Two recommendations: The Creative Act by Rick Rubin and Outside Lies Magic: Regaining History and Awareness in Everyday Places by John Stilgoe. I also recommend watching an old 60 Minutes interview with John Stilgoe. It is on Youtube. Great stuff. Thanks for your recommendations and ideas.
Thanks so much, Richard. I own the Rick Rubin book and plan to pull it off the shelf soon. I have been aware of the Stilgoe book, but have never read it. It must be out of print because the copies I'm finding online are relatively expensive. Perhaps I can find a copy at the Madison public library. Thanks so much for these recommendations and for the 60 Minutes suggestion. I'll look that out. Take care!
I do these things almost daily. I collect ideas and imagery from others. I save these to a scrapbook that I constantly pursue. I make art everyday. Taking photos and processing them. I try to keep my workroom and my computer hard drive organized. If my rational mind fails to inspire me, I go through the trash or look for detritus on the land. I am constantly finding something that inspires me. I read. Sometimes, as E. M. Forester suggested I just set down on an ant hill and begin. At other times I move the pencil on the paper or cursor in Photoshop. Most importantly, I do art for myself and my own sanity. I have no audience and expect none.
Well, it’s not a book about art but it inspires me to read entangled life by Merlin sheldrake :3 it’s got a lot of musings on mycology and the interconnectedness of the natural world but in a very approachable and wonder centric way.
Hey, Amber! I read about this book last year when a Wisconsin group I follow did a talk with Sheldrake. Mycology is fascinating, isn't it? I've added this to my TBR list. Thank you for the tip! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52668915-entangled-life
I haven't read many art inspiration / creative books but recently I read The War of Art by Steven Pressfield and it's really good. Gives you a great perspective on how you can delay creation and how to fight the resistance of staying in your zone.
I have noted down the one you talked about: Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils. I need to check it out!
Both relevant for me, Mike — thanks. I own Bird by Bird and still need to read it and have heard great things about On Writing, but havne’t read it. I downloaded a Kindle sample last year and liked what I read. Another book on the TBR list!
It can be a struggle, especially when it seems our country is on fire and many people don’t see the flames. I’m doing a landscape/nature photo a day again this year. If anyone is interested you can follow along here on substack as I post my daily photo in my notes. I also just wrote a post on my page about the struggle at times but keeping at it and getting out. Maybe it can inspire one person?
The sure path to creativity is to study things completely outside your experience. Once you reach a certain level as a photographer you know most of the things you are going to know about photography. You won't have the shock of the new seeing the photos of Ansel Adams or Richard Avendon or Diane Arbus for the first time.
So learn something else.
What do physicists think about creativity? Quite a bit, as it turns out.
"The creative state of mind … is, first of all, one whose interest in what is being done is wholehearted and total, like that of a young child. With this spirit, it is always open to learning what is new, to perceiving new differences and new similarities, leading to new orders and structures, rather than always tending to impose familiar orders and structures in the field of what is seen."
That's from theoretical physicist David Bohm essay in Creativity. Feola say check it out.
PS: And stop doomscrolling the news. It's all kayfaybe. Remember, after bitter enemies The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin fought it out in the ring they would drive to the next town together, laughing and betting cases of beer on who could pull off and sell the most ridiculous stunt. And that's no different than Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell.
We’re all just Marks living in the United States of Kayfabe.
Oh, sure, lots of us like to think we are SMarks – Smart Marks, who are in on the con – but at the end of the day a Mark is a Mark is a Mark.
The performers don’t care if you’re a Mark or a SMark. They only care that you keep watching.
There’s rarely been as clear-cut an example of the ridiculous kayfaybe games played by politicians and the last dregs of the mainstream media as the current news cycle. Here’s a typical entry from The Hill: GOP senators seek to rein in Trump amid concerns over military escalation in Venezuela. The move by the five GOP senators to curtail Trump’s powers as commander in chief represents one of the biggest schisms between the Senate Republican Conference and the White House during the president’s first year of his second term. The votes enraged Trump, who lashed out at Sen. Susan Collins (Maine), one of the five Republicans, in a “profanity-laced” phone call after she supported the measure, reading her the riot act, according to one source.
Conflict! Drama! Big story! Real news! Let’s skip to the bottom and see how it ends. Here’s paragraph 33:
"If the Senate passes the war powers resolution to bar further military action against Venezuela, it would be a symbolic gesture. Republican senators say they don’t expect the measure to get a vote in the House, where Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), a close Trump ally, controls the agenda."
