What comes to your mind when you think of “creativity”? Maybe art or artistic expression of any kind, design, maybe something about a different future…The truth is creativity is in each one of us and we can develop it. I wrote about this a while ago here: https://proactive.eu.com/creativity-an-overused-term-still-misunderstood-1/.
Today I want to recommend a few books about creativity that would help you to understand it more and to practice or develop it.
Wired to create by Scott Barry Kaufman & Carolyn Gregoire- if you want to understand more about the creative potential we all have. It is a very easy to read book and has plenty of scientific reference.
Big Magic by Elisabeth Gilbert – this is a book written by a writer (maybe you know her from Eat, Pray Love) and it has some very simple rules to apply in order to use your creativity and to develop it.
The ARTIST’s way by Julia Cameron – probably one of the “oldest” books about creativity I know. Still very good and especially extremely practical with exercises you can follow. I used it during the lockdown to keep my mind sane.
Ungifted – Intelligence redefined by Scott Barry Kaufman – it is a book not very easy to read and also not only related to creativity. It is a book about intelligence (theories and reserch), intelligence tests and their interpretation. It is anyway a book that will open your mind about the very base of what intelligence means and how creativity fits in the picture. It has many scientifical references and it is readable both for psychologist/specialist and the public.
Creativity – the psychology of discovery and invention by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is probably THE BOOK about creativity from the psychological (and not only) point of view. Csikszentmihalyi is known for his work on Flow and not many have read this mazing book about creativity. It is about how creative people live and work, about their character and personality. It is about the context in which creative people can develop and how creativity becomes innovation. Here is one of the citations I love and cherish in this book: “Creativity results from the interaction of a system composed of three elements: a culture that contains symbolic rules, a person who brings novelty into the symbolic domain, and a filed of experts who recognize and validate the innovation”. It is a book that can be useful for psychologist (especially the young ones) but also for people working with creative teams and innovation.
Creative Leadership – skills that drive change by Gerard j.Puccio, Marie Mance and Mary C. Murdock. It is all about change and creativity how leaders can create an environment for it. I love this book because it explains also the difference between management, leadership and creative leadership. It explains the role of change and has very good tools and ways to develop creative skills. I would recommend for all those working in/with companies and their leaders.
The language of man. Learning to speak creativity by Larry Robertson. I do not really know how to describe this book. I think is better to read it and practice. Probably because is about the practice of creativity.
The creative self by Maciej Karwowski and James C. Kaufman and Creativity by Mark A. Runco. These are two books compiling the latest research in psychology and I would recommend them only for those interested in theories, studies, psychological research and business, sociology and economics.
For French readers: D’où viennent les bonnes idées by Juliette Brun.
This is like the basics. If you have more recommendations, please make a comment. I am always curios to find out more.
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