Powers of Two
Understanding how success is crafted in the creative industries is complex. Yet, there is a hidden thread which is often present. It is the reason the Beatles, Van Gogh, JRR Tolken and the creators of South Park succeeded in creating works that became timeless.
It often takes two people to drive innovation. Powers of Two delves deep into the relationships of successful creators and how working together unlocked their creative strengths.
Fantastic examples of how working in creative pairs allows us to succeed.
Recommended for
- For your significant other
- For your creative partner
- For anyone who you deem essential to your practice
- For anyone interested in the psychology of creating
Business for Bohemians
The word business is often seen as “dirty” within the creative industries. It’s associated to making money and the many pointless abbreviations people use when trying to persuade you that starting your own company is complicated. Cast those aside immediately. Making money puts food on the table and allows you to scale your ambitions; and business doesn’t need to be complicated.
But business does need to be structured. Business for Bohemians is a brilliant introduction on what to watch out for when creating a business.
A no nonsense guide to creating a business, with some funny anecdotes thrown in for good measure.
Recommended for
- Starting up as freelancers
- Starting a business
- Who hate business books, but need to learn more about it
- Curious about business
Madam & Eve
Unable to name a woman artist as readily as a male one? You’re not the only one. As a society we’ve been skewed towards celebrating the men in our fields and cast a long shadow over the works of incredibly talented women artists. Time to change that!
Madam & Eve is the perfect antidote to a societal bias; shining a light on the incredible women artists who have enriched our lives through their craft. It’s a work of beauty which should be read fully and placed ceremoniously on your coffee table to share with everyone.
A beautiful compendium of female artists expertly put together by Kathleen Soriano.
Recommended for
- For those who don’t think there are enough women artists
- For the men who love art (and should be, delicately, educated)
- Or simply for lovers of great art
The Empathy Instinct
The value of the creative industries is not easy to make a case for. Our government struggles to understand it, cutting back on the funding that we depend on. This trickles down into our education and upbringing. It’s likely you’ve come across this bias in conversations that contain any of the following words: “real jobs”, “no money in it”, “oh, that’s nice”.
The Empathy Instinct, written by the former Chair of Arts Council, Sir Peter Bazalgette – is a brilliant take on why creativity matters and its financial and societal impact on us. Sir Peter makes a clear and thrilling case made all the better by accessible language and real-world examples.
Make a case for why creativity matters and is valuable to the UK.
Recommended for
- For parents of creators
- For anyone who feels you should have a real job
- For anyone interested in solving societies biggest issues
If you really wanted to hammer the point home, you could include the Arts Dividend by Darren Henley, the current CEO of the Arts Council. Which develops the subject further and is an equally thrilling read.
Start with Why
Getting people to understand what you do quickly is no mean feat. The arts are a brilliant form of self-expression, but this doesn’t mean you won’t face moments where explaining your thoughts on a project don’t translate well into conversations and pitches.
If you’ve ever struggled to get your work understood by people around you, Start with Why is a brilliant summary on how to create narratives people will care about. Here’s a teaser of what to expect with Simon Sineks TED talk which inspired the book.
Having trouble getting people to understand and care about what you do – this will help.
Recommended for
- For those looking to pitch projects
- For those collaborating with large teams
- Anyone looking to communicate their ideas better
Curve Ball
Being Mortal
Death isn’t the first thing that comes to mind during the Christmas season; actually, it’s a subject we like to ignore and cast aside. Yet, knowing there is an end can inspire us to make the most of the time we have been given.
Being Mortal is in no way related to the creative industries; but is a necessary insight into our mortality by a surgeon who enriches his thoughts with personal stories. It helps define what matters most to you by reminding us all that time is finite and should be respected.
Remind yourself that time is finite and should be spent doing what you love.
Recommended for
- Not for the faint hearted
- For anyone open minded and curious
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Guy Armitage is the founder of Zealous and author of “Everyone is Creative“. He is on a mission to amplify the world’s creative potential.
