Three Books That Changed My Creative Life
Tags: Book Recommendations, Books And Authors, Books, Readinglist, Reading

Three Books That Changed My Creative Life Author_Didi_Cooper Follow Sep 26 · 4 min read

Home in Kennebunkport (Didi Cooper)

I want to believe that books come into your life at that perfectly magical moment so they can serendipitously inflict their wisdom and inspire you to act. What you do with that wisdom and magic is entirely up to you. Are you ready to try something new? Are you ready to think about your life in a completely different way? Does your hand easily and effortlessly run along the spine of the book that is meant to be your next read?

The books below revealed themselves to me at very different periods in my life and each, in their own way, pushed me in the direction of creativity. It took me some time to explore that wondrous sense of creativity and determine that I would write. So, in this post you will not get a list of books that make you a better writer. You can find that anywhere. Instead, I share with you sparkling book gems that showed up on the doorstep of my creative unconscious and dared me to act.

Colony Beach in Kennebunkport, Maine (Didi Cooper)

Gifts of the Sea by Anne Morrow-Lindbergh: This poetic and lyrical classic is Anne Morrow-Lindbergh’s 1955 account of her solo vacation to Sanibel Island as a young mother. This tiny book treasure came into my life in 1999, at a time when I needed the messages and the beautiful writing style. Her raw honesty about the demands of life as a young mother, the complexities of marriage, and her journey for inner peace spoke directly to my heart. This Lindbergh classic is as real as real gets and whenever I re-read it I am reminded that her time on Sanibel Island in 1955 could as well have happened last week. Her writing is gorgeous and timeless.

Low Tide in Kennebunk, Maine (Didi Cooper)

Earth Magic by Steven D. Farmer: This is the book that has yellow sticky notes spilling over the pages, so my return to it will guide me to quotes and concepts I knew I would want to re-visit. This book speaks a language that links our growth and contributions to the magic of nature and the Earth. I found this fascinating dive into healing, spirituality, and metaphysical exploration helped me tap into and connect to the Earth in a way that has heavily influenced my writing.

Colony Beach in Kennebunkport, Maine (Didi Cooper)

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. Oh boy. Where Lindberg and Farmer provided mindful, mystical and gentle messages to push me ever so gently in the direction of my own creativity, Gilbert shoved me, got in my face, and told me to get moving. She wanted to know what I was waiting for, why I was preventing myself from living a creative life, and why in the world wasn’t I doing ALL the things that gave me joy. She challenged me to follow my curiosity wherever it might take me. Upon completion of this book I refer to as my wake up call, I wrote my first novel, The Magic of Missing You (still yet to find its publishing home). Try the audio book for Gilbert’s tough love chat with you about your own creativity.

https://www.amazon.com/Big-Magic-Creative-Living-Beyond/dp/1594634726/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=big+magic&qid=1601089444&sr=8-1

So the next time a book calls your name, maybe there’s a reason. Maybe it’s meant to be your next read. Just maybe the universe conspired to bring you a message through the pages.

Visit Didi Coopers website and blog:

www.didicooper.com

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