9Natree

The Creative Cure (Jacob Nordby)

- Buy on Amazon Books:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08WJ82B32?tag=9natree-20

- Sponsor and Support us:
https://9natree.com/page/sponsor-and-support.html

- Interesting Topics:
- Creativity as an innate human function rather than a rare gift
- Why socialization, rejection, and trauma block creative expression
- A healing sequence of self-discovery, self-acceptance, and self-expression
- Daily journaling as a practical tool for reconnecting with the inner creative self
- The personal and ethical stakes of living creatively

- Read more: https://english.9natree.com/read/B08WJ82B32/


The Creative Cure: How Finding and Freeing Your Inner Artist Can Heal Your Life is a self-help and creativity book by Jacob Nordby that argues creativity is not a niche talent but a basic human capacity. Rather than treating art as a luxury or a professional specialization, the book presents creative expression as a source of well-being, clarity, and personal renewal. It blends reflective guidance, journaling practices, and practical encouragement for readers who feel blocked, disconnected, or unsure how to begin a creative practice. Nordby draws on his own transition from outward success and inner emptiness to a more meaningful life shaped by regular creative work. The result is a book that sits at the intersection of creativity coaching, personal development, and emotional healing, with a clear emphasis on everyday practice rather than artistic perfection.

How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day (Michael J. Gelb)

- Buy on Amazon Books:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015D841FI?tag=9natree-20

- Sponsor and Support us:
https://9natree.com/page/sponsor-and-support.html

- Interesting Topics:
- The seven Da Vincian principles are the book’s practical framework
- Curiosità and Dimostrazione shift genius from talent to disciplined learning
- Sensazione, Sfumato, and the trained acceptance of uncertainty shape perception
- Arte/Scienza and quick mind maps promote whole-brain thinking
- Corporalità and Connessione extend genius beyond the intellect

- Read more: https://english.9natree.com/read/B015D841FI/


How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day is a self-help and creativity book by Michael J. Gelb that uses Leonardo da Vinci as a model for developing broader intelligence, curiosity, and inventive thinking. Rather than presenting Leonardo mainly as an artist or historical icon, Gelb interprets him as a practical example of integrated human potential. The book is organized around seven Da Vincian principles, each intended to be translated into daily habits and exercises. These principles connect curiosity, disciplined observation, tolerance for uncertainty, and whole-brain thinking with personal development. The result is a guide that sits between biography, philosophy, and applied creativity training. Its purpose is not to explain Leonardo in exhaustive scholarly detail, but to show how readers can adapt selected traits associated with him into work, learning, and everyday problem-solving. That makes the book especially relevant for readers interested in creative productivity, self-improvement, and more expansive ways of thinking.

Art Work: On the Creative Life (Sally Mann)

- Buy on Amazon Books:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FNNFY3T8?tag=9natree-20

- Sponsor and Support us:
https://9natree.com/page/sponsor-and-support.html

- Interesting Topics:
- Creativity as an overflow of lived experience, not a separate realm
- Hard work, repetition, and the unglamorous reality of artistic labor
- Risk, rejection, and the necessity of choosing when to say yes
- Self-presentation, privilege, and the honesty of looking back
- A how-not-to manual that teaches through anecdote, not doctrine

- Read more: https://english.9natree.com/read/B0FNNFY3T8/


Art Work: On the Creative Life by Sally Mann is a nonfiction book about creative practice, artistic discipline, and the realities of sustaining a serious artistic career. Best known as a photographer and memoirist, Mann uses this book to reflect on how creative work actually happens, drawing on episodes from her life, career setbacks, letters, journal entries, photographs, and reflections on her own decisions. Rather than presenting creativity as a mystical gift, she treats it as labor shaped by luck, persistence, risk, family life, and repeated failure. The result is part memoir, part critical self-examination, and part practical counsel for artists and writers. Its purpose is to demystify the creative life without reducing it to a simple formula. Mann emphasizes the ordinary work of showing up, making choices, and learning how to continue when recognition, confidence, or ideal conditions are absent.

How to Be an Artist (Jerry Saltz)

- Buy on Amazon Books:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B081HG1MDL?tag=9natree-20

- Sponsor and Support us:
https://9natree.com/page/sponsor-and-support.html

- Interesting Topics:
- Art as practice rather than status or permission
- Why the book treats self-doubt as a working problem, not a private failure
- Concise rules and exercises as tools for getting unstuck
- A broad, anti-elitist view of who art is for
- Criticism, completion, and the discipline of finishing

- Read more: https://english.9natree.com/read/B081HG1MDL/


How to Be an Artist by Jerry Saltz is a short, practical handbook about creative work, adapted from his influential New York Magazine essay and expanded into a book for painters, writers, performers, photographers, and other makers. Rather than offering a theory of art history or a formal method, it presents concise rules, prompts, and exercises meant to help readers begin, continue, and finish creative work. Saltz writes from the perspective of an art critic who has spent decades around working artists, and the book reflects that position: it is direct, skeptical of pretension, and focused on the everyday problems that block making. Its purpose is not to define art narrowly, but to help readers move through self-doubt, perfectionism, and hesitation by emphasizing practice, vulnerability, and persistence. The result is a compact guide that is as much about working honestly as it is about producing finished objects.

Anyone Can Play Music (Josh Turknett)

- Buy on Amazon Books:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D8LXLBPS?tag=9natree-20

- Sponsor and Support us:
https://9natree.com/page/sponsor-and-support.html

- Interesting Topics:
- Neuroplasticity as the basis for learning music at any age
- Brainjo laws turn neuroscience into a practical practice system
- Automatic skill formation and the role of zombie subroutines
- Listening and internal hearing are treated as more important than reading notation
- Brain health, lifestyle, and sustained learning capacity

- Read more: https://english.9natree.com/read/B0D8LXLBPS/


Anyone Can Play Music: Unlock Your Musical Potential with the Laws of Brainjo is a nonfiction guide to learning music through the lens of neuroscience. Written by neurologist and musician Josh Turknett, the book argues that musical ability is not reserved for the naturally gifted or the young, but can be developed at any age through methods aligned with how the brain actually learns. Its central focus is the Brainjo approach, which translates concepts from neuroplasticity, automatic skill formation, and effective practice into practical advice for musicians. Rather than treating music learning as a matter of talent, Turknett frames it as a trainable process shaped by attention, repetition, feedback, listening, and brain health. The book is positioned both as a music instruction guide and as a broader account of how people acquire complex skills. It is especially relevant for adults who have felt blocked by traditional instruction, fear of failure, or assumptions about age-related limits.

The Art of Creating (Joseph Nguyen)

- Buy on Amazon Books:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQD626HW?tag=9natree-20

- Sponsor and Support us:
https://9natree.com/page/sponsor-and-support.html

- Interesting Topics:
- Creativity as an Inherent Human Capacity, Not a Rare Talent
- Overcoming Self-Doubt and Overthinking Before They Block the Work
- A Step-by-Step Process for Turning Inspiration Into Art
- Creating as a Form of Self-Care, Healing, and Emotional Regulation
- Sharing Art for Its Impact Rather Than External Validation

- Read more: https://english.9natree.com/read/B0CQD626HW/


The Art of Creating: How to Create Art That Transforms Yourself and the World by Joseph Nguyen is a short, practical nonfiction book about creativity, self-expression, and inner healing. Positioned at the intersection of personal development and creative practice, it argues that creating art is not reserved for a special minority but is a natural human capacity that many people have forgotten. The book focuses on helping readers reconnect with that capacity by reducing self-doubt, overthinking, and resistance, then translating inspiration into work that feels authentic and meaningful. Rather than treating creativity as a purely technical or professional pursuit, Nguyen presents it as a deeply personal process that can support emotional clarity, fulfillment, and service to others. The result is a concise guide for artists, writers, and anyone who wants a more grounded, sustainable relationship with making things.

Artpreneur (Miriam Schulman)

- Buy on Amazon Books:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BGQP54MR?tag=9natree-20

- Buy on Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/artpreneur/id1646850001?itsct=books_box_link&itscg=30200&ls=1&at=1001l3bAw&ct=9natree

- Sponsor and Support us:
https://9natree.com/page/sponsor-and-support.html

- Interesting Topics:
- The book turns artistic talent into a business framework built around five operational areas
- Pricing is treated as a psychological skill, not only a math problem
- Mindset is presented as the hidden barrier behind underpricing and inaction
- Marketing for artists is reframed as relationship-building through prospecting and promotion
- Productivity and work-life balance are positioned as business disciplines for creative longevity

- Read more: https://english.9natree.com/read/B0BGQP54MR/


Artpreneur: The Step-by-Step Guide to Making a Sustainable Living From Your Creativity by Miriam Schulman is a business and self-development guide for artists and other creative professionals who want to earn consistent income from their work. Rather than treating art sales as an unpredictable side issue, the book frames creative practice as a business that can be planned, priced, promoted, and improved. Schulman draws on her own experience as a working artist and coach to address common barriers such as underpricing, fear of visibility, perfectionism, and the belief that talent alone will generate demand. The book is especially interested in the practical gap between making art and selling it, and it offers a structured framework for closing that gap. Its purpose is not to teach technique in the studio, but to show how creatives can build systems, habits, and confidence that support sustainable income.

