My Giant Strawberry: Creative Joy, Watercolor Art and Garden Magic

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Pursuing Curiosity: Using Art Books for Inspiration and Self-Care

Anne Butera

When I was 16, a newly-minted driver’s license in my wallet, where did I go on my first solo drive?

The library.

Yes. I’m that big of a nerd.

Books have always been my “thing”. Back as far as I can remember being read to, reading (or pretending to read), scribbling in journals (“writing” before I knew the alphabet) have always been a part of my life. Often without conscious thought, books have just always been there.

Of course, in childhood I have my parents to thank for that. They taught me to love the library. Whenever I wanted to learn something, checking out stacks of books was the first step. I remember feeling so grown-up filling out Interlibrary Loan request cards and paying my quarter to have books delivered from another library system (in case you’re wondering, they were about Siberian Huskies and I was maybe 12). But I also lived for stories — picture books, chapter books, novels. I was a passionate library patron decades before becoming a librarian. And I still am now that I’m no longer working in a library.

I also have a big collection of my own books. Every time I move I’m reminded, again, of just how big my collection is (thank you to all the people who have helped me carry those too-heavy book boxes!).

Children’s books, novels, books on writing, decorating books, craft books, poetry, cookbooks, art books…

In my studio one of my biggest challenges is fitting all my books, journals, sketchbooks and magazines on my limited shelving.

Can you relate?

I’ve shared books here (and on my old blog) and I regularly recommend them in my Joy Letters. Today, though, I want to talk about using books as part of a self-care practice.

Self-care is a hot topic, more so since the pandemic. We all lead busy lives. We pile up tasks on our to-do lists. We rush and hurry so we can fit everything into our days.

Self-care can mean many different things, but no matter how you define it, it’s one of the first things to get pushed aside when our days get full.

Last week I talked about creativity as self-care. For me, books have always been part of self-care. They entertain and educate. They inspire me while I follow my curiosity wherever it leads.

Although books play a part in every one of my days — from morning journal scribbles to bedtime novel reading — often I don’t spend time reading and thinking and soaking up inspiration from their pages.

In my new Skillshare class as I walk students through the process of discovering their sources of joy and inspiration, one of the examples I share is this sketchbook page:

I use the sketched pile of books or “Stack of Joy”

to help me write a card for my inspiration deck:

“Gather a pile of inspiring books and curl up with them in a cozy spot.”

Oh, yes.

Using books as self-care is the conscious choice to spend time within a book’s pages, letting words and imagery work their magic.

Scrolling through the internet for “inspiration” doesn’t work the same way.

I have many books to choose from for my self-care; all I need to do is make time.

In case you’re looking for recommendations, I thought I’d share some of my favorites.

Try these books if you’re looking to dig deep into creativity (and don’t mind more text than illustrations):

If you want to dip in and out of books with self-contained sections or chapters, you might enjoy these:

If you want a glimpse into the beautiful lives (and homes) of inspiring people, try one of these books:

I’m curious. What does self-care mean to you? Do you use books for self-care? If so, what are some of your favorites?