

The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life - tokenadult
http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Habit-Learn-Use-Life/dp/0743235274/

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wallflower
Cross-posting from other thread but: I have some friends who found inspiration
through "The Artist's Way" (some of the exercises, very internal, not easy to
do, challenging)

"The Artist's Way is a workbook for anyone who is creative, feels blocked in
their creativity or wishes that they were more creative. The book begins with
the statement that everyone is creative and has an artist within them, and the
point of this course is to recover that inner artist. It is divided into a
twelve-week course, with assignments much like any semester-long college
class."

Week 1

"This week initiates your creative recovery. You may feel both giddy and
defiant, hopeful and skeptical. The focus of establishing a sense of safety
will "enable you to explore your creativity with less fear."

<http://www.theartistsway.com/>

<http://paperartstudio.tripod.com/artistsway/>

~~~
drsnyder
+1 The Artists Way

Some of the disciplines she takes you through are tough but rewarding. One of
my favorites is writing three pages in a journal per day. At the time it was
tough, but it really helped to connect my head with my heart.

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_pius
I bought this book on Merlin Mann's recommendation.

See:

<http://www.43folders.com/2009/01/27/creativity-patterns>

<http://www.43folders.com/2009/01/13/twylas-box>

<http://www.43folders.com/2008/11/26/twyla-tharp-failing-well>

<http://www.43folders.com/2008/08/27/book-heuristics>

The book is very good and well worth buying. I'd also recommend the War of Art
by Pressman. Both of these books are great for cultivating creativity in a
systematic way.

~~~
lleger
I also bought this book on Mann's recommendation. It was very good and
thorough. Tharp is a genius and she really helped me focus my creativity more.
I highly recommend this book, especially for us who are very left brained.

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rasmus4200
I really like The War of Art

[http://www.amazon.com/War-Art-Through-Creative-
Battles/dp/04...](http://www.amazon.com/War-Art-Through-Creative-
Battles/dp/0446691437/ref=reg_hu-wl_mrai-recs)

Talks about resistance, and how it stops most of us from doing what we were
meant to do.

Highly recommend.

~~~
Gibbon
I second the war of art.. excellent book.

The classic book on creativity is "A Whack on the Side of the Head" by Roger
Von Oech ([http://www.amazon.com/Whack-Side-Head-More-
Creative/dp/04464...](http://www.amazon.com/Whack-Side-Head-More-
Creative/dp/0446404667/ref=pd_sim_b_3)). It is _the_ book to read on
creativity, along with his other book "A Kick in the Seat of the Pants"

His card decks (Creative Whack Pack, Innovative Whack Pack and Ancient Whacks
of Heraclitus) are also very useful for breaking bad habits, generating ideas,
divergent thinking etc. somewhat like Brian Eno's Oblique Strategies
cards,which I recommend (<http://www.rtqe.net/ObliqueStrategies/>)

For more practical examples, exercises and inspiration, I like Creative Sparks
([http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Sparks-Concepts-Exercises-
Ing...](http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Sparks-Concepts-Exercises-
Ingenuity/dp/1581804385)) and Caffeine for the Creative Mind
([http://www.amazon.com/Caffeine-Creative-Mind-Exercises-
Brain...](http://www.amazon.com/Caffeine-Creative-Mind-Exercises-
Brain/dp/1581808674/ref=pd_sim_b_4))

EDIT: I'd also recommend Organizing from the Right Side of the Brain
"[http://www.amazon.com/Organizing-Right-Side-Brain-
Organized/...](http://www.amazon.com/Organizing-Right-Side-Brain-
Organized/dp/0312318162) for tips on how creative types organize their
workspaces. Handy if you're right brained, a pack rat, like "messy" workspaces
or dislike the anal-retentiveness of Getting Things Done.

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tokenadult
This book was just recommended to me by a software consultant who has a new
start-up business. I mention it because there was just another HN thread that
asked if creativity can be developed, which is what this author thinks.

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alanthonyc
I bought this book, skimmed through it, then returned it. I found the fluff to
info ratio a little too high for my personal needs.

