I love having a project on my to-do list. Its something to think about when I am stuck in traffic, mindlessly making yet another bowl of macaroni and cheese for the little nuggets running at my feet, or when I can’t sleep at night. But what happens when there is a project that HAS to be done, and the ideas just aren’t coming? Like writers block for the DIY / Design Blogger / Creative person, it can be very frustrating. So, here are some fun things to expand your thoughts, take you outside your box, and walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. Or a better pair of your own shoes.
The Best Books To Spark Your Creativity:
1. Listography – Your Life In Lists.
I love to-do lists. I have different methods that I use, all at the same time, but this is a way of exhausting every possible idea. Like a journal with its own list of prompts, I like this for its creativity and thought provoking titles. List memorable people you have worked with. List things you wish you had a second chance to do. List your favorite books. You can also get more specific titles such as Parenthood Listography: My Kid in Lists
and My Future Listography: All I Hope to Do in Lists
.
2. Furniture Makeovers
The ability to look at an old dresser and see its potential is not as common as you would think. Sometimes you need to see the possibilities to be able to light your creative fire. There are 26 easy to follow techniques you can apply to any piece in your parents house. Gold lead, wallpapering, dip dyeing, and distressing have never been more exciting. If you are looking at reupholstering, check out Spruce – a book with tons of tip and tricks to reuphosltering all different types of furniture. I reviewed it here.
3. Braids, Buns, and Twists!
Its like pinterest inspiration with actual directions and easy to follow illustrations. In fact, you may recognize some of the photos from pinterest because some of your favorite bloggers have some tutorials included in this book. Sometimes trying something new and working with your hands allows you to use your brain in a different way, allowing you to spark some new ideas. If you come up with a new way to style your hair all the better. From top knots to twists, casual to formal, there are so many styles you can master at any skill level or experience.
4. 642 Things To Write About
Part inspiration, part notebook, this book will get the ideas flowing. Its playful and funny, with a bit more specific of ideas such as “an ode to an onion”.
5. Draw Your Own Alphabets
Take your doodles and sketches to a whole new level. This book has some fun ideas that you may not use to write your name with forever, but it would be a fun excersize to get you going. Not only are there pages to work with to develop your own lettering, there is also a technical section to teach you how to transfer your own fonts to a computer and using them to mix and match different alphabets. Genius I tell you.
What do you do to spark your creativity?
Comments & Reviews
Alli says
Followed your link here from Domestic Superhero. I love the Listogrpahy books. It seems like such a simple thing, make lists according to the subject, but then you get a topic that makes you think, and suddenly your head is full of all sort of new ideas or possibilities. They’re fantastic. I can’t wait to check out the 642 Things to Write About. I’ve been looking for something to add to my to my library to help beat the writer block blues. I love the internet, but sometimes it’s nice to have a physical go to source.