A new year is a great time for new beginnings and to make positive changes in your life.
As we settle into 2025, it’s the perfect time to refresh our creative spirits and embark on imaginative journeys.
Whether you’re an artist or dreamer, or you just want to cultivate creativity in your life, these carefully curated books promise to inspire, motivate, and empower your creative process.
Written by the founders of one of the world’s leading innovation and design firms, Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us All serves as a masterclass in nurturing creativity.
Tom and David Kelley explore how everyone can cultivate creative confidence, regardless of background or skill level. Through engaging stories and actionable tips, they debunk the myth that creativity is reserved for the “naturally talented.” Instead, they encourage readers to adopt a growth mindset and tackle creative challenges with curiosity and resilience.
Actress and creator Felicia Day in her second venture into publishing invites readers to embrace their quirks and overcome self-doubt.
Packed with humor and interactive exercises, Embrace Your Weird is designed to help creatives of all kinds silence their inner critics and unleash their unique voices. Day’s candid reflections and empowering advice make this a must-read for anyone battling a creative block.
For those who need a little more guidance and structure to work on unleashing their creativity, Carolyn Eckert’s Your Idea Starts Here offers a treasure trove of quick, actionable prompts to spark inspiration.
With 77 diverse exercises, this book helps readers break free from conventional thinking and explore fresh perspectives. Its visually engaging format and practical ideas make it a fantastic resource for jumpstarting creative projects.
And for those who want to work on their planning and organization skills while also fueling their creative mind, Ryder Carroll’s The Bullet Journal Method provides far more than a system of organization, but a guide to artistically approach mindful productivity. 
By combining creativity and structure, the book teaches readers how to declutter their minds, focus on what truly matters, and unleash their innovative potential. Carroll’s philosophy encourages self-expression while maintaining the clarity needed to bring creative visions to life.
These four books provide distinct approaches to creativity, ranging from philosophical insights to practical exercises. Whether you’re looking to build confidence, organize your ideas, embrace your quirks, or generate fresh concepts, these reads will guide you toward your most inspired self.
Check out sdcl.org or call the La Mesa Library at (619) 469-2151 to place a hold on any of these titles.
You can also see all the awesome upcoming events happening at the La Mesa Library.
You can even register for our Art in the Evenings: Floral Pottery program, building two clay plates embossed with live flowers on Feb. 25 at 5:30 p.m.
(Courtesy images)
