8 books every creative woman needs to read this year
In this episode, I'm sharing the books that made it possible for me to live a creative and spiritual life. If you want to feel more like yourself, overcome emotional and mental blocks, and express the work you're meant to put into the world read these books.
This is the year of the creative. I’ve been feeling this pull, energy, and expansion within me calling me to create. As I get older, I realize how short life is. Mostly from seeing my daughter grow up right before my eyes. Lightning fast. It reminds me we only have this one life to live. And let's live it to its fullest.
Over the years I've ebbed and flowed in my commitment to and pursuit of my creativity. When I’m following my purpose, when I’m lit up, and doing things that I know my soul is meant to do everything else in life feels better. My relationships, my work, my health.
The beauty of the creative soul is it doesn’t take much to light up. When I write first thing in the morning, even if it's for five minutes, I'm on fire for the rest of the day. That’s how I know writing is part of my soul's calling. This year, I’ve felt the desire to be more vocal and embracing of these creative desires. No more embarrassment, shame, or acting small.
The books that I'm going to share are ones that have changed my life creatively and spiritually. They're ones that if you came to me and said, “Listen, I want to feel more like myself. To feel good. Happier. I want to express the work that I'm supposed to put into the world and feel vibrant and bright and happy. What books would you recommend?” These are the books.
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1. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
I know I know, I'm sure you hear The Artist’s Way leave everyone’s lips. It’s for a good reason. Julia Cameron helps you recover your sense of creative self by taking you on a spiritual path to your higher crativity. Each chapter has you dive into different areas: like why you're blocked, and how to recover a sense of power and remember your sense of identity. It unearths the highest parts of yourself.
When reading, you feel a cozy warmth, like you're holding a cup of tea tucked under a blanket. It allows you to feel like you're in a safe space, as you remember your divine creative self. Because when you're creative, it feels vulnerable, right? If we've shown our work to someone, and they've judged us, or they didn't react the way we hoped, it can hurt. The Artist’s Way helps you heal through it all.
This book is for you if you:
want to light the fire of your creativity
need to heal creative hurts
feel buried by the world’s expectations and responsibilities
The minute you start reading you can tell Julia Cameron was inspired. This was a divine gift that she made and gave to the world. And remember creativity is a divine part of who we are. Everyone deserves to feel like they’re creating what they’re called to create. And this book will remind you of that.
2. The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer
When I read The Untethered Soul, it was the first time that I felt a sense of hope. Hope that it was possible to grow beyond my blocks and limitations. That there was freedom just on the other side of the perceptions I’d built. Before that moment, I knew my problems but didn’t know if there was a way out.
I struggled with crippling anxiety and fear. Since I didn’t have information to tell me otherwise I thought I was stuck that way forever. The Untethered Soul gave me a new lease on life. Singer makes the concepts straightforward and crystal clear. He talks about the ego, energies, and gives great analogies. He talks about being in this dark box. And how if only we knew that on the other side was this expansive, bright freedom.
This book is for you if you:
want to feel hope
understand spiritual language
feel the freedom from better thinking
Every time I find myself butting up against a limiting belief, I always think of that picture in my mind. And remember, there's another side to this box. There's light, there's hope. It's a wonderful book. I highly recommend it.
3. The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav
You may have heard Oprah talk about The Seat of the Soul. It was a book that changed her life and shifted her focus spiritually. It was, I believe, the one that got her into setting intentions as a way of life. Every time she started a meeting or a call, she would ask, “What's the intention?” When you know where you're going everything flows and it's easier to get what you desire.
Don't let the 384 pages scare you. It’s full of unbelievable information on intuition, karma, intention, addiction, relationships, and more. I would say read this after the Untethered Soul. It expanded my mind even more and I literally had to lay on my bed and look at the ceiling to kind of soak in what I was learning.
This book is for you if you:
are looking for transformation and a way to think differently about life
let your soul be in the driver's seat (not the personality)
want to feel better and see things in a better light
It's one of those books that cracks you wide open in the best ways. It really changed the way that I think about life. I'll also say that a big chunk of the book at the end is a study guide meant for book clubs.
