Creative guides
General
Julia Cameron, The Artist's Way. This book gave me the encouragement (emphasis on the courage) I needed to start pursuing my creative interests more seriously. I highly recommend it for anyone looking to tap into greater creativity in their lives, regardless of career path.
Twyla Tharp, The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It For Life. Choreographer Tharp's book isn't as specific as, say, The Artist's Way, but it was what I needed at a time when I was still very unsure about myself as a creative person. It's a nice, gentle start to thinking about creativity habits in everyday life.
Gail Blanke, In My Wildest Dreams: Living the Life You Long For. This book has given me some very useful life goal-setting strategies, and has persuaded me to dream big in all things. Blanke also writes the fantastic "Motivator" column every month in Real Simple.
Comics
Scott McCloud, Making Comics and Understanding Comics. McCloud is a comics guru. If you're at all interested in comics and why they're so appealing, read Understanding Comics. Making is more geared toward, well, makers of comics; I'm slowly working my way through all the back-of-chapter exercises in this book.
Writing
Patricia C Wrede's blog at pcwrede.com/blog. Wrede is one of my favorite young-adult fantasy authors (and if you're down on young adult fantasy, read Wrede or Tamora Pierce!), and her blog contains wonderful, regular advice for anyone hoping to write fiction.
Personal
Susan Jeffers, Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway. If worry holds you back in any area of your life, read this book. It's really helped me learn to analyze my fears and overcome them.
David Allen, Getting Things Done. This book has made an enormous difference in the way I organize my workspace and my daily workdays. Read it in conjunction with Peter Walsh's Enough Already! (see below), and your work life will never be the same again.
Peter Walsh, It's All Too Much: An Easy Guide for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff and Enough Already! Walsh's books have totally changed the way I view my possessions (and, by extension, my clutter). I particularly recommend Enough Already! in combination with David Allen's book (above) for a powerful worklife overhaul.
Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin, Your Money or Your Life. I've always felt that a 9-to-5 life can't be the only way to exist; this book shows that a different path is not only possible, but accessible to anyone.
Mary Catherine Bateson, Composing a Life. Bateson writes intelligently and thoughtfully on how accomplished women put together their many-faceted lives.
Stephen Cope, The Wisdom of Yoga: A Seeker's Guide to Extraordinary Living. I don't think you have to be a yoga practitioner to benefit from reading this book, but if you are -- you must read it.
Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, Intuitive Eating. This book, recommended to me by my friend Lisa, has helped me a lot in developing healthier eating habits.
Inspirations
Virginia Woolf, A Writer's Diary
Jane Austen, particularly Pride and Prejudice and Emma. Reading Austen makes me a better writer.
JK Rowling, not just for Harry Potter, but for the kind of author/celebrity/individual she is.
Nunzio DeFilippis, my comics teacher. Great teacher, great writer. He, his wife and writing partner Christina, and all my comics classmates have given me (and continue to provide) so much help and support in my comics endeavors!
Lynda Barry, One Hundred Demons
vintage children's picture books illustrated by Errol Le Cain
vintage children's travel books by M. Sasek
The Getty Center, Los Angeles
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