So for this to become law, the House would also have to pass it and then the president would have to sign it.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE CHANCES ARE THAT DONALD TRUMP — any president, really — IS GOING TO SIGN A BILL LIMITING HIS POWER!?!
I don’t blame the politicians, actually, any more than I blame bears for pooping in the woods. On the other hand, anyone who goes 32 paragraphs of sturm und drang and then Emily Latella’s it — NEVER MIND - needs to stop calling themselves a journalist.
Andy, great post. I’ve been a commercial and fine art photographer my entire adult life. I’ve read Art & Fear and really liked it. Beyond shooting, I read widely on art and creativity, publish a newsletter on creativity, and teach travel photography workshops around the world.
Here are two of my favorite books on art and creativity:
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert. The best creativity book I’ve ever read—literally life-changing.
A close second: The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. For anyone struggling with procrastination around getting the work done, it’s a complete game-changer.
I'm kinda surprised to see The Creative Act by Rick Rubin recommended in several comments. I thought that book was terrible! Oh well, different strokes for different folks.
Sally Mann's Art Work and Art & Fear also got several positive comments. These I agree with. Thumbs up to both books! If you like these, I recommend Scenes of Wonder and Curiosity by Ted Orland. He was Sally Mann's pen pal and Art & Fear's co-author, and there is some narrative cross-over with both books. It's not as breezy as Art Work but still worth seeking out.
If you are looking for a witty and topical memoir, try Martin Parr's "Utterly Lazy and Inattentive", published last fall just before he passed away. Great photos, strong writing, and zero pretense. I'm sad it hasn't gotten more notice.
I stay creative by reading and taking classes. During the pandemic I took a succession of online classes with ICP (International Center of Photography). I learned a lot from some super inspiring photographers/educators (Janelle Lynch, Chris Giglio, Natan Dvir…). These days I’ve been taking online courses with StrudelMedia Live. They offer a great variety of classes that work with my time zone in Europe. Nothing pushes my creativity like a challenging prompt, and in courses we are given assignments every week. 😍
Thank you for the link, Andy. What a special article. Yes, her advice resonates with me and no doubt countless others. As I read through just now I was reminded of important lessons from her classes which had a profound impact on me and my work.
Thank you Andy! Went through the comments - most of recommended books I’ve read and they are truly great, some looking forward to read. I’d like to share my all times favourite inspo books: though one general for life and another about photography, it’s a collection of essays by Janet Malcolm “Diana and Nikon” and Viktor Frankl’s “Man’s search of meaning”.
Thanks for these recommendations, I,S. I still need to read Janet Malcom's "Still Pictures" and have never read "Diana and Nikon," so I will look it up. The Frankl book is one of my re-read books for various reasons. Whatever it takes to keep our chins up, right? Take care.
For some odd intuitive reason, I need to fill my world with abstract, wordless beauty and emotion. I listen to tons of music, go to performances, hike and dance. Once my body is in it, my head follows. I can't read myself there. For me, words fail but music triumphs. 🎶
That sounds like a good practice. I go for long walks and make pictures along the way, which usually gets my creative juices flowing. Looking, moving, and breathing — a healthy combination. Thanks, Artemis.
That sounds like a fantastic, beautiful habit, Andy! I truly appreciate your book recs here. Creativity books help by giving me language for my wordless practice. Thank you for all that you do! 🙏✨️
I do a lot of noticing. Shadows, textures, colors, patterns, absurdities. I look at art, create with what is scattered on my studio table. I go places that might not seem inspiring and look at what is there just for my visual library and the delight of being able to look.
You're welcome, same here. I now keep it on a stack of other books and try and read a passage or two at those exact moments you reference. Thanks for asking...I'm actually doing great! Just got confirmation of my first solo museum exhibition, launching in the fall. More work than I could have imagined but worth every penny.
Two recommendations: The Creative Act by Rick Rubin and Outside Lies Magic: Regaining History and Awareness in Everyday Places by John Stilgoe. I also recommend watching an old 60 Minutes interview with John Stilgoe. It is on Youtube. Great stuff. Thanks for your recommendations and ideas.
Thanks so much, Richard. I own the Rick Rubin book and plan to pull it off the shelf soon. I have been aware of the Stilgoe book, but have never read it. It must be out of print because the copies I'm finding online are relatively expensive. Perhaps I can find a copy at the Madison public library. Thanks so much for these recommendations and for the 60 Minutes suggestion. I'll look that out. Take care!