Hyperfocus: How to Be More Productive in a World of Distraction (Chris Bailey)

- Buy on Amazon Books:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DPTMX3P?tag=9natree-20

- Sponsor and Support us:
https://9natree.com/page/sponsor-and-support.html

- Interesting Topics:
- Attention is the real productivity resource, not time
- The hyperfocus routine turns concentration into a deliberate process
- Task sorting helps separate meaningful work from attractive noise
- Scatterfocus shows why deliberate mind wandering supports creativity
- The book promotes a balanced, personalized approach instead of rigid rules

- Read more: https://english.9natree.com/read/B07DPTMX3P/


Hyperfocus: How to Be More Productive in a World of Distraction by Chris Bailey is a nonfiction productivity book that examines how attention works and why it matters more than time management in an overloaded digital age. Drawing on research, personal experimentation, and practical workplace advice, Bailey argues that people become more effective not by doing more, but by directing attention more deliberately. The book is structured around two complementary modes of thought: hyperfocus, the state of intense concentration on a single meaningful task, and scatterfocus, the intentional use of mind wandering for creativity, reflection, and recovery. Rather than offering a rigid system, it presents a flexible framework for managing distraction, choosing better tasks, and designing work habits that fit different people and contexts. Its purpose is both practical and conceptual: to help readers work with greater clarity while also understanding why periods of unfocused thought can improve insight and wellbeing.

The Late Bloomer: Myths and Stories of the Wise Woman Archetype (PhD Clarissa Pinkola Estés Ph.D.)

- Buy on Amazon Books:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008K6CDG0?tag=9natree-20

- Sponsor and Support us:
https://9natree.com/page/sponsor-and-support.html

- Interesting Topics:
- The Wise Woman archetype as a model of instinctive female knowledge
- Late blooming as a theory of delayed creative emergence
- Myths and folktales as psychological medicine
- Cycles of retreat and return as the structure of soul work
- Forgiveness, questioning, and self-recovery as practical spiritual disciplines

- Read more: https://english.9natree.com/read/B008K6CDG0/


The Late Bloomer: Myths and Stories of the Wise Woman Archetype by Clarissa Pinkola Estés is a 2012 work in the Dangerous Old Woman series that blends myth, folklore, poetry, and Jungian-style psychological commentary. Rather than offering a conventional self-help program, the book presents six sessions built around stories and reflections on the Wise Woman archetype, a figure Estés uses to describe instinctive feminine knowledge, creative timing, and inner renewal. The title concept of the late bloomer refers to people whose talents, identity, or creative powers emerge after long periods of delay, damage, or concealment. Across its storytelling and commentary, the book argues that development does not have to be fast or externally validated to be real. Its purpose is to help readers recognize inward readiness, reclaim buried gifts, and understand personal transformation as a cyclical process rather than a linear achievement.

How to Write Funny (Scott Dikkers)

- Buy on Amazon Books:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MGZDHVJ?tag=9natree-20

- Sponsor and Support us:
https://9natree.com/page/sponsor-and-support.html

- Interesting Topics:
- Comedy is presented as a teachable craft, not an inborn gift
- The book treats joke construction as a structured writing process
- Extreme contrast and irony are used as core comic mechanisms
- Satirical observation is grounded in everyday writing habits
- The book is designed for immediate application in modern humor writing

- Read more: https://english.9natree.com/read/B07MGZDHVJ/


How to Write Funny is a practical humor-writing handbook by Scott Dikkers, the founding editor of The Onion and a major figure in modern satire. Rather than treating comedy as a mysterious talent, the book presents it as a craft that can be learned through clear habits, repeatable structures, and disciplined observation. Its purpose is not to explain humor in the abstract, but to give readers a usable method for generating jokes, sharpening comic ideas, and applying a satirical mindset to writing. The book sits at the intersection of writing guide, comedy manual, and creative process book, making it especially relevant for aspiring humor writers, satirists, and anyone who wants to make their prose more amusing without relying on guesswork. The title’s serious, step-by-step framing reflects the book’s core approach: comedy is treated with the same rigor as any other writing skill, while still preserving the playful logic that makes humor effective.