Self-Taught Art School: A Reading List
The 67 books that made me into the artist I am today
As many of y’all know, I didn’t go to art school. I knew, even at 18, that taking on that amount of debt to get a degree in a career not known for making boatloads of money was a bad idea. And so, I made the rational decision to attend a state university and major in graphic design. (Which was by the way, NC State, who just by the way, beat #2 Duke to go on to the semi-finals of the ACC men's basketball tournament tonight!)
Attending NC State was both A) a heck of a lot cheaper than art school and B) gave me a solid career option with actual earning potential. It was a smart choice (aided no doubt by my parents) and was definitely the right choice for me both then and now.
But after a few years of working in design, I started slowly creeping into the world of illustration and art. I started taking on fewer freelance graphic design projects and seeking out more illustration clients. I started drawing consistently and reading everything I could get my hands on. I studied and practiced and attended workshops and conferences. I realized that I didn’t need to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to become an artist—I could craft my own art education.
And that is one of the best things about art—you don’t have to go to school to be an artist! You don’t need a degree or certification or anybody’s permission to start doing it. You only need a few art materials, time, and the motivation to practice.
And so, that’s what I did for years. I drew and drew and drew. But the thing that has helped me build (and continue!) my art education most is reading books. Books written by other artists about their art practice, advice, and experiences.
As self-taught artists, books are our best access to an art education. Online classes abound, and they can certainly be helpful (I’ve made a few), but books are what have overwhelmingly benefited me most. That’s partially why I’ve started remaking my previous online classes into books. Also, I just love making books!
In the back of my upcoming book, Might Could Make a Book (which is a remake of an online class!), I’ve included a series of extra resources including a Further Reading section with a list of books that have helped me most on my self-taught artist path. So today, I thought I’d share that list with you! The list printed in the book is all about picture books, but I’ve expanded the list below to encompass my entire art journey including creativity, drawing, writing, design, picture books, comics, poetry, storytelling, and spirituality + art. Together, these 67 books have molded me into the artist I am today!
🌟 Are there any art or creativity books you love or have impacted you, that you’d recommend? Comment below to let us know! 🌟
A Very Might Could Art School Reading List
Note: I’ve collected all these books together in one place in my Bookshop.org shop. Every purchase on Bookshop supports indie bookstores and purchasing a book from these links also gives me a small kickback. A few older books below were not available on Bookshop and I have linked to those on Amazon. I am not an affiliate on Amazon. I’ve also included links to any author’s Substack publications!
On Creativity
Art & Fear: Observations On the Perils and Rewards of Artmaking, David Bayles and Ted Orland
Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert (Check out
’s Substack )Steal Like An Artist, Austin Kleon (Check out
’s Substack )Keep Going: 10 Ways to Stay Creative in Good Times and Bad, By Austin Kleon
What It Is, Lynda Barry
The Cheese Monkeys, Chip Kidd
The Gifts of Imperfection, By Brené Brown
Your Inner Critic Is a Big Jerk: And Other Truths About Being Creative, Danielle Krysa (Check out
’s Substack )Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values, Robert M. Pirsig
Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World, Adam Grant (Check out
’s Substack )The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron
Starting Point: 1979-1996, Hayao Miyazaki
On Drawing
Drawn to Life: 20 Golden Years of Disney Master Classes: Volume 1: The Walt Stanchfield Lectures, by Walt Stanchfield
Drawn to Life: 20 Golden Years of Disney Master Classes: Volume 2: The Walt Stanchfield Lectures, by Walt Stanchfield
Picture This: How Pictures Work, Molly Bang
Cartooning: Philosophy and Practice, Ivan Brunetti
On Writing
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, by Stephen King
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, by Anne Lamott
The Elements of Style, by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White
Writing Picture Books, by Ann Whitford Paul
On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction, William Zinsser
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, by Haruki Murakami
Zen in the Art of Writing: Releasing the Creative Genius Within You, by Ray Bradbury
On Design
Thinking with Type, Ellen Lupton (Check out
’s Substack)Hand Job: A Catalog of Type, Michael Perry
The Elements of Typographic Style, Robert Bringhurst
Design Is Storytelling, Ellen Lupton
Meggs' History of Graphic Design, Philip B Meggs
Interaction of Color, Josef Albers
On Picture Books
(Many of the books here are now out of print —that’s one of the reasons I decided to write my own book on making picture books!)
Writing Picture Books, by Ann Whitford Paul
Caldecott and Co.: Notes on Books and Pictures, by Maurice Sendak
Writing with Pictures, by Uri Shulevitz
Words and Pictures, by Quentin Blake
Illustrating Children’s Books, by Martin Salisbury
Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom, Leonard S. Marcus
Tomfoolery!: Randolph Caldecott and the Rambunctious Coming-Of-Age of Children's Books, by Michelle Markel and Barbara McClintock
On Comics
Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art, by Scott McCloud
Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels, by Scott McCloud
Comics and Sequential Art: Principles and Practices from the Legendary Cartoonist, by Will Eisner
Graphic Storytelling and Visual Narrative, by Will Eisner
Drawing Words and Writing Pictures: Making Comics: Manga, Graphic Novels, and Beyond, Jessica Abel and Matt Madden (Check out
’s SubstackMaking Comics, Lynda Barry
On Poetry
A Child’s Anthology of Poetry, by Elizabeth Hauge Sword
A Child’s Book of Poems, by Gyo Fujikawa
Ten Windows: How Great Poems Transform the World, by Jane Hirshfield
The Essential Rumi: A Poetry Anthology, Coleman Barks
The Book of Qualities, J. Ruth Gendler
On Storytelling
The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human, by Jonathan Gottschall
The Hero with a Thousand Faces, by Joseph Campbell
Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels, by Scott McCloud
How to Tell a Story: The Essential Guide to Memorable Storytelling from the Moth by multiple contributors
The Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Make Us Human and How to Tell Them Better, Will Storr (
’s Substack is about to start!)
On Spirituality + Art
When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times, Pema Chödrön
The Tao of Pooh, Benjamin Hoff
The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron
Concerning the Spiritual in Art, Wassily Kandinsky
Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers, Leonard Koren
No Mud, No Lotus: The Art of Transforming Suffering, Thich Nhat Hanh
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice, Shunryu Suzuki
Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life, Jon Kabat-Zinn
Fail, Fail Again, Fail Better, Pema Chödrön
Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living, Pema Chödrön
Comfortable with Uncertainty: 108 Teachings on Cultivating Fearlessness and Compassion, Pema Chödrön
Tao Te Ching: A Book about the Way and the Power of the Way, Lao Tzu and Ursula K. Le Guin
Art and Faith: A Theology of Making, Makoto Fujimura
Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole, Susan Cain (Check out
’s Substack )Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art, Madeleine L'Engle
That’s it! I hope these books help you on your art journey as much as they’ve helped me. I will update this list over time, so please share any art or creativity books you recommend with us below in the comments!
An art education never stops and I’m always looking for my next book!
<3,
Christine
Christine, your post today was motivating. I am a librarian by trade but learning to be an artist. Having been taking skill share classes including yours and reading books. Thanks so much for be a awesome motivator. Since,I lost my dad some days I do take breaks. But, art days are great days.
Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones and Wild Mind are great writing books. She’s also a painter and wrote a book called Living Color; a writer paints her world.