Eight Books to Heal Your Creative Spark

First off: don’t let those eyes glaze over.

If you think you’re going to get the same ol’ list of greatest hits “books on creative inspiration” here, think again:

These are not creativity books at all. And I’ll tell you why.

Often, we seek answers in places that are shaped by the problem we have. So, if you’re feeling a creative burnout of sorts, you may instinctively look for books about creative inspiration. Corresponding solution to the corresponding problem, right?

I can’t overstate how much this has never worked for me.

Einstein’s “You cannot solve a problem with the same mind that created it,” comes to mind here, and looking for creative answers in “creative books” doesn’t exactly get you outside of the box you’re stuck in.

Also? When I feel down is when I’m most likely to engage in creative comparison, and reading about how fortune, chance, and luck have all played varying roles of my favourite successful creatives can be more frustrating than helpful. (Because sometimes “keep showing up!” or “don’t quit!” may be good advice at the time, but it may also may not be.)

I’ve written here before about the more personal side of healing from burnout, and I know that when I’m experiencing it, I don’t need to soak up more about the ups and downs of creative living — because I’m, um… actively living them.

So, I stay clear of ‘creative inspiration’ books entirely when I feel like this.

Instead, I take a different tact:

I lean into the feeling of smallness that I have, and get out of my own head.

Why? Because when we’re feeling small and powerless, it can help to remind yourself that it’s okay to be small, and that the bigger picture — though daunting at times — is also inexplicably beautiful. And you get to be a part of that.

That’s where you can find your power again.

You won’t find the usual suspects of creative inspirers on this list, but you will find eight books that harness the power of science & nature to forever change how you see yourself and the world around you.

With that fresh perspective, creative inspiration is a heartbeat away.

Let’s get into it.

1. Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder & How It Can Transform Your Life - by Dacher Kelter

If you’re looking to regain your creative inspiration and heal burnout, one of the best things you can do is forget looking for inspiration and instead seek out awe.

Awe is a tough thing to define, but like most ineffable sensations, you know it when you feel it. (It quite literally has markers in your body when you experience it.) And because awe relates to the overall biggest picture possible that we can fathom, it’s transformative.

I believe that the purpose of awe is to reveal the big systems of life: the ecosystems, social systems, cultural meaning systems, moral systems, biological systems, solar systems. Feeling awe reveals the deep structure of the world, and then we start to transform. We transform in our sense of self and our understanding of the world. We transform in our sense of mystery about life. We become, as Jane Goodall said, amazed at things outside of ourselves. — Dacher Kelter

Those systems and processes that he’s talking about? They are creativity in action.

By tracking awe and wonder, you’ll learn more about the subtle balance of being in the world, but also of the world, and take things less personally — which is a trait that creative people are wise to cultivate. Highly recommend this one for anybody feeling the strain of everyday creative living during an ebb, burnout, or downturn.

Notable tidbits: Moral beauty, music, Berlin street art, and “cashmere blankets of sound” that surround us.

2. Of Time & Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell - by Sy Montgomery

Because If you want to feel seen, find a poet. If you want to feel inspired, find a naturalist.

Sy Montgomery is a bestselling author of oodles of books, and also has a mitt-full of honorary degrees to her name for her work, for good reason. Talented nature writers and naturalists like Sy have an uncanny ability to take the simplest things that seem to have nothing to do with you, and knit them so tightly to your daily experience that you never look at something, like a turtle, the same way again.

Yes, it’s about turtles. But it’s also not about turtles — it’s about how the extraordinary is often hidden in the ordinary, and how disasters-turned-miracles are commonplace. Read it when you want to feel at home with yourself.

Notable tidbits: The nature of time, restoring our souls, preparing for miracles. Also, turtles can talk.

3. The Power of Wonder: The Extraordinary Emotion that Will Change the Way You Live, Learn, & Lead - by Monica Parker

This sounds a bit like our first book on awe, but don’t let that fool you.

What’s the difference between wonder and awe? To my eye, awe relates to the visceral power of feeling we have while connecting with the world, while wonder is that first tickle of curiosity that guides our inspiration to take action.

In other words, wonder is the first necessary seed of creativity. Learning how to harness those moments of wonder can change your life overnight.

What I love most about ‘wonder’ itself is that it’s both a thing we do, and thing we experience — and this book is worth reading for the five connected threads of wonder that describe both the process and outcome of wonder itself: watch, wander, whittle, wow, and whoa.

This book is also a great reminder that happiness is overrated, and seeking out wonder is not only more achievable for us, but better for our mental and emotional health in the long run.

Grab this book if you want to see the world (and your creative work) with fresh eyes.

Notable tidbits: Cultivating wonder in tough times, the role of grief in beauty, and creating mindsets about moments.

4. World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, & Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil

A poet and nature lover at heart, Aimee’s book is a gorgeous collection of essays about, well… almost everything. Love, belonging, not belonging… all with a memoir-slant that feels both universal and personal.

