We’ve updated our list of creativity books for 2025, adding new favorites alongside timeless classics that have inspired and challenged us here at IDEO U. Whether you're looking to spark your curiosity, enhance problem-solving skills, or explore your purpose, these books will help fuel your creative journey. We hope this expanded list offers fresh insights and inspiration for your own creative growth.

What books have helped you be more creative? If you have favorites, share them with us at hello@ideou.com.

Why Creativity Matters & the Power of Lifelong Learning

Creativity is essential for solving problems, driving innovation, and adapting to change. It’s a skill that grows through continuous learning. By always seeking new knowledge, whether through books, experiences, or conversations, you keep your mind sharp and ready to tackle challenges, fueling your creative potential along the way. The list of creativity books below should help to inspire and sparked curiosity:

1. The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin

The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin is a favorite for the IDEO team. In this insightful book, the legendary music producer explores his philosophy on creativity, offering a unique perspective on the creative process. Drawing from his experiences working with some of the world’s most influential artists, Rubin encourages readers to embrace a state of openness and flow, making this a must-read for anyone looking to unlock their full creative potential.

2. What’s Next Is Now: How to Live Future Ready by Frederik G. Pferdt

In What’s Next Is Now: How to Live Future-Ready, Frederik Pferdt explores how individuals and organizations can navigate and thrive in a rapidly changing world. Offering strategies for fostering adaptability, creativity, and forward-thinking, this book provides essential insights for staying ahead in the future of work and innovation.

For deeper insights into Frederik’s approach to preparing for the future, be sure to check out his recent appearance on our podcast , where he dives into these themes further. 

3. Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert

Big Magic is a favorite for anyone looking to reignite their creative spirit. In this inspiring book, Elizabeth Gilbert, best known for Eat, Pray, Love, explores the courage required to live a creative life. With a blend of personal stories, insightful advice, and practical wisdom, Gilbert encourages readers to embrace curiosity, let go of fear, and pursue their creative passions without hesitation. This book is a must-read for anyone ready to explore their creative potential and live life on their own terms.

4. Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World by Scott Shigeoka

Seek is a favorite for anyone passionate about exploring the power of curiosity. In this insightful book, Scott Shigeoka reveals how curiosity can unlock new possibilities, fuel creativity, and drive meaningful change. Through practical advice and engaging examples, Shigeoka illustrates how nurturing curiosity can lead to personal and professional transformation.

As he shares in his conversation on the Creative Confidence Podcast, curiosity is not just a personal trait—it’s a vital business imperative for innovation and growth. This book is a must-read for those looking to harness the power of curiosity in every aspect of life.

5. Superhuman by Design: Keys to Unlocking Your Creativity for Life-Changing Results by Donald Burlock, Jr.  

Superhuman by Design is about how to develop and follow your core values—a.k.a. your superhuman code. With more than a decade of experience at leading companies such as Dolby Labs and Amazon Lab126, designer Donald Burlock, Jr. includes his own personal lessons as well as practical tips. In the book, you’ll find insights on how to reach your fullest potential through creativity, purpose, and design thinking.

Recently featured on the Creative Confidence Podcast, Donald Burlock shared practical strategies for building a fulfilling creative career, highlighting themes from his book like resilience, adaptability, and purpose-driven work. For more insights, listen to his full discussion.

6. Larger Than Yourself: Reimagine Industries, Lead with Purpose & Grow Ideas into Movements by Thibault Manekin

Larger Than Yourself shares how people have turned great ideas into real change. Based on a podcast by social entrepreneur Thibault Manekin, the book shares methods on finding your purpose and working toward a larger mission. With personal stories as well as profiles from successful changemakers, Larger Than Yourself emphasizes the importance of reimagining the status quo.

7. Radical Architecture of the Future by Beatrice Galilee

Beatrice Galilee, a former associate curator of architecture and design at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, provides a look into the present and future of architecture—and how it goes beyond just buildings. She shares the work of groundbreaking designers, architects, and artists, from Diller Scofidio + Renfro to David Adjaye. Radical Architecture of the Future shows how design is continuing to shape the world around us.

8. Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen by Dan Heath

In Upstream, New York Times bestselling author Dan Heath shares an approach to problem-solving that involves finding and preventing problems early on. By going “upstream” to address the systems that cause problems before they go downstream, you address what may be preventable issues. Hundreds of interviews with problem solvers provide insights on how to apply them in your own work.

9. Creative Acts for Curious People: How to Think, Create, and Lead in Unconventional Ways by Sarah Stein Greenberg

Written by Stanford d.school Executive Director Sarah Stein Greenberg, Creative Acts for Curious People is an engaging and practical resource that will help you jumpstart your creativity. It includes stories and exercises from creative leaders at organizations such as Stanford, IDEO, and Google. With hands-on activities and vivid illustrations, this book encourages creative experimentation and exploration.

10. Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less by Leidy Klotz

Oftentimes, we consider more to be better. