Here are some books I’ve read that have helped me on my creative journey. Some have taught me tricks that have saved me years of struggle. Some have made me see the world in new ways. If your local library does not have them, ask for them to get them for you from Inter-library Loan (ILL). Remember, the more money you save from not buying books means more money for art supplies.

 

Bantock, Nick  The Trickster’s Hat – a mischievous apprenticeship in creativity.

Bantock, Nick     Urgent Second Class: Creating Curious Collage, Dubious Documents, and Other Art from Ephemera

Beam, Mary Todd  The Creative Edge: Exercises to Celebrate Your Creative Self

Berry, Jill K.  Map Art Lab: 52 Exciting Art Explorations in Mapmaking, Imagination, and Travel.

Cameron, Julia   The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity.

Cameron, Julia   How to avoid making art.

Campanario, Gabriel  The art of urban sketching: drawing on location around the world.

Conlin, Kristy Art Journal Kickstarter: Pages and Prompts to Energize Your Art Journals.

Cozen, Chris Acrylic Solutions: Exploring Mixed Media Layer by Layer.

Currie, Jim.  The mindful traveler – a guide to journaling and transformative travel.   

Diehn, Gwen  The Decorated Page – Journals, Scrapbooks and albums made simply beautiful. 

Doggett, Sue   Bookworks.

Evans-Sills, Faith and Mati Rose McDonough Painting the Sacred Within

Ganz, Nicolas   Graffiti World – Street art from five continents

Gregory, Danny   Art Before Breakfast: A zillion ways to be more creative no matter how busy you are.

Gregory, Danny Everyday Matters

Gregory, Danny   The Creative License: Giving Yourself Permission to Be The Artist You Truly Are.

Harrison, Sabrina  Spilling Open – the art of becoming yourself.

Hellmuth, Claudine    Collage Discovery Workshop: Make Your Own Collage Creations Using Vintage Photos, Found Objects and Ephemera.

Hennessy, Alena  Alter This!   Radical ideas for transforming books into art.

Jacobs, Michael and Judy Creative Correspondence.

James, Angela  The Handmade Book

Jones, Heather.  Water Paper Paint.  Exploring creativity with watercolor and mixed media.  

Koch, Maryjo   Vintage Collage Journals – journaling with antique ephemera.

La Plantz, Sherren Cover to Cover – creative techniques for making beautiful books, journals and albums.

MacLeod, Janice   A Paris Year: My day to day adventures in the most romantic city in the world.  

Nerjorde, Arne   Make your own ideabook with Arne and Carlos 

 Neubauer, Crystal   The Art of Expressive Collage.

 Newburger, Emily    Journal Sparks.  Fire up your creativity with spontaneous art, wild writing, and inventive thinking.

Pickett, Jan Decorated Lettering.

Roberts, Kelly Rae   Taking Flight: Inspiration and Techniques to Give Your Creative Spirit Wings.

Scheinberger, Felix  Urban watercolor sketching: a guide to drawing, painting, and storytelling in color.

Schilling, Richard Watercolor Journeys: Create Your Own Travel Sketchbook. 

Sharpe, Joanne    The Art of Whimsical Lettering.

Smith, Keri   Wreck this Journal.

Smith, Keri   How to be an explorer of the world- portable life museum.

Swift, Vivian   Gardens of Awe and Folly.

Swift, Vivian When Wanderers Cease to Roam.

Sonheim, Carla   Drawing Lab for Mixed-Media Artists: 52 Creative Exercises to Make Drawing Fun.

Thorspecken, Thomas   Urban sketching: the complete guide to techniques.

Tourtillott, Suzanne   Making and Keeping Creative Journals.