Stuck for Ideas? Check out these inspiring reads.
The Unusual Podcast list of inspiring books on creativity that are ideal to dip in and out of, and perfect gift ideas.
How to have great ideas by John Ingledew
A rich and nicely illustrated collection of strategies, methods and ways to approach idea generation, creative thinking and problem solving. Some of my personal favourites include going for walks and searching for ‘visual treasures’ in your surroundings. This was a fun activity I even did with my kids to hone their observation skills. I also love the idea of learning to write and tell jokes as a shortcut to think creatively.
Creativity, A short and cheerful guide by John Cleese
I didn’t expect this little book to be so insightful. Backed by science and his own experiences, Cleese succinctly explains some of the intuitive feelings a lot of us may have about creativity.
His insight on the creative mindset is that people are either in an ‘open’ or ‘closed’ state of mind. The closed mode enables us to apply ourselves to tasks with vigour and concentration; the open mode is more relaxed and conducive to mind wandering. Cleese demonstrates how the unconscious mind works on stuff all the time, without us being consciously aware of it. Furthermore, he demonstrates how the language of the unconscious is not verbal, but images and feelings.
This is a great read for anyone to really understand the creative mind and its nuances such as the role of play, time, space and making mistakes. It would make a great gift to a colleague or manager who claims creativity isn’t relevant or who doesn’t appreciate creativity requires certain conditions to thrive.
Another great resource is John Cleese talk on creativity in management.
The Creative Nudge. Simple Steps to help you to think differently. Mick Mahoney and Kevin Chesters
This is a fun book based on the premise that you can’t teach people how to be creative, you can only teach them how not to be creative (a belief held by Sir Ken Robinson in his famous TED talk). Our brains default mode is working with what we know which is counterintuitive to exploring new ideas and challenging the status quo. “A nudge is a little change to our behaviour or thought patterns that can have a disproportionately large impact on an outcome.”
The book contains nine behaviours to rediscover our creativity. I like the science part that introduces each nudge. This would work well in a context where leaders or individuals want practical, easy to implement daily actions to nurture creativity.
The Art of Creative Thinking. Rob Judkins
As stated by the author upfront, this book is not meant to be read in a linear way. When your creativity is running low or you feel the need for inspiration, you can open any page at random. It is a delightful little book full of stories drawing from a range of reference points from Dali and The Beatles to Philippe Starck and James Dyson. Each chapter is a short story about a well-known inventor and his/her process, demonstrating the complexities and failures that come with the creative process and learnings that can be extracted and applied.
This is definitely a keeper for the bookshelf to dig in and out of.
A Smile in the Mind. Witty thinking in graphic design by Beryl McAlhone & David Stuart.
The advertising industry has a lot to teach us about creativity. This book is a collection of over 1,000 eye-catching and thought-provoking instances of visual communication in posters, packaging and data visualization, as well as examples of wit in digital, retail, arts and culture.
It is a delight to dip into because it centres on wit and humour, demonstrating the tools and tricks designers use to create ‘a smile in the mind’ and why this is such an effective way of forming a connection with the viewer. This timeless classic is bound to lead to many ‘ah ha’ moments.
