Love Minding the Muse? Readers share 100 books like Minding the Muse...

By Priscilla Long,

Here are 100 books that Minding the Muse fans have personally recommended if you like Minding the Muse. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom

Rachael Oā€™Meara Author Of Pause

From my list on be a more confident leader.

Why am I passionate about this?

Ever since I was a little girl, I felt intimidated to use my voice when I needed to, or didnā€™t feel confident to speak up or show up to support myself. It wasnā€™t until I studied emotional intelligence (EI) that I started to learn the tools that helped me develop my confidence and step into my power. My book has many of these tools in it, and I am on a mission to help leaders embrace intentional shifts in behavior, or pauses, to redirect their energy to feel more confident, calm, and clearā€“without the overwhelm. 

Rachael's book list on be a more confident leader

Rachael Oā€™Meara Why did Rachael love this book?

I read this book as part of my Search Inside Yourself (SIY) facilitator training when I worked at Google and later taught. I love this book because itā€™s full of science-based research on the power of mindfulness. I personally love all of Rickā€™s books and hosted him on my podcast, The Pausecast podcast (Ep. 17), where he blends his psychology and mindfulness expertise into easy and relatable concepts.

This book stuck out to me because Hanson shares how great teachers like Jesus, Moses, Mohammed, Gandhi, and the Buddha all had brains built essentially like anyone else's, yet they were able to harness their thoughts and shape their patterns of thinking in ways that changed history. I was inspired by their stories and also saw how I could model my own thinking in ways that better serve me and the world. 

By Rick Hanson, Richard Mendius,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked Buddha's Brain as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Jesus, Moses, Mohammed, Gandhi, and the Buddha all had brains built essentially like anyone else's, yet they were able to harness their thoughts and shape their patterns of thinking in ways that changed history.

With new breakthroughs in modern neuroscience and the wisdom of thousands of years of contemplative practice, it is possible for us to shape our own thoughts in a similar way for greater happiness, love, compassion, and wisdom.

Buddha's Brain joins the forces of modern neuroscience with ancient contemplative teachings to show readers how they can work toward greater emotional well-being, healthier relationships, more effective actions, andā€¦


Book cover of Make Your Art No Matter What: Moving Beyond Creative Hurdles

Jennifer Louden Author Of Why Bother: Discover the Desire for Whatā€™s Next

From my list on when youā€™re creatively stuck.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™ve been obsessed with the creative process since I was 8 and read Harriet the Spy and realized her writing saved her and after I spied on one of my parentā€™s cocktail parties and wondered why everybody was so dull (I was so cheeky). Still, itā€™s the quest that drives me: how do we be fully ourselves in this world and how does creativity help? I explore this question on my podcast Create Out Loud and in my weekly newsletter, and these books have helped me formulate, if not answers, creative and mindful practices that sustain me daily. I hope they inspire you too.

Jennifer's book list on when youā€™re creatively stuck

Jennifer Louden Why did Jennifer love this book?

Most creatives struggle with maintaining a creative practice in the face of busted water heaters, draining day jobs, and pesky emotions especially anxiety and depression. Bethā€™s refreshingly honest handbook is built on the premise you must find a way to make your art no matter what. Sheā€™s also been a guest on my podcast Create Out Loud and I loved everything she shared.

By Beth Pickens,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Make Your Art No Matter What as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Artist's Way for the 21st century-from esteemed creative counselor Beth Pickens.

If you are an artist, you need to make your art. That's not an overstatement-it's a fact; if you stop doing your creative work, your quality of life is diminished. But what do you do when life gets in the way? In this down-to-earth handbook, experienced artist coach Beth Pickens offers practical advice for developing a lasting and meaningful artistic practice in the face of life's inevitable obstacles and distractions. This thoughtful volume suggests creative ways to address the challenges all artists must overcome-from making decisions about time,ā€¦


Book cover of Story Genius: How to Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining and Write a Riveting Novel (Before You Waste Three Years Writing 327 Pages That Go Nowhere)

Jeff Lyons Author Of Rapid Story Development: How to Use the Enneagram-Story Connection to Become a Master Storyteller

From my list on learning the craft of story development.

Why am I passionate about this?

