Resolved: Be More Visual — A Book List
To celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas from now through Epiphany and to advocate for the idea of reading books to support New Year projects, resolutions, and goals, I’m writing a series of posts with themed book lists for various popular resolutions. So far…
Day 1: Be More Fit
Day 2: Be Happier
Day 3: Be a Better Cook
Day 4: Be Smarter about Money
Day 5: Be More Purposeful and Get Things Done
Day 6: Be More Creative
Day 7: Be a Better Reader
Day 8: Be a Better Writer
Day 9: Be a Better Gardener
Day 10: Be a Better Photographer
I’m not sure why, but I have this recurring desire to push my creativity toward more visual aspects. I have a small library of books that I’ve collected during those times on digital scrapbooks, art journals, and zentangles. I even take night classes at the Community College every few years on calligraphy or drawing or cartooning. Nothing sticks, though. I don’t get myself to take the time to practice, to get past the frustrating phase.
Still, hope springs eternal. Here are some books that might get me over the hump or get you going on your visual creativity dreams:
Visual Thinking gives great instruction and examples of simple drawings to convey ideas
Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards. The 4th Edition of the the book that convinced me, close to thirty years ago, that I probably could draw if I took the time to do it.
Visual Thinking: Tools for Mapping Your Ideas by Nancy Margulies and Christine Valenza. This, I think is really what I hope for in an increased visual orientation — better ways of recording, remembering, and working with my ideas.
Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud, a book I’ve read but want to read again. I learned about it from Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project, the Read Along book for this year’s New Year’s Resolution Reading Challenge. She wrote about collaborating with an artist for a comics section in The Happiness Project. That apparently fell through, since I don’t see such a section in my copy, but the idea of using comics for communicating all kinds of ideas that I got from that post, and from the book Understanding Comics, really appealed to me.
What books have helped you improve your visual thinking and communication?
If you’re reading books to be more visual in the new year (or for other goals, projects, and resolutions), join us at The New Year’s Resolution Reading Challenge!
The Visual Thinking book looks very interesting. I have been interested in the visual arts for a long time now. Quite a few years ago, I taught myself how to draw using Mona Brookes’ Drawing with Children: A Creative Method for Adult Beginners, Too (her method definitely works, or at least it did for me). I drew and painted a lot for a while after that, but eventually that kind of creativity got sidelined because of lack of time. Every year, I always hope I’ll get back into it! This year, one of my resolutions is to create doodled quotes. I’d started doing it last year, with Rumi quotes, and I recently found my little sketchbook with the work I’d done, and remembered how much fun it was. For me, the key is to set aside time for it. If I don’t make it a priority, it doesn’t get done.
I have just requested a copy of Visual Thinking from my local library. It looks fantastic!
I used to do more visual things but have sadly let all of that slip away. I need to revive it!