The Road to Creativity

Sometimes, you're stuck in a dilemma - should I do this, or not?

And when we stand between the "Should" and the "Must", which should we take? “Should” is what we feel we ought to be doing, or what is expected of us. “Must” is the thing we dream of doing, our heart’s desire. And Elle Luna explains how to follow your passion and love while remaining practical. Whether you're a recent graduate, or a budding artist, or wanting to change jobs, or wanting to find more in life, you'll definitely relate.

Sometimes, what you need is a role model to look up to, or emulate.

In her first book, one of our most beloved funny folk delivers a smart, pointed, and ultimately inspirational read. Full of the comedic skill that makes us all love Amy. Yes Please is a rich and varied collection of stories, lists, poetry (Plastic Surgery Haiku, to be specific), photographs, mantras and advice, and is full of words to live by. This woman definitely climbed up the ranks of Hollywood with hard work and grit and that's something worth learning for sure.

Digging deep into your emotions is one way to get in touch with your feelings and in turn, your inspiration.

Sylvia Plath's shocking, realistic, and intensely emotional novel about a woman falling into the grip of insanity. In her acclaimed and enduring masterwork, Plath brilliantly draws the reader into a breakdown with such intensity that her insanity becomes palpably real, even rational—as accessible an experience as going to the movies. A deep penetration into the darkest and most harrowing corners of the human psyche, The Bell Jar is an extraordinary accomplishment and a haunting American classic.

If you're thinking, the days are hopeless, there will be no better days than the past, and that the world has seen brighter days, then maaaaaybe, you might be wrong.

Do Humankind's Best Days Lie Ahead gathers some of the best thinkers in contemporary times today, to discuss that very question - is the future better?

And Steven Pinker puts it nicely, really -- “It’s just a brute fact that we don't throw virgins into volcanoes any more. We don't execute people for shoplifting a cabbage. And we used to.”

Even if you're feeling idle and bogged down by zero inspiration, that doesn't mean you let your body go to waste. A bit of movement always helps, and blood pumping through your veins can kickstart a thought that just won't quit!

Don't know where to start? Maybe The Body Book can help. Cameron Diaz shares her formula for becoming happier, healthier, and stronger in this positive, essential guide grounded in science and inspired by personal experience, now a #1 New York Times bestseller. From demystifying and debunking the hype around food groups to explaining the value of vitamins and minerals, readers will discover why it’s so important to embrace the instinct of hunger and to satisfy it with whole, nutrient-dense foods.

Oliver Sacks was by far one of the best, and quickest thinkers of our time. He studied all things neuro, trying to understand what made the brain tick, and what made me stop.

In this compilation, Sacks pulls together twenty-four of his most fascinating and beloved case studies. The patients in these pages are confronted with almost inconceivably strange neurological disorders; in Sacks’ telling, their stories are a profound testament to the adaptability of the human brain and the resilience of the human spirit.

For those who are old hands in wanting to be inspired, Elizabeth Gilbert should be a familiar name. And in Big Magic, you can expect the usual magic that she wields.

Through stories from her own life, as well as those from her friends and the people that have inspired her, Elizabeth Gilbert challenges us to embrace our curiosity, tackle what we most love and face down what we most fear. Whether you long to write a book, create art, cope with challenges at work, embark on a long-held dream, or simply to make your everyday life more vivid and rewarding, Big Magic will take you on a journey of exploration filled with wonder and unexpected joys.

The trick to creativity? Go out and see the world! Experience new things and meet new people. But if you're daunted by how people seem to fit it so perfectly, then maybe, this is the right tool for you.

In this wildly funny, irreverent and practical guide, David Gillespie and Mark Warren share their proprietary formula for achieving a heightened and sustained level of interestingness. There are tons of fascinating quotes, outrageous humour and vibrant visual material—including mindmaps and infographics -- everything you need to increase your personal appeal, engage more effectively with those around you and lead a more enjoyable and fulfilling life.

To put that spark of creativity and inspiration back into your life, sometimes, you just need to seize the moment, or change the way you do things.

From the very first page of Eckhart Tolle's extraordinary book, we move rapidly into a significantly higher altitude where we breathe a lighter air. We become connected to the indestructible essence of our Being, “The eternal, ever present One Life beyond the myriad forms of life that are subject to birth and death.” Although the journey is challenging, Eckhart Tolle uses simple language and an easy question and answer format to guide us.

A rousing desire to want to create change is what might spur one on. Change for the better, change for the future. And that's what Nobel Prize winner Svetlana Alexievich did.

A journalist by trade, who now suffers from an immune deficiency developed while researching this book, presents personal accounts of what happened to the people of Belarus after the nuclear reactor accident in 1986, and the fear, anger, and uncertainty that they still live with. The Nobel Prize in Literature 2015 was awarded to Svetlana Alexievich “for her polyphonic writings, a monument to suffering and courage in our time.”

The key to inspiration, perhaps, is the willingness to see beyond what's there, and to push boundaries. After all, how can you create things if everything is sufficient and ready?

As founder and CEO of Rakuten, one of the world's largest Internet companies, author Hiroshi Mikitani brings an entrepreneur's perspective to bear on the country's economic stagnation. Through a freewheeling and candid conversation with his economist father, Ryoichi Mikitani, the two examine the issues facing Japan, and explore possible roadmaps to revitalization. A must-read for any entrepreneur, but also for those who want to see the train of thought behind this traditional and modern duo.

Ok - think about why you have no inspiration and can't get things done. Is it because you truly really lack inspiration, or are you just procrastinating?

Many of us have the greatest of intentions but find ourselves procrastinating, which results in low attainment and frustrated ambitions. Grounded in solid psychological research Robert Kelsey helps us examine why we might have these tendencies and how to overcome them in order to feel more together, in control and on-top of everything.

Is happiness truly attainable? And maybe could that be the secret to inspiration and creativity? We're not sure, but we're definitely game to try.

The Happiness Project describes one person’s year-long attempt to discover what leads to true contentment. Drawing at once on cutting-edge science, classical philosophy, and real-world applicability, Rubin has written an engaging, eminently relatable chronicle of transformation.

Feed your curiosity. That's all there is to it. When you look at new details, maybe you'll be able to form a new big picture.

And when it comes to feeding curiosity, no one does it better than Anthony Bourdain. In his quest for the perfect meal, the chef/author tries about anything, from poisonous fugu fish to live cobra heart. If there's one thing to learn from him, its that you'll come back with a story, definitely.