I do these things almost daily. I collect ideas and imagery from others. I save these to a scrapbook that I constantly pursue. I make art everyday. Taking photos and processing them. I try to keep my workroom and my computer hard drive organized. If my rational mind fails to inspire me, I go through the trash or look for detritus on the land. I am constantly finding something that inspires me. I read. Sometimes, as E. M. Forester suggested I just set down on an ant hill and begin. At other times I move the pencil on the paper or cursor in Photoshop. Most importantly, I do art for myself and my own sanity. I have no audience and expect none.
Sounds like a nourishing practice. Thanks, Donald.
Well, it’s not a book about art but it inspires me to read entangled life by Merlin sheldrake :3 it’s got a lot of musings on mycology and the interconnectedness of the natural world but in a very approachable and wonder centric way.
Hey, Amber! I read about this book last year when a Wisconsin group I follow did a talk with Sheldrake. Mycology is fascinating, isn't it? I've added this to my TBR list. Thank you for the tip! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52668915-entangled-life
Neat! ヽ(･∀･)ﾉ and yeah mycology is great, some cool discoveries being made in that field:3
I haven't read many art inspiration / creative books but recently I read The War of Art by Steven Pressfield and it's really good. Gives you a great perspective on how you can delay creation and how to fight the resistance of staying in your zone.
I have noted down the one you talked about: Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils. I need to check it out!
People seem to love this book, and more than one colleague has suggested that I read it. Thanks for the tip, Francois! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1319.The_War_of_Art
Two books I recently read that are more about writing than art, but writing can be an art right?
Anne Lamott - Bird by Bird
Stephen King - On Writing.
Both relevant for me, Mike — thanks. I own Bird by Bird and still need to read it and have heard great things about On Writing, but havne’t read it. I downloaded a Kindle sample last year and liked what I read. Another book on the TBR list!
It can be a struggle, especially when it seems our country is on fire and many people don’t see the flames. I’m doing a landscape/nature photo a day again this year. If anyone is interested you can follow along here on substack as I post my daily photo in my notes. I also just wrote a post on my page about the struggle at times but keeping at it and getting out. Maybe it can inspire one person?
The sure path to creativity is to study things completely outside your experience. Once you reach a certain level as a photographer you know most of the things you are going to know about photography. You won't have the shock of the new seeing the photos of Ansel Adams or Richard Avendon or Diane Arbus for the first time.
So learn something else.
What do physicists think about creativity? Quite a bit, as it turns out.
"The creative state of mind … is, first of all, one whose interest in what is being done is wholehearted and total, like that of a young child. With this spirit, it is always open to learning what is new, to perceiving new differences and new similarities, leading to new orders and structures, rather than always tending to impose familiar orders and structures in the field of what is seen."
That's from theoretical physicist David Bohm essay in Creativity. Feola say check it out.
Cjf
PS: And stop doomscrolling the news. It's all kayfaybe. Remember, after bitter enemies The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin fought it out in the ring they would drive to the next town together, laughing and betting cases of beer on who could pull off and sell the most ridiculous stunt. And that's no different than Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell.
We’re all just Marks living in the United States of Kayfabe.
Oh, sure, lots of us like to think we are SMarks – Smart Marks, who are in on the con – but at the end of the day a Mark is a Mark is a Mark.
The performers don’t care if you’re a Mark or a SMark. They only care that you keep watching.
There’s rarely been as clear-cut an example of the ridiculous kayfaybe games played by politicians and the last dregs of the mainstream media as the current news cycle. Here’s a typical entry from The Hill: GOP senators seek to rein in Trump amid concerns over military escalation in Venezuela. The move by the five GOP senators to curtail Trump’s powers as commander in chief represents one of the biggest schisms between the Senate Republican Conference and the White House during the president’s first year of his second term. The votes enraged Trump, who lashed out at Sen. Susan Collins (Maine), one of the five Republicans, in a “profanity-laced” phone call after she supported the measure, reading her the riot act, according to one source.
Conflict! Drama! Big story! Real news! Let’s skip to the bottom and see how it ends. Here’s paragraph 33:
"If the Senate passes the war powers resolution to bar further military action against Venezuela, it would be a symbolic gesture. Republican senators say they don’t expect the measure to get a vote in the House, where Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), a close Trump ally, controls the agenda."
So for this to become law, the House would also have to pass it and then the president would have to sign it.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE CHANCES ARE THAT DONALD TRUMP — any president, really — IS GOING TO SIGN A BILL LIMITING HIS POWER!?!