I discovered my love for story early, growing up on TV and movies. I spent a good chunk of my teen years sitting in the dark watching everything that came out, especially foreign films. Itā€™s safe to say that I learned the basics of storytelling by watching all the greats, from Hitchcock to David Lean to Kubrick. Itā€™s no wonder I became a screenwriter rather than a novelist. But when I realized that story is story, regardless of the story form (book, movie, or TV commercial) a whole other world opened to me and my talent for story blossomed. Over the years, I grew this talent and passion and launched a career in Hollywood. 

Jeff's book list on learning the craft of story development

Jeff Lyons Why did Jeff love this book?

For years everyone thought the only two options for writing were to pants or plot, i.e., wing it or outline. Turns out there is another method and Lisa Cron lays that out in her book. 

I found this to be a truly valuable resource based on science and creative process. Cronā€™s book takes you from idea to actual writing using an innovative and original take on the conventional writing process.

By Lisa Cron,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Story Genius as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Following on the heels of Lisa Cron's breakout first book, Wired for Story, this writing guide reveals how to use cognitive storytelling strategies to build a scene-by-scene blueprint for a riveting story.

Itā€™s every novelistā€™s greatest fear: pouring their blood, sweat, and tears into writing hundreds of pages only to realize that their story has no sense of urgency, no internal logic, and so is a page one rewrite. 

The prevailing wisdom in the writing community is that there are just two ways around this problem: pantsing (winging it) and plotting (focusing on the external plot). Story coach Lisa Cronā€¦


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Book cover of Tap Dancing on Everest: A Young Doctor's Unlikely Adventure

Tap Dancing on Everest by Mimi Zieman,

Tap Dancing on Everest, part coming-of-age memoir, part true-survival adventure story, is about a young medical student, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor raised in N.Y.C., who battles self-doubt to serve as the doctorā€”and only womanā€”on a remote Everest climb in Tibet.

The team attempts a new route upā€¦

Book cover of Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals

Chris BarƩz-Brown Author Of Upping Your Elvis

From my list on get your energy right.

Why am I passionate about this?

It has always fascinated me how one person can enter a room, and they can change its temperature, and yet others remain unnoticed. Some feel unstoppable, whilst others struggle to get out of bed. Some create such a resonant, kind, and compassionate coherence in everything they do and all those that they touch; it feels like they are surrounded by blue birds and sunshine, and yet many of their colleagues will not be remembered. To be human is complex and magical. I've spent my life learning how we can get our energy right so that every day becomes extraordinary and Technicolor, and that's why I help businesses do the same.

Chris' book list on get your energy right

Chris BarƩz-Brown Why did Chris love this book?

Oliver Burkman saved me from myself. I had a sneaky suspicion that although I claimed to have weaned myself off the addiction of constant optimization, I wasn't absolutely clean, but reading his book was the best rehab I could imagine.

Oliver is incredibly smart and incredibly creative. I've enjoyed his columns for years, but now he has honed his writing style so brilliantly that I couldn't help but be riveted by what can often be quite a boring subjectā€”time and how we use it.

We are our time, and our fixation with it is often unhealthy. Reading this gave me a perceptual reboot that has made me think quite differently about not only each day and how I use it but also how I should think about life. It's novel, entertaining, and enlightening. It's well worth investing one of your 4000 weeks.

By Oliver Burkeman,

Why should I read it?

13 authors picked Four Thousand Weeks as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

"Provocative and appealing . . . well worth your extremely limited time." ā€•Barbara Spindel, The Wall Street Journal

The average human lifespan is absurdly, insultingly brief. Assuming you live to be eighty, you have just over four thousand weeks.

Nobody needs telling there isnā€™t enough time. Weā€™re obsessed with our lengthening to-do lists, our overfilled inboxes, work-life balance, and the ceaseless battle against distraction; and weā€™re deluged with advice on becoming more productive and efficient, and ā€œlife hacksā€ to optimize our days. But such techniques often end up making things worse. The sense ofā€¦


Book cover of The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life

Rachel Rose Author Of Creating Stillness: Mindful Art Practices and Stories for Navigating Anxiety, Stress, and Fear

From my list on helping you know through creativity.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've been making messes with paint, string, and words, as well as in love, mothering, and in virtually every other way imaginable my whole life. Eventually, an expertise began to grow, and the confusion in my life began to make sense through my creations, while at the same time, the seemingly irrelevant words and textures I was making started to tell me something about my life. Eventually, my lived experience and training in the Expressive Arts Therapies have led me to the roles of teacher, educator, and contemplative artist. If we pay attention to what we express and how we express things, we can find our way through any mess we find ourselves in.