Even if you’re not an “animal person”, you’ll likely be surprised just how much animals and nature have woven themselves into your life and creativity. You’ll also likely want to open your window and watch the birds again, which is my surefire way to engage with my creativity again.

If you’re feeling the weight of the world right now, particularly in terms of “showing up” and sharing your work, or the weight of your experiences, this book is a lovely balm to connect you back to your heart. Beautiful, all around.

Notable tidbits: Narwhals, family, and this line: “We can’t possibly hear such an astonishing wind while we try to keep in step with our small dances on this earth. But we should try. We should try.”

5. An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realm Around Us - by Ed Yong

What’s a book about animal senses got to do with healing your creative spark?

Everything.

You’re an animal. You use your senses to explore the world. And learning about the mindbogglingly-diverse ways that other animals do their thing is equal parts humbling and inspiring.

Did you know that, when dolphins echolocate, they can also sense your skeleton, lungs, and any shrapnel you have in your body? (Or, for that matter, if you’re pregnant.) You’ll find a sensory smorgasbord in here, and likely feel compelled to tune into your own senses by osmosis alone.

It’s a weird thing, learning more about nature: When you start to realize that even the weirdest among us have a place on this earth, you believe that you do, too. That’s something that all artists need the reminder of, on good days and bad.

Pick this book if you’re feeling disenchanted, and want to marvel at your own unique perspective again. It will show up in your work!

Notable tidbits: Echolocating humans, why limitations are actually a superpower, and the term “umwelt”, which will change how you see your creativity in an instant.

6. The Language of Butterflies: How Thieves, Hoarders, Scientists, and Other Obsessives Unlocked the Secrets of the World's Favorite Insect - by Wendy Williams

Is there a more beloved insect that the butterfly? Or more spellbinding?

Butterflies have such a unique role in our creative DNA, simply because they embody such a bizarre yet beautiful existence that is shrouded in mystery. As a creative, you’re probably not a stranger to the feeling of being utterly obsessed with something. In this book by Wendy Williams (no, not that one), you’ll not only meet the butterflies themselves, but also the people who study them — who are just as interesting as the insects.

One of my favourite skills to hone in myself is the ability to provide context and connect the dots in interesting, powerful ways. This book is a brilliant embodiment of this talent, and it will probably get you thinking about the history (personal or universal) of how you got to be the creative you are. Don’t be surprised if you start seeing yourself as a collector of creative experiences.

Notable tidbits: Thievery, what Melania Trump has to do with spider wasp defences, and “kaleidoscopic assemblages”.

7. Planta Sapiens: The New Science of Plant Intelligence - by Paco Calvo

Two words: plant neurobiology. (!!)

If you think that learning about how other creatures experience the world will change how you perceive and create, just wait until you get a load of what the plants are up to.

I’m probably biased, but I personally love when I find people who are equally enchanted by arts & the sciences, and Calvo is not only a professor of philosophy, but also the head of the Minimum Intelligence Lab which specializes in how plants think.

Because they sure are thinking.

This book is worth reading for the sheer astonishment quota you’ll hit — with remarkable insights about how plants live their lives.

I promise, it’s much more interesting than it sounds:

Strawberries that can use light to gauge soil nutrients. Venus fly traps that can be put to sleep with the same meds that your vet uses on your dog. Plants that can predict the future. It’s bonkers, but also deeply beautiful to tune into the life around us that doesn’t usually get the headlines.

If you want to look beneath the surface of your everyday and spot unusual connections in your creativity — particularly by playing with the absolute weirdness that you even exist on the planet today, this book will do the trick.

Notable tidbits: Plants that make decisions, plants that self medicate with melatonin when they can’t sleep, and plants that can integrate data — all quietly under our noses.

8. Fearfully & Wonderfully Made: The Astonishing New Science of the Senses - by Maureen Seaberg

You probably haven’t heard of Maureen Seaberg, but I bet you won’t forget her when you learn this:

She is a super colour seer.

That’s not a metaphor, either. She is a lab-proven tetrachromat — meaning she has a fourth cone class for colour vision in her eyes. (Most of us just have three.)

This book is worth the read to help you “vivify your senses”, so you can shape, heighten, and hone how you experience the world. As a creative soul, you already know that your powers of observation are crucial. Exploring your own “PQ” (perception quotient) is an oddly poetic way to get more into your own experience while also connecting with your creative environment.

Are you a super sensor? You just might be. Maybe you’re more sensitive than others to sound, sight, or even taste. Use this book to get grounded, but also to invite you into a little more nuance of what it means to sense the world around you.

Notable tidbits: Exploring our current ‘sensory renaissance’, sniffing out your dog’s illness, and the easy secret on how to grow your own senses.

Bonus: Pair this with Gretchen Rubin’s Life in Five Senses for a real treat.

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