The one certainty I have about creativity is that it will continue to fascinate me, draw me.

For many of us, the search for our purpose in life is a creative search. Though our purpose may be expressed in our work, for others it lies in a specific talent, in volunteer work, or their spiritual journey. If you are engaged in a search for purpose and creativity, I would highly recommend two books that I have read recently: The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything by Sir Ken Robinson and Following the Path: The Search for a Life of Passion, Purpose, and Joy by Joan Chittister.

I must confess I have three shelves in my main bookcase devoted to creativity, some with a general focus, but most with a focus on writing or the arts. As a child, I knew I wanted to be a writer, but I did not have any role models and schools at that time seldom offered artist residencies or meet the writer programs. I did not consciously realize I read biography to find role models, but I also found inspiration in fiction, most notably in Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women and her character of Jo, a role model I share with many other women writers. I must have read that book thirty times. Over the years I have read many fiction and nonfiction books about creativity. I tried to make a “Top Ten” list, but it turned into a “Top Twenty-ish List.” I offer these nonfiction books in the hope they will provide inspiration to you as well:

*Making Sense of Our Lives through the Power and Practice of Story, by Christina Baldwin

*The Art Spirit by Robert Henri

*The Gift: Imagination and the Erotic Life of Property by Lewis Hyde

*Uncommon Genius: How Great Ideas Are Born by Denise Shekerjian

*Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking by David Bayles and Ted Orland

*Writing Alone and with Others by Pat Schneider (She also has a new book coming out in April 2013 called How The Light Gets In: Writing as a Spiritual Practice).

*The Writing Life by Annie Dillard

*Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art by Madeleine L’ Engle

*The Writer’s Home Companion: An Anthology of the World’s Best Writing Advice, from Keats to Kunitz edited by Joan Bolker

*Writing Past Dark: Envy, Fear, Distractions, and Other Dilemmas in the Writer’s Life by Bonnie Friedman

*Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott

*Writing the Australian Crawl: Views on the Writer’s Vocation by William Stafford

*If You Want to Write: A Book about Art, Independence, and Spirit by Brenda Ueland

*Voice Lessons: On Becoming a (Woman) Writer by Nancy Mairs

*The Writer on her Work, Volumes I and II, edited by Janet Sternburg

*Pen on Fire: a busy woman’s guide to igniting the writer within by Barbara DeMarco-Barrett

*Sleeping with One Eye Open: Women Writers and the Art of Survival edited by Marilyn Kallet and Judith Ortiz Cofer

*Telling Time, Angels, Ancestors, and Stories by Nancy Willard

*My Name Is Asher Lev and The Gift of Asher Lev by Chaim Potok (These two novels had to sneak into this list, since I re-read them every few years. In addition to Potok’s exploration of creativity and of what it means to be an artist, I simply love to be in the company of these characters).

Though I worked many years directing arts non-profit organizations that were guided by a desire to nurture artists and serve the community, ironically, the creative work I found most fulfilling was the work I was most unprepared for–bringing the arts into pediatrics at a major medical center. I had no medical background or child development background; instead, I experienced the hospital environment as the children and parents experienced it (Grief and Healing).

The ways creativity expresses itself are endless–a great deal of exciting, innovative work is being done in groups dedicated to protecting our environment, lifting people out of poverty, humanizing medical environments, revitalizing our educational systems, creating community for people isolated by loneliness. For the individuals engaged in this work, whatever the specific shape, it requires dedication, leadership, an ability to respond to change, a spirit of inclusivity and collaboration, and sometimes what feels like infinite patience. Margaret Wheatley’s work stands out to me. Though she lays out her theories in Leadership and the New Science, I prefer her more personal book, Finding Our Way: Leadership for an Uncertain Time, and her most recent book showcasing creative work in diverse communities around the globe, Walk Out Walk on: A Learning Journey into Communities Daring to Live the Future Now. You can also read about her work at www.berkana.org.

I would love to hear about books that have inspired and supported your creativity. Please feel free to contact me.