Rachel's book list on helping you know through creativity

Rachel Rose Why did Rachel love this book?

Of all the creative self-help books out there, Twyla Tharpā€™s perspective stands out as one fueled by awareness and curiosity rather than grit and force.

For me, this gentler, more curious cultivation of creativity has proved sustaining as opposed to the conventional wisdom that suggests life must be pushed away or overcome to create. As a choreographer and dancer, her wisdom on building a life of creative expression is broad and encompassing, focusing on how one interacts with the world rather than the products one creates.

The inspiration in this book is followed up with practices that have changed the way I approach seeing the world, focusing my thoughts, and allowing the creative process to transport me to surprising places.

By Twyla Tharp,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Creative Habit as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

What makes someone creative? How does someone face the empty page, the empty stage and making something where nothing existed before? Not just a dilemma for the artist, it is something everyone faces everyday. What will I cook that isn't boring? How can I make that memo persuasive? What sales pitch will increase the order, get me the job, lock in that bonus? These too, are creative acts, and they all share a common need: proper preparation. For Twyla Tharp, creativity is no mystery; it's the product of hard work and preparation, of knowing one's aims and one's subject, ofā€¦


Book cover of How to Avoid Making Art (or Anything Else You Enjoy)

Olivia H. Miller Author Of Essential Yoga: An Illustrated Guide to Over 100 Yoga Poses and Meditations

From my list on inspiration just when you need it most.

Why am I passionate about this?

I strive to inspire others through my writing, yoga card decks, and workshops; therefore, Iā€™m passionate about finding inspiration and passing it on to others. For me discovering a dose of wise counsel or learning how someone else endured and overcame challenging times is a lifelineā€¦especially when I feel hopelessly stuck. These 5 books are a balm for the soul, quieting the negative self-talk long enough to clear a path to joy, optimism, and creativity. I hope these recommendations bring the same sense of inspiration for youā€¦just when you need it most! 

Olivia's book list on inspiration just when you need it most

Olivia H. Miller Why did Olivia love this book?

This wise and wonderful little book humorously holds up a mirror to the self-sabotaging techniques that can snap a fledgling idea right off the vine. (Procrastination, anyone?) Each page features ā€œadvice,ā€ along with hilarious illustrations, on how not to be creative, and has me ROTFLMAO with recognition. Here are some faves: ā€œSmoke a lot of dope for inspiration. Forget why itā€™s called dope. Forget your inspirations.ā€ ā€œCompare your work to the masterworks of the great masters.ā€ ā€œThe minute you have an idea, ask yourself: How much cold, hard cash is it worth?ā€ ā€œTake seriously every negative thing anyone says.ā€ (To wit, ā€œThat ainā€™t art, sister.ā€) With a wink and the perfect amount of reverse psychology, this whimsical book skillfully catapults me out of a creative funk!  

By Julia Cameron,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked How to Avoid Making Art (or Anything Else You Enjoy) as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In How to Avoid Making Art, the bestselling author of The Artist's Way delivers a (tongue-in-cheek!) guide to doing anything and everything you possibly can to avoid making art. Anyone who is engaged in a creative pursuit will no doubt identify with these wonderful cartoons by award-winning artist Elizabeth Cameron of creative wannabes doing everything except actually getting down to work.  

"For most people creativity is a serious business," says Julia Cameron. "They forget the telling phrase 'the play of ideas' and think that they need to knuckle down and work more. Often, the reverse is true. They need toā€¦


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Book cover of The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever

The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier,

The coaching book that's for all of us, not just coaches.

It's the best-selling book on coaching this century, with 15k+ online reviews. BrenƩ Brown calls it "a classic". Dan Pink said it was "essential".

