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Books That Changed My Life (and How I Tell Stories)
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items Each of these books shifted how I see the world, creativity, business, and myself. They’ve helped me through low seasons, sharpened my storytelling, and reminded me why my ideas matter.
Sections
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Books that have changed my life as a storyteller
List of banned books you’d be crazy not to read—especially now•
Books that have changed my life as a storyteller
If you are a creator, leader, or the dreamer who starts something from nothing, these are worth reading twice.
I stumbled upon this amazing book during a challenging phase in my creative journey, and let me tell you, it completely reignited my passion! At that moment, I felt a total lack of inspiration, creativity, talent, and motivation to dive into the very...
The Art of the Start 2.0: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone ...
I was skeptical when a professor first recommended this to me at a time when I had a really bad creative block. Let's just say I’m glad I ended up picking it up because it's one of the few books out there that I feel has significantly helped me as an...
The Artist's Way: 30th Anniversary Edition
This book is a no-nonsense, laugh-out-loud guided journal for anyone ready to stop replaying the past and get unstuck. “Let That Sht Go” cuts through the self-help fluff with humor, swears, and solid perspective..helping you release what’s draining y...
Let That Sh*t Go: Find Peace & Happiness
This is one of those books you’ll return to again and again. Each time you open it, something new speaks to exactly where you are in life. “Zen and the Art of Living” is less a book and more a quiet support, reminding you to slow down, breathe, and f...
Zen: The Art of Simple Living - Books
This book is like a masterclass in strategy, psychology, and leadership. Every line feels like it was written for anyone trying to navigate conflict, competition, or even creative projects.
One of my favorite ideas that Tzu wrote is that;
“If you kn...
The Art Of War: Sun Tzu: 9781599869773 - Books
This book reminded me that vulnerability builds connection, and that sharing our unfinished work is what turns us from creators into collaborators. It taught me that creativity isn’t about perfection, but about showing up, trusting the mess in the mi...
Show Your Work! a book by Austin Kleon
Reading "Atomic Habits” taught me that small, consistent actions are what builds the kind of creative life that talent alone can’t sustain. It reminded me that discipline isn’t a punishment I have to "get through," but protection for my ideas.
If y...
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
“Steal Like an Artist” flipped my idea of originality on its head. This book is showed me that creativity doesn't have to be about inventing from nothing but noticing what moves you and remixing it with honesty. This book gave me permission to borrow...
Steal Like An Artist - a book by Austin Kleon
Reading "Big Magic” reminded me that fear and creativity can coexist. It was a gentle slap of truth that showed me I don’t have to wait to feel brave before I begin. I can create while scared, as long as I move with conviction and protect my peace al...
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear
This one feels less like a how-to and more like a conversation with the quiet part of your brain that still believes in wonder. Rubin's words remind you that creativity isn’t something you do, but something to you learn to notice. It’s the practice o...
The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin
List of banned books you’d be crazy not to read—especially now•
These are the stories they tried to silence, because they revealed too much about who truly has freedom, power, or identity among us.
These books scare censors because they held a mirror too clearly. They talk about race, love, freedom, and the thin...
This one is not about animals, that’s for sure. “Animal Farm” is a mirror disguised as a fable, power, greed, and how revolutions rot when ego takes the throne. It’s short enough to finish it in one night but will linger like a bad taste in your mout...
Animal Farm by George Orwell
You’ve probably heard George Orwell’s name tossed around a lot lately, and if you haven’t read “1984,” now you’ll understand why. It’s still the manual for recognizing when the truth is being rewritten. Every page feels uncomfortably familiar, becaus...
1984: 75th Anniversary Edition by Orwell
Man, I love this book, but I hate that it’s still so painfully accurate--especially NOW. Everyone loves to ask, “How did we get here?” or “Where did we go wrong?” The day I read “Amusing Ourselves to Death” for class, I just sat there thinking, holy ...
Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse
Yes, this one has a few explicit pages, but if people focused on the message instead of what characters have on or off, we might have a few more critical thinkers in the world. “The Catcher in the Rye” isn’t about rebellion for rebellion’s sake; it’s...
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Toni Morrison masterfully portrays a haunting vision of beauty, shame, and survival in America. “The Bluest Eye” is banned because it tells the truth too beautifully. The characters aren’t just characters, the places aren’t just places, and their pai...
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
There’s a short list of people in history I’d love to have tea with, and James Baldwin is easily in my top three. The way he spoke in that raw yet refined tone, with conviction wrapped in calm—could make you listen even if you didn’t like what he had...
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin
When I finished reading this, I didn’t know whether to scream or cry. If you’re Black in America, you’ll understand why. If you’re not, I hope this book gives you REAL— not performative—conviction to confront racism wherever you see it. “The Hate U G...
The Hate U Give - Angie Thomas
Banning this book is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever seen. It’s a queer coming-of-age graphic memoir, that's apparently enough to make entire school boards sweat and clutch their pearls. “Fun Home” is honest, witty, and devastatingly funn...
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic: Bechdel, Alison
This book broke me open in the best and worst ways. “The Color Purple” is a raw, intimate, and unflinching, story of Black womanhood, love, and survival told with a grace that still cuts deep. It was banned because it refused to sanitize Black pain o...
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Zora Neale Huston was definitely too bold for her time so were her words it seems.
Their eyes were watching God is a story about love and autonomy that was too bold for its time and still too honest for some today.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston