

So, this morning, I gathered my one paintbrush, my old palettes, and a couple of empty salsa jars. I needed to trick my brain into thinking this wasn’t serious and that I was just experimenting. Then I had the crazy idea to use the back of the brown paper bags from the supermarket. I know, using brown paper scraps is INSANE!

But it worked!

I was able to unleash my creativity and just experiment with the brush, colours, and shapes. I chatted with my husband about his morning meetings while I made a swish here and a swish there. No pressure, just fun. The best part is, I can’t wait to play again!

So if you feel called to ignite your creative spark, do check out these five books!

I would love to know: have you read any of these books? What books would you add to this list?

Enjoy!

(I had a different title for this post, but when I saw

Hege Kristoffersen

's "3 Ways to Fuel Your Creativity” post, I knew I had to get in touch and see if I could use a similar title. She kindly agreed!🥰)

1. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

Biggest Takeaway

• Creativity is a natural part of being human, and it's okay to start small and imperfectly. Morning pages and artist dates are powerful tools for nurturing creativity.

2. Big Magic by

Elizabeth Gilbert

Biggest Takeaway

• Embrace the magic of creativity with courage and curiosity. Perfection is an illusion, and allowing yourself to be messy and experimental is where the real magic happens.

3. Steal Like an Artist by

Austin Kleon

Biggest Takeaway

• Nothing is original; instead, build on the ideas and inspirations of others. By remixing and reinterpreting, you find your own unique voice.

4. Show Your Work by

Austin Kleon

Biggest Takeaway

• Sharing your process and progress, rather than just your final product, fosters connection and engagement. It’s a great way to build a community around your creative journey.

5. The War of Art by

Steven Pressfield

Biggest Takeaway

• Resistance is the force that tries to stop you from doing your creative work. Recognising and confronting it is essential for overcoming procrastination and self-doubt.

✍️ I have learned so much from these books. Have you read any of them? What books would you add to this list?

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Thank you so much for stopping by! You may enjoy reading these as well:

Am I brave enough to suck?

Chartering your own journey outside the comfort zone

The untold realities of leaving my job

Substack Diaries: The turning point: Resurrecting and restarting my Substack

Are you still asking "what do I want to do when I grow up?"