It is practical, funny, and short, and "unweirds" coaching. Whether you're a parent, a teacher,ā€¦

Book cover of The Creative Cure: How Finding and Freeing Your Inner Artist Can Heal Your Life

Lisa Manyon Author Of Spiritual Sugar: The Divine Ingredients to Heal Yourself With Love

From my list on healing and spirituality.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™m a seeker and fascinated by spirituality. Books were among some of my best friends growing up and Iā€™ve been reading and writing for as long as I can remember. I started my business Write On Creative in 2003 and have helped mission-driven business owners, entrepreneurs, and corporate leaders craft their messages, create marketing messages with integrity, and develop strategies to get their work out into the world. I firmly believe that business is personal so it makes sense that my first book released via the Write On Creative Publishing imprint is my story of healing with love. I live in magical, Ashland, Oregon and love spending time in nature. 

Lisa's book list on healing and spirituality

Lisa Manyon Why did Lisa love this book?

This book is a powerful read for anyone ready to reclaim their creativity and heal their inner wounded child.

Jacob skillfully guides us through exercises that bring us home to ourselves. I include this as recommended reading in my book, and I love that Julia Cameron (another favorite author of The Artists Way fame) provides the foreword.

Full disclosure, this book brought me to healing tears. Iā€™ve read it and listened to it many times and I had the pleasure of meeting Jacob at his Heal and Create Writerā€™s event along with SARK. 

Another one of his books that you wonā€™t want to miss is Blessed Are the Weird.

By Jacob Nordby,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Creative Cure as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?


ā€œIā€™m just not that creativeā€ is a common refrain in todayā€™s society. But according to author and creative coach Jacob Nordby, nothing could be further from the truth. Every human being is creative, and having a regular creative practice is a vital key to a happy and fulfilling life.

If we don't exercise our creativity regularly, our lives can feel dull, stagnant, and rote. Many people live this way and believe ā€œthis is just the way life is,ā€ without realizing that developing a regular creative practice can be the cure to what ails them.

Nordby knows this all too well.ā€¦


Book cover of The Artist's Way

Mandy Ingber Author Of Yogalosophy: 28 Days to the Ultimate Mind-Body Makeover

From my list on activity books for mind body spirit.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up in Los Angeles and attended a progressive experiential learning school. The libraries were my classroom, the parks my playgrounds, and our twice-weekly field trips developed my journalistic skills. The week began with a contract agreement between myself and my teacher. My education made me a self-starter. My home was emotionally volatile. I became curious about healing: aligning my heart, mind, body, and spirit. My path unfolded to me. I became an actress on Broadway as my parents divorced and my school fell apart. My training in my mobile school delivered me into the real world. I was hungry to feel whole. Thus began my journey. 

Mandy's book list on activity books for mind body spirit

Mandy Ingber Why did Mandy love this book?

This book was a perfect companion for my creative process. I first tried it when it was originally published, and I wanted to jump-start my creativity.

As an actor, author, and artist, I needed something to motivate me. When I put myself into action and got help with a daily structure, my mindset and life completely shifted. It helped me tap into and stretch myself to do what I would normally not do alone.

By Julia Cameron,

Why should I read it?

14 authors picked The Artist's Way as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"With its gentle affirmations, inspirational quotes, fill-in-the-blank lists and tasks ā€” write yourself a thank-you letter, describe yourself at 80, for example ā€” The Artistā€™s Way proposes an egalitarian view of creativity: Everyoneā€™s got it."ā€”The New York Times 
 
"Morning Pages have become a household name, a shorthand for unlocking your creative potential"ā€”Vogue

Over four million copies sold!

Since its first publication, The Artist's Way phenomena has inspired the genius of Elizabeth Gilbert and millions of readers to embark on a creative journey and find a deeper connection to process and purpose. Julia Cameron's novel approach guides readers in uncovering problemsā€¦


Book cover of Wired to Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind

Mary Potter Kenyon Author Of Called to Be Creative: A Guide to Reigniting Your Creativity

From my list on to jumpstart your creativity.

Why am I passionate about this?

I began exploring the topic of creativity after my motherā€™s death in 2010. Mom was an extremely creative woman. The mother of ten children, living in poverty, she was a self-taught artist who managed to beautify her simple home with her art, building a home business selling paintings, woodcarvings, wall hangings, and quilts she created. When I began speaking to groups of women about creativity, I was shocked to discover just how few of them saw themselves as creative. Thus began my odyssey into creativity research and therapeutic art, and the resulting book and workshops that inspire and encourage others to discover their creative self.

