12 must-read books for emerging creatives

by Ruby ConwayResourcesPublished 5th March 2026

When it comes to kickstarting creativity, it can sometimes feel counterintuitive to pick up a book and read rather than do. But the ideas, lessons and thoughts that can come from an important book are second to none. Reading can be a launchpad, shifting your perspective and unblocking your thinking. Here’s our list of some essential reading material on creativity, art and design.

The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron

How many great books, albums and artworks have come about as a result of The Artist’s Way? This cult creative guidebook, a 12 week programme, is designed to help you find your flow and purpose. Have a project you’ve been wanting to get started forever, but just can’t get into the rhythm? Struggling to sit down and do the thing? This is your book and North Star.

Decolonizing Design: A Cultural Justice Guidebook, Elizabeth (Dori) Tunstall and Ene Agi

From design anthropologist Dori Tunstall, this book explores the perpetuation of colonial thinking in design while providing a roadmap for recentring design practice in global Indigenous, Black and PoC cultures and histories. For disruptive, critical design, this is your book.

On Photography, Susan Sontag

If you haven’t picked up a book by Susan Sontag before, you should. The seminal cultural critic has written on everything from feminism to violence to the aesthetics of camp. Her essay collection On Photography is a searing look at how photography has changed the world we live in, with a focus on the moral and aesthetic impacts. Photographer or not, it’s a great read for thinking about images, represenation and ways of seeing.

How To Live an Artful Life, Katie Hessel

Day-to-day life is often mundane, so how can you infuse it with a little more creativity? Art historian and writer Katie Hessel is here to lead the way, with reflections from artists for every day of the year, from Marina Abramovic to Nan Goldin and Louise Bourgeois. As the seasons change, what will this year bring you creatively?

Design as Art, Bruno Munari

From Bruno Munari, described by Picasso as 'the new Leonardo', this classic book sets out the Italian designer’s ideas about visual, graphic and industrial design. Through everyday objects – lamps, road signs, typography, posters, children's books, advertising, cars and chairs – Munari unpicks what makes for thoughtful design.

The Creative Act, Rick Rubin

Where does creativity come from and where does it go to die? Music producer Rick Rubin has some answers as he creates a space where artists of all different genres and traditions can focus in on who they really are. Beloved by many, The Creative Act is about the path of the artist and their relationship to the world – something that'll resonate for all creatives.

Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert

From the author of Eat, Pray, Love, Big Magic is about overcoming fear and embracing curiosity so you can carve out a creative life. Moving between the spiritual and the practical, Gilbert shares her own stories and wisdom on creativity. Whether you’re a writer, artist or just looking to approach a challenge or goal, Big Magic can help you out.

Anthology of Blackness: The State of Black Design, Terresa Moses and Omari Souza

A book born from the Black Lives Matter movement, this collection looks at the failures of the design field when it comes to attracting and supporting Black professionals. As a counterpoint, the writers offer proven methods for creating an anti-racist and inclusive design practice through the lens of community-driven concerns, design pedagogy and design activism.

Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

We’ve all heard about ‘creative flow’ and ‘flow state’, but what really is it and how can we get there? Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a researcher on flow states, looks at the psychology of discovery that leads to such a state. Drawing on nearly one hundred interviews with exceptional people, this book explores the creative process in depth, uncloaking its mysterious nature.

Sister Outsider, Audre Lorde

In this iconic work, Audre Lorde reminds us that creativity is political. In particular, her essay ‘Poetry is Not a Luxury’ explores how writing is a foundational tool for survival and self-definition. ‘It forms the quality of the light within which we predicate our hopes and dreams toward survival and change, first made into language, then into idea, then into more tangible action.’

The Beauty of Everyday Things, Soetsu Yanagi

If you’re interested in Japanese design and philosophy, this is your book. Inspired by the work of the craftsmen he encountered during his lifelong travels through Japan and Korea, the Japanese philosopher and aesthete here sets out the hallmarks of Japanese design as we know it today: quality, simplicity, honesty and wabi-sabi, the beauty of imperfection. It’s an ode to the beauty of modest, handcrafted things.

Extra Bold: A Feminist, Inclusive, Anti-racist, Nonbinary Field Guide for Graphic Designers, Ellen Lupton and Jennifer Tobias

For a radical career guide, Extra Bold rethinks design principles and practices through theories of feminism, racism, inclusion and nonbinary thinking. Filled with interviews, essays, typefaces and projects from dozens of design voices, this is part textbook, part comic, zine, manifesto, survival guide and self-help manual.

by Ruby ConwayResourcesPublished 5th March 2026

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