The book collection next to my desk.
In my article about bringing your creative business into existence from October of 2020, I left a short list of resources towards the end. I would like to expand on that list here as I continue to investigate books that are sources of inspiration and learning in entrepreneurial areas of my career. Truthfully, I read these books because I’m usually looking for something that will dig into some issue I’m experiencing in my own career development. Over the years, especially through the pandemic, I found that I’ve become passionate about sharing what I’ve learned with aspiring, up-and-coming, creative professionals. As I’ve mentioned in my articles here, it really goes hand in hand that musicians following a “modern” or non-traditional trajectory not only need to have their craft fully developed, but they also need to gain skills and knowledge related to entrepreneurship and arts administration.
Check out these books below to expand your prowess as a creative art-maker. Please reach out with any questions. I would recommend that you set aside time in the day to read these types of books for 30 minutes or so and keep your leisure reading for the evenings. This will promote better sleep hygiene, compartmentalizing the “work reading” for a time when your brain is fresher and more absorbent. 😊
(Not listed in any particular order.)
Julia Cameron The Artist’s Way
Jim Collins Good to Great
Marianne Williamson A Return to Love
Michelle Obama Becoming
Nicola Pickering The Museum Curator’s Guide
Adam Grant Give and Take
Abram Loft How to Succeed in an Ensemble
Peter Andrei How Legendary Leaders Speak
Mihaly Csikszentmihaly Flow: The Psycology of Optimal Experience
Eckhart Tolle The Power of Now
Jay Althouse Copyright: The Complete Guide for Music Educators
Donald S. Passman All You Need to Know About the Music Business
Stephen R. Covey The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Angela Duckworth GRIT: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
Joan Garry Guide to Nonprofit Leadership; Because Nonprofits Are Messy
And if you want more of Joan Garry, there is an abundance of resources on her blog and podcast! [ https://joangarry.com/ ]
Sally Hogshead Radical Careering: 100 Truths to Jumpstart Your Job, Your Career, and Your Life
Anthony Mancuso How to Form a Nonprofit Corporation
[ https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/nonprofit-corporation ]
RuPaul Charles Guru
And yes, I rounded off this list with a book by the one and only, RuPaul!
When I opened her book this morning the first thing I flipped to was this quote: “Life is too short to be concerned with what other people think.” Well, I think that sums it up, yes? It’s good for us all to read these mantras from time to time, especially from inspiring figures.
Another inspiration for me is Joan Garry. I listened to so many of her podcasts during the pandemic. If you are looking to get into the nonprofit business by forming a chamber ensemble, concert series, music school, community enrichment programming, or other entity you should explore the trove of materials on her website.
I’ll leave you with an inspirational page from Sally Hogshead’s little book, Radical Careering. My first inclination was to include this quote from her book, “A camel is a horse designed by a committee.” But, then I thought the one below was more fitting to our discussions on my blog, and I’ll let you explore her book to find out more about bureaucracy turning ideas into camels.
More books to come.