Mary's book list on to jumpstart your creativity

Mary Potter Kenyon Why did Mary love this book?

This book is perfect for anyone who likes to see research that supports what they believe. Thereā€™s science behind the study of creativity and Wired to Create does an excellent job explaining it. Based on psychologist Scott Barry Kaufmanā€™s groundbreaking research, this book offers a glimpse inside the ā€œmessy mindsā€ of highly creative people. Kaufman and Carolyn Gregoire study the latest findings of neuroscience and psychology, and the practices of well-known ā€œcreatives,ā€ concluding that we are all, in some way, wired for creating, and everyday life presents endless opportunities to express that.

By Scott Barry Kaufman, Carolyn Gregoire,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Wired to Create as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Is it possible to make sense of something as elusive as creativity?

Based on psychologist Scott Barry Kaufmanā€™s groundbreaking research and Carolyn Gregoireā€™s popular article in the Huffington Post, Wired to Create offers a glimpse inside the ā€œmessy mindsā€ of highly creative people. Revealing the latest findings in neuroscience and psychology, along with engaging examples of artists and innovators throughout history, the book shines a light on the practices and habits of mind that promote creative thinking. Kaufman and Gregoire untangle a series of paradoxesā€” like mindfulness and daydreaming, seriousness and play, openness and sensitivity, and solitude and collaboration ā€“ā€¦


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Book cover of Head, Heart, and Hands Listening in Coach Practice: The Listening Coach

Head, Heart, and Hands Listening in Coach Practice by Kymberly Dakin-Neal,

This NABA award-winning book explores intentional listening as an essential skill for adults, introducing the Head, Heart, and Hands Listening model to amplify effective listening in personal and professional interactions. Itā€™s a vital resource for coaches, psychologists, HR professionals, teachers, counselors, salespeople and others who listen for a living. Listeningā€¦

Book cover of Things Are What You Make of Them: Life Advice for Creatives

Elena Mutonono Author Of Grounded Growth: Sustainable and Profitable Online Teaching Business On Your Own Terms

From my list on online language teachers building their own businesses.

Why am I passionate about this?

The start of my own online teaching business in 2010 felt both liberating and frustrating. I enjoyed working for myself but struggled to make my offers unique, attractive, sustainable, and successful. I had no idea how to make my voice heard in the highly-saturated and fast-growing online teaching industry. Following the advice of famous online business gurus, I lost track of what I wanted my business to accomplish and burned out following every online teaching trend there was. The books Iā€™ve selected helped me align with my own vision and values, inspired me to overcome my limitations and succeed on my own terms.

Elena's book list on online language teachers building their own businesses

Elena Mutonono Why did Elena love this book?

I met the author, Adam J. Kurz, at a conference for creatives, and his story of starting and growing his creative business inspired me to buy this book. In the book Adam shares tiny, easy-to-read tips for creatives who want to share their work with the world in their own unique and authentic way. Each page of the book is perforated so you can tear it out and send it as a small reminder to a friend. I love the message in the title ā€“ things are what you make of them ā€“ and this book offers you a unique perspective on failure, success, creative block, fear, starting again, and organizing your work life so you can enjoy it. 

By Adam J. Kurtz,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Things Are What You Make of Them as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Adam J. Kurtz wants you to feel better. About yourself. About the world. About the creative process." -Adweek
 
Insights and inspiration for anyone who makes art (or anything else) from someone who's been there (and maybe still is).

From the creative mind and heart of designer Adam J. Kurtz comes this upbeat rallying cry for creators of all stripes. Expanding on a series of popular essays, this handwritten and heartfelt book shares wisdom and empathy from one working artist to others in his signature tone: empathetic, vulnerable, inclusive, and conversational. Perforated tear-and-share pages make it easy to display the mostā€¦


Book cover of Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom
Book cover of Make Your Art No Matter What: Moving Beyond Creative Hurdles
Book cover of Story Genius: How to Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining and Write a Riveting Novel (Before You Waste Three Years Writing 327 Pages That Go Nowhere)

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