I don’t blame the politicians, actually, any more than I blame bears for pooping in the woods. On the other hand, anyone who goes 32 paragraphs of sturm und drang and then Emily Latella’s it — NEVER MIND - needs to stop calling themselves a journalist.
Sorry...
Andy, great post. I’ve been a commercial and fine art photographer my entire adult life. I’ve read Art & Fear and really liked it. Beyond shooting, I read widely on art and creativity, publish a newsletter on creativity, and teach travel photography workshops around the world.
Here are two of my favorite books on art and creativity:
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert. The best creativity book I’ve ever read—literally life-changing.
A close second: The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. For anyone struggling with procrastination around getting the work done, it’s a complete game-changer.
I'm kinda surprised to see The Creative Act by Rick Rubin recommended in several comments. I thought that book was terrible! Oh well, different strokes for different folks.
Sally Mann's Art Work and Art & Fear also got several positive comments. These I agree with. Thumbs up to both books! If you like these, I recommend Scenes of Wonder and Curiosity by Ted Orland. He was Sally Mann's pen pal and Art & Fear's co-author, and there is some narrative cross-over with both books. It's not as breezy as Art Work but still worth seeking out.
If you are looking for a witty and topical memoir, try Martin Parr's "Utterly Lazy and Inattentive", published last fall just before he passed away. Great photos, strong writing, and zero pretense. I'm sad it hasn't gotten more notice.
I stay creative by reading and taking classes. During the pandemic I took a succession of online classes with ICP (International Center of Photography). I learned a lot from some super inspiring photographers/educators (Janelle Lynch, Chris Giglio, Natan Dvir…). These days I’ve been taking online courses with StrudelMedia Live. They offer a great variety of classes that work with my time zone in Europe. Nothing pushes my creativity like a challenging prompt, and in courses we are given assignments every week. 😍
That's great. I love Janelle Lynch! Not sure if you saw this, Colleen, but it's probably up your alley: https://www.flakphoto.news/p/janelle-lynch-how-to-make-a-good-photograph
Thank you for the link, Andy. What a special article. Yes, her advice resonates with me and no doubt countless others. As I read through just now I was reminded of important lessons from her classes which had a profound impact on me and my work.
Thank you Andy! Went through the comments - most of recommended books I’ve read and they are truly great, some looking forward to read. I’d like to share my all times favourite inspo books: though one general for life and another about photography, it’s a collection of essays by Janet Malcolm “Diana and Nikon” and Viktor Frankl’s “Man’s search of meaning”.
Thanks for these recommendations, I,S. I still need to read Janet Malcom's "Still Pictures" and have never read "Diana and Nikon," so I will look it up. The Frankl book is one of my re-read books for various reasons. Whatever it takes to keep our chins up, right? Take care.
For some odd intuitive reason, I need to fill my world with abstract, wordless beauty and emotion. I listen to tons of music, go to performances, hike and dance. Once my body is in it, my head follows. I can't read myself there. For me, words fail but music triumphs. 🎶
That sounds like a good practice. I go for long walks and make pictures along the way, which usually gets my creative juices flowing. Looking, moving, and breathing — a healthy combination. Thanks, Artemis.
That sounds like a fantastic, beautiful habit, Andy! I truly appreciate your book recs here. Creativity books help by giving me language for my wordless practice. Thank you for all that you do! 🙏✨️
Thanks for the post and your request!
Please take a look at: ‘The creative act: a way of being’ by Rick Rubin.
I do a lot of noticing. Shadows, textures, colors, patterns, absurdities. I look at art, create with what is scattered on my studio table. I go places that might not seem inspiring and look at what is there just for my visual library and the delight of being able to look.
The Work of Art, Adam Moss https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/669522/the-work-of-art-by-adam-moss/
Thank you, Max! I own this book and recently pulled it back off the shelf. Must read. I appreciate the tip. How are you doing?
You're welcome, same here. I now keep it on a stack of other books and try and read a passage or two at those exact moments you reference. Thanks for asking...I'm actually doing great! Just got confirmation of my first solo museum exhibition, launching in the fall. More work than I could have imagined but worth every penny.
That's exciting news. Congratulations!
Thanks, Andy. Glad to share more since it too is an exhibition merging words and images. max@maxpix.com
Thank you for this recommendation, Max.
As someone who’s struggling with some things right now, I find this read very helpful 🥹
Thanks for reading, Ana. I learned a few things in the comments, too. Be well!