Shall we consider this the unofficial start to our unofficial book club?? OK cool! Because I wanted to share some of my absolute favorite favorite books to read that help spark that creative energy that gets you moving. To be clear, I have zero affiliation with any of these books or authors I’m about to share…they each just had such a powerful positive impact on me, and I want to pass along these beautiful sparks of energy with you! Enjoy!
This book is a super easy, fun read by the amazing world class photographer and creative Chase Jarvis. It was one of those books that gives you the nudge to just GO for it and do the thing you’ve always wanted to do. I love following Chase’s Instagram also because he is good for giving you the push you need to get moving…even when it means some hard truths that we all need to face as creative people.
OK if you are struggling with trying to do 4739712893190 different things and kidding yourself into thinking you CAN accomplish them all in a completely unreasonably short timeframe like I tend to do, this book is a must read for you! This was a complete game changer for me. It helps you to get really clear on what matters most and then helps you establish a very clear game plan to accomplish it. I read this at the start of the year and it was such great timing to pick it up when I was feeling that New Year burst of energy and excitement for the year ahead. I intend to read it again when I need to get re-focused. I would recommend this to anyone looking to accomplish goals big and small, not just creative folks.
This was the first Austin Kleon book I’ve read even though I’ve been told all his books are incredible so I don’t know what took me so long to dive in. All I can say is, I need to now read more! I LOVED this cute little book. It’s a fun little square book that I actually read through while at jury duty one day last year. I had tossed it in my bag thinking I’d thumb through it… what happened instead was me furiously scribbling notes trying to capture all the amazing ideas that were flowing as I read it. I finished the whole thing in one day and absolutely LOVED it. As I’m typing this I’m realizing it’s time to read it again!
Ah Elizabeth Gilbert. She’s obviously a well known super talented author. But I was unsure what to expect from this style of book from her. Turns out it was indeed filled with big magic! I keep a running “Note” in my notes app on my phone with all the books I’ve read and will just jot a quick thought about each one after I finish as a reminder. The note I jotted for this one was “Read this again when I need inspiration to keep going with my art!”
OK this one is a bit out there but stay with me. Originally published in 1960, this book is written by a plastic surgeon who became fascinated when he realized how many of his patients came to him with an awful self image and insecurities that they thought they could fix with plastic surgery, only to find that nothing changed in their minds post-surgery despite the change in physical appearance. He went on to study this further, and this book is the result of his work. It has since been updated to remain relevant to current times, and is a great book on mindset and working on your subconscious thoughts to help create your reality. It’s empowering! I enjoyed reading it and felt it put me in a good headspace while I was reading it. It was originally recommended by the artist Stacie Bloomfield or else I likely never would’ve picked it up myself!
*****And bonus book #6 I couldn’t officially include in this list so I am calling it a bonus: The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
The reason I can’t officially include it in the list is that I haven’t actually read the book myself yet!! So I can’t technically claim that it has changed my life. That feels like it would be lying and if there is 1 thing my Mom taught me from an early age, it’s to ALWAYS tell the truth (remind me to tell you about the Fruit Stripe gum incident at some point! Life lessons learned my friends***) BUT I have listened to the amazing Steven Pressfield speak about his book and the ideas behind it on many a podcast, so I somehow feel like I’ve read it. Regardless, I LOVE that he names the shared fear of the blank page as “The Resistance” and personifies this tendency in such a way that it is clearly identified as this shared experience amongst us all, which in and of itself makes it feel so normal, and therefore diminishes its power in some way. I have this book on my “to read” list and intend to get to it soon, but if you’ve already read it I’d love to know what you thought! Comment below or send me an email at michele@michelefruscianoart.com.
Have you read any of the books on this list?? I’d love to hear what you thought about them! Have any life changing books to add to the list? Comment below and let me know! What fun is a book club if only 1 person is contributing! I’d love to do a follow up post to share some of your suggestions as well!! I am a full blown book nerd and love the power of books to inspire us so let’s keep this party going!
***OK so I can’t leave you hanging… the Fruit Stripe gum incident. Here it is in its embarrassing entirety: My sister and I are 2 yrs apart and both had orthodontic appliances in play at the time of this incident… mine a pallet expander…hers full-on braces. We knew the rules…no matter what, No. Chewing. Gum. We followed the rules. We were good kids! But this one particular day we got our paws on a pack of Fruit Stripe gum. Now if you’re unfamiliar, it was this cool gum that had rainbow stripes on each stick with a random zebra on the packaging. It tasted great for about 20 seconds but looked really cool before you chewed it. Sooo we find ourselves face to face with a fresh pack of this mythical chewing gum and what did we do? Well we chewed it of course! Cue my Mom walking into the room to discover my sister Jen chewing away. She asks incredulously “Are you chewing…GUM?!” To which Jen hesitates a beat and then says… “No!”. To which my Mom replies “Open your mouth then and show me!” Jen opens up to reveal the illicit gum hidden within. My Mom is taken aback and unleashes a FULL blown dissertation about how Jen just lied and had she just been honest, my Mom wouldn’t have been mad. We’ve been so good with the orthodontic rules, and she would have let it slide but to LIE??! NEVER! We tell the truth no matter what. End of story. Now I am standing by watching this whole event unfold, shakin’ in my boots. My Mom concludes her speech on honesty at all costs and turns to me. “And Shell.. how about you? Are YOU chewing gum also?”. Having just heard this speech, not to mention plenty of time having already passed in which I could’ve perhaps SWALLOWED the gum, you’d think I would’ve made it out unscathed. But oh no… my young brain decides the appropriate response is “No. No I am not chewing gum.” I know. I know. I’m completely ashamed to even re-tell this tale of bad decisions. So sure enough, my Mom says open up, she sees the gum, LOSES her mind, and we are sent straight to bed for the night despite the fact that the sun was still up. I’ll never forget it. Jen and I have referenced this tale SO many times in adult life and laugh at what an impact it made on us both. And now?? I ALWAYS tell the truth no matter what :) (I should note that my Mom was possibly the kindest sweetest soul on the planet, and it was rare to see her feathers so ruffled which is likely why this incident had such a great impact on us because she was just so deeply distraught and disappointed!)
OK Now go and MAKE. THE. ART. You can have alllll the tricks in the book, but nothing will work until you do! I believe in you!"
XO,
Michele, The Greeting Card Girl