After I shared the 2024 Reading Challenge for Creatives last week, a couple of people asked for a list of suggested books. Here they are! (Please note: this post contains affilate links)

A couple of caveats: the term “creative” covers people who do a wide range of activities in a myraid of ways, so the books below are about general creativity or aimed at a generally creative audience. I will be seeking out books that are more specific to the kinds of things I like to do and make, and I encourage you to do the same for your craft(s) too if you want. This list is also a working list for my own reference and contains some titles that I have yet to read but that look interesting/useful, so I can’t vouch for all of them Finally, the latter months of the year are a little thin right now as it’s still early days. I will add more titles related to those themes as I (re)discover them.

What are you planning to read this year? Leave a comment and share your suggestions! Alternatively, you can follow along on Instagram and share your favourite reads there.

January: Creative Identity* Create Anyway – Ashlee Gadd * The Crossroads of Should and Must – Elle Luna * It’s Never Too Late to Begin Again – Julia Cameron * The Gift – Lewis Hyde * A book about an aspect of your creative identity (this could include memoir, biography, poetry, advice, etc.)

February: Health and Self-Care* Atomic Habits – James Clear * Set Boundaries, Find Peace – Nedra Glover Tawwab * Burnout – Emily Nagoski * Resilience – Mark McGuinness * A book about an aspect of self-care you’d like to focus on this year

March: Working Environment* The Creative Habit – Twyla Tharp * Stolen Focus – Johann Hari * A book about making your working environment as appealing and productive as possible

April: Time and Energy* 4000 Weeks: Time Management for Mortals – Oliver Burkeman * The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working – Tony Schwartz * Mind Management, Not Time Management – David Kadavy * Find Your Unicorn Space – Eve Rodsky * Essentialism – Greg McKeown

May: Community and support* Belong- Radha Agrawal * Steal Like an Artist – Austin Kleon * Show Your Work – Austin Kleon * The Artist’s Way – Julia Cameron (N.B. this is a guided 12-week course)

June: Daily Routine* Manage Your Day-to-Day – Jocelyn K Glei * The Power of Daily Practice – Eric Maisel * Daily Creative – Todd Henry * Daily Rituals: How Artists Work – Mason Currey * From Chaos to Creativity – Jessie Kwak

July: Mindset* The War of Art – Steven Pressfield * The Long Game – Dorie Clarke * Turning Pro – Steven Pressfield * Overcoming Creative Anxiety – Karen C. L. Anderson * Big Magic – Elizabeth Gilbert * Start Ugly – David duChemin * Motivation for Creative People – Mark McGuinness

August: The Past* The Power of Regret – Daniel Pink * The Creative Cure – Jacob Nordby * Why Smart People Hurt – Eric Maisel * A book of your choice related to an aspect of your past and/or creative experience

September: Growth and Learning* Finish What You Start – Peter Hollins * Make Your Art No Matter What – Beth Pickens * Mastery – Robert Greene * A book of your choice based on improving your craft

October: Money* You Need a Budget – Jesse Mecham * The Psychology of Money – Morgan Housel

November: Life Outside Your Creative Work* The Listening Path – Julia Cameron (N.B. This is a six-week programme) * Dare to Lead – Brené Brown * A book of your choice about whatever you feel drawn to (apropos of this month’s theme, it doesn’t have to be related to your creative work)

December: Reflection and Planning* The 12 Week Year – Brian P. Moran * Start Finishing – Charlie Gilkey

Photo by Christin Hume on Unsplash

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