4. When Women Were Birds by Terry Tempest Williams
I discovered When Women Were Birds by Terry Tempest Williams from someone in The Good Space community. It’s about women finding their voices. The writing is beautiful. It's a memoir mixed with creative inspiration.
When Tempest’s mother died, she found her journals, and some of them were blank. It made her dive into what voice means. How a blank page can signify a lack of one. It makes you question: what’s my voice? What was her voice? What does a voice mean?
You learn about Tempest personally and then expand out to her work as a writer and how she changed the world through her writing. Then she weaves in all the questions she has about religion, life and meaning. It's a beautiful book
This book is for you if you:
like to connect to a beautiful story
aren’t afraid to go deep
want to understand your own voice better
5. Daily Rituals: Women at Work by Mason Currey
I bought Daily Rituals: Women at Work by Mason Currey when I lived in Zurich and needed inspiration for writing. The book has entries about different women and their creative work. Coco Chanel, Dorothy Parker, Zadie Smith, Virginia Woolf, Charlotte Bronte, Alice Walker, on and on. You learn what their work process was like and get inspired in the meantime.
Some writers wake up in the morning, get a cup of coffee, and then go to a cabin or office. Or painters, photographers, and so on. It’s inspiring to look at people who are successful in their art and understand what their day-to-day looks like.
It inspired me to not only appreciate my creative process but also to be okay with not writing a whole chapter in one day, or not. The book gives you permission to create the process that you want to create. And you feel like you're with your people. When I find other writers or songwriters or just people in that same kind of vein, I feel supported and uplifted and it's more fun.
This book is for you if you:
have a creative endeavor you’re working on
need a creative boost or inspiration
enjoy learning about creative processes
This is a great book to have as a companion, and you could just read one or two a day and go do your thing.
6. Money and the Law of Attraction by Esther and Jerry Hicks
If you want to have a better mindset, energy, and thought process around money you need to stop what you’re doing and buy Money and the Law of Attraction. If you're not in the mindset of money this is still a great book because the principles Esther Hicks shares are universal. You could apply them to money, relationships, work, or health. As you read, you feel this pulsing magnetic energy.
It changed the way that I look at money. It's helped me to elevate spiritually and how I show up in the world. It’s the book that also taught me about the importance of feeling good. I’ve made so many emails and videos about why feeling good is the best decision you could ever make.
When you feel good, that means you're connected with who you truly are. When you're connected with who you truly are, then you’re also connected to what you truly want. This means you can attract faster and quicker. The key to manifesting is how you feel. Because if you don't feel good, then you're not aligned with who you truly are and what you really want.
If you take away only one thing from this post make it that. If you want to understand more read Money and the Law of Attraction.
This book is for you if you want to:
get better at manifesting
have a better relationship with money
feel your best and learn spiritual principles
Bonus books I’m excited to read
Radically Content by Jamie Varon
Radically Content is about being satisfied in an endlessly dissatisfied world. I love Jamie’s Instagram. She shares text posts of her writing and it pierces my soul and spirit. You can tell it’s from Spirit. I figured if I love her writing on social media, I'm probably going to love her book.
Being content and satisfied in a world that teaches us to consume more, watch more, and listen more is tough. Consumerism capitalizes on the feeling that we're not enough. Making us believe that feeling “enough” lies outside of us. This book seems like the breath of fresh air we all need.
Feeling Seen by Dr. Jody Carrington
Feeling Seen is another book whose message the world needs now. We've had Dr. Jody Carrington on the podcast a couple of times (listen here and here) and this lady is amazing. She’s a force to be reckoned with. Her mission, her passion, her everything is going to change the world.
This book was released not too long ago and so far it's fantastic. I can't wait to finish it. She talks about the human necessity to feel seen and how vital connection is. Everyone's going to be better having read this book.
The power of reading other people's wisdom and creativity only fuels and transforms us. Whenever I have an obstacle or a struggle the perfect book crosses my path. I hope you found something useful and if anything you felt like you were talking with a friend.
Have you read any of these books or plan to? Have any questions? Share your thoughts with me in the comments below.
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