A practical and inspiring guide to happiness and self-fulfillment.

America's most collected living artist reveals how the creative process can provide a path to greater awareness.

How DO they do it? If you could ask your favorite artist or crafter only one question, chances are you'd ask about creativity: Where do your ideas come from? How did you get started? What are your tricks for overcoming blocks? In Living the Creative Life, author Ricë Freeman-Zachery has compiled answers to these questions and more from 15 successful artists in a variety of mediums—from assemblage to fiber arts, beading to mixed-media collage. Creativity is different for everyone, and these artists share their insights on the muse (if you believe in her), keeping a sketchbook (or not), and prioritizing your art, whether you aspire to create solely for your own pleasure or to become a full-time artist. • Try your hand at creative jumpstarts straight from the pros. • Glimpse the artists' innermost thoughts and works in progress as you peruse pages from their journals and notebooks. • Share textile artist Sas Colby's triumph over creative block during an exotic art retreat. • Learn how internationally acclaimed artist James Michael Starr uses experience from his former "day job" to fuel his creation today. • Explore the work of Michael deMeng, Claudine Hellmuth, Melissa Zink and the other artists right alongside their insights. No crafter or artist should live the creative life without Living the Creative Life! The inspiration is contagious.

An intimate look at the interiors and lifestyles of young creatives who have taken their studios, practices, and creativity to the calm of the English countryside The countryside has always been a breath of fresh air for those trapped in the urban jungle. With a greater appetite for “authentic” experiences, working practices, and creative inspiration, metropolitan talents are setting up studios far from the madding crowd. Combining a more relaxed lifestyle with budding entrepreneurship, and capturing it all on social media, a new generation of young creatives is redefining "country living.” Creative Living Country celebrates this new approach to a quintessentially British shelter: the country cottage, as envisioned by a new breed of artists and creatives—from photographers to textile designers, from ceramicists to musicians—who make their homes, work, and lifestyle away from the city lights. Looking at twenty-five houses across the United Kingdom, Chloe Grimshaw and Luke White provide a glimpse into a broad range of truly original country homes. From the hills of the Lake District to the moors of Scotland, the unique landscapes that make up the British experience take on new meaning in the hands of these creative pioneers and provide inspiration for all of us, no matter where we live.

Creative Living sidesteps the world of carefully constructed interior design images, instead diving into the liberated and nonconformist atmosphere of offbeat beauty and artistic delights. The homes of more than 20 international style icons and tastemakers are profiled across Italy, France, America, and Australia--from the studio and archives of Barnaba Fornasetti and the New Orleans home of Anthropologie artist and designer Rebecca Rebouche to the home of Bella Meyer, Marc Chagall's granddaughter and one of New York City's most popular floral designers. Lea is an incredible storyteller with a deep understanding of the creative spirit. Tracing the journey from unusual childhoods to bohemian, often unorthodox, adult worlds, each profile reveals the twists of fate that have allowed each person to realize their full creative potential in the spaces they live and work in.

The instant #1 NEW YORK TIMES Bestseller "A must read for anyone hoping to live a creative life... I dare you not to be inspired to be brave, to be free, and to be curious.” —PopSugar From the worldwide bestselling author of Eat Pray Love and City of Girls: the path to the vibrant, fulfilling life you’ve dreamed of. Readers of all ages and walks of life have drawn inspiration and empowerment from Elizabeth Gilbert’s books for years. Now this beloved author digs deep into her own generative process to share her wisdom and unique perspective about creativity. With profound empathy and radiant generosity, she offers potent insights into the mysterious nature of inspiration. She asks us to embrace our curiosity and let go of needless suffering. She shows us how to tackle what we most love, and how to face down what we most fear. She discusses the attitudes, approaches, and habits we need in order to live our most creative lives. Balancing between soulful spirituality and cheerful pragmatism, Gilbert encourages us to uncover the “strange jewels” that are hidden within each of us. Whether we are looking to write a book, make art, find new ways to address challenges in our work, embark on a dream long deferred, or simply infuse our everyday lives with more mindfulness and passion, Big Magic cracks open a world of wonder and joy.

A delightful book, celebrating the wonders of simplicity and minimalism in a noisy, overwhelming world. Our planet was once teeming with all kinds of life, but our grandchildren will inherit one with less than 20 per cent of its early forests still in tact, and thousands of plant and animal species extinct. Sooner or later, a more frugal lifestyle is not only desirable, but will soon be imperative. Life at the moment isn't what it should be – technological and economic progress has resulted in a delusion that material solutions will solve emotional problems, but a simpler lifestyle leaves space for spiritual renewal. This is a book about simplicity – not destitution, parsimoniousness or self-denial, but the restoration of wealth in the midst of an affluence in which we are starving the spirit. There are many advantages to living a less cluttered, less stressful life than that which has become the norm in the overcrowded and manic-paced consuming nations. Written by painter, writer and educator John Lane, Timeless Simplicity is an ode to having less and enjoying more. More time to pursue creativity, eat good food, relax with your family – and to just be yourself!