Dose of inspiration
Filling the Gaps
As many creatives will tell you, there are plenty of areas of improvement when it comes to designing your creative process. Whether your project involves writing, drawing, crafting, or more, you can always expect a few hurdles along the way.
These challenges can take the form of procrastination, self-defeating thoughts, or creative blocks, keeping you from experiencing flow. Sometimes, they can show up as a result of gaps in your planning, structure, or overall organization.
This is not easy to deal with, especially when you know how each component plays a role in your creative experience, which can be directly impacted like a domino effect from each of these important pieces. Regardless, however, these problems are simply part of the process.
Thankfully, we can always figure things out along the way because there’s no doubt that we could always use help from others and get as much practical advice as we need, no matter where we are in our creative journey.
In many ways, books written by experts who have overcome the same topics you’re currently tackling can make an enormous difference. Here are five books I recommend reading to get inspired about ways to improve your creative process.
1. Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull
If you are a big fan of all things Pixar, then this will be a wonderful read for you. Through the eyes of the company’s co-founder and president, Ed Catmull takes you on a whirlwind journey from the early days of his career to the very beginning of this beloved animation studio.
From his work with George Lucas to his relationship with Steve Jobs to the launch of Toy Story and more, Catmull shares story after story that led to their one-of-a-kind success that changed animation forever. While covering personal philosophies on management and leadership, he also brings to light the essential ingredients he believes every creative environment needs.
This is a great choice if you are looking for insights on ways to improve your creative process, including developing ideas with teams, uncovering the unseen, taking risks, offering the right kind of feedback, and so much more. It’s also worth looking into for anyone interested in delving into the world of storytelling, inventive plots, and emotional authenticity.
“It isn’t enough to pick a path—you must go down it. By doing so, you see things you couldn’t possibly see when you started out; you may not like what you see, some of it may be confusing, but at least you will have, as we like to say, ‘explored the neighborhood.’ The key point here is that even if you decide you’re in the wrong place, there is still time to head toward the right place.”
2. The Success Principles by Jack Canfield
If you’re looking for practical tips on shifting your mindset, focusing on your vision, and increasing your confidence, this is a book worth checking out. While covering plenty of success stories about world-class athletes, CEOs, celebrities, and more, Jack Canfield goes through proven strategies and principles that you can adapt to your process right now.
Regardless of your specific interest or niche, Canfield explains how the ideas he shares, including aligning with your intention, values, and purpose, are essential for achieving all of your goals. Some of the topics he dives into involve believing in yourself, dealing with rejection, staying motivated, and more.
If you are hoping to adjust your approach to any of these areas, this book will have plenty of inspiring examples that you can try on your own. I highly recommend this, especially to anyone in search of a large boost of inspiration right now.
“You, too, can get from where you are to where you want to be if you’ll just trust that if you lean into it, the path will appear. Sometimes it will be like driving through the fog, where you can only see the road 10 yards ahead of you. But if you keep moving forward, more of the road will be revealed, and eventually, you will arrive at the goal.”
3. The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
This is another great read I recommend to those hoping to improve their creative process. Written in a succinct and engaging way, bestselling novelist Steven Pressfield gives us a glimpse into the source of our creative blocks and how to break through them.
While pointing out the various forms of self-defeating obstacles that show up in creating art of any medium, he explains the importance of accepting their inevitability along the way. But no matter how big an internal struggle seems, he emphasizes the kind of resolve and discipline one must develop to overcome the struggle.
With plenty of practical guidance, examples, and instruction, this book is essential for those hoping to understand what it takes to win their inner creative battles. As a popular work in this topic, you can bet that it belongs on the list for a reason.
“Resistance will tell you anything to keep you from doing your work. It will perjure, fabricate, falsify; seduce, bully, cajole. Resistance is protean. It will assume any form, if that’s what it takes to deceive you. It will reason with you like a lawyer or jam a nine-millimeter in your face like a stickup man. Resistance has no conscience. It will pledge anything to get a deal, then double-cross you as soon as your back is turned. If you take Resistance at its word, you deserve everything you get. Resistance is always lying and always full of shit.”
4. You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero
In this energizing, uplifting bestseller, Jen Sincero’s words have the power to burst any bubble of negativity or self-doubt instantaneously. Written in her refreshingly honest and hilarious tone, this book is a real gem for anyone looking to revamp their approach with more joy and determination.
Filled with bite-sized chapters of personal anecdotes and inspiring stories, Sincero does a great job of reminding anyone just what they are capable of achieving when they adopt the right attitude. While offering multiple exercises and sage advice, she zeroes in on the kind of self-defeating behavior that only holds us back.
With plenty of insights on creating the life you want, attracting what you desire, reshaping your mindset, and more, you can find a range of strategies to experiment with at any time. It is hands down one of my favorites that I recommend turning back to whenever you need.
“It never ceases to amaze me the precious time we spend chasing the squirrels around our brains, playing out our dramas, worrying about unwanted facial hair, seeking adoration, justifying our actions, complaining about slow Internet connections, dissecting the lives of idiots, when we are sitting in the middle of a full-blown miracle that is happening right here, right now. We’re on a planet that somehow knows how to rotate on its axis and follow a defined path while it hurtles through space! Our hearts beat! We can see! We have love, laughter, language, living rooms, computers, compassion, cars, fire, fingernails, flowers, music, medicine, mountains, muffins!”
5. Think Again by Adam Grant
One of the biggest pitfalls in pursuing any passion is the difficulty of getting back to the beginner’s mind. As you progress, the harder it gets to let go of any possible mental attachments that could be hindering your ability to explore new territories.
Thankfully, Adam Grant addresses all of these issues in this book, where he delves into the psychology behind the experience and ways to overcome it. From ideas like choosing courage over comfort, maintaining your curiosity, unlearning and relearning, and so much more, he examines what one needs to do in order to stay open to new ideas long-term.
This is an eye-opening read that will have you questioning your critical thinking abilities, a useful skill worth developing for any of our creative projects. As an invitation to remove any views or ideas that are no longer serving us, this book opens a highly relevant topic worth discussing, now more than ever.
“We all have blind spots in our knowledge and opinions. The bad news is that they can leave us blind to our blindness, which gives us false confidence in our judgment and prevents us from rethinking. The good news is that with the right kind of confidence, we can learn to see ourselves more clearly and update our views. In driver’s training we were taught to identify our visual blind spots and eliminate them with the help of mirrors and sensors. In life, since our minds don’t come equipped with those tools, we need to learn to recognize our cognitive blind spots and revise our thinking accordingly.”
Bridging What’s Missing
Every creative process has cracks—small spaces where doubt, disorganization, or lack of clarity can quietly slip in. These gaps don’t mean you’re doing something wrong; they’re simply signs that your process is still evolving, and that’s a good thing.
Recognizing those missing pieces is the first step toward building a stronger foundation. Whether it’s a matter of mindset, workflow, or external support, there are always tools, resources, and insights to help you move forward with more confidence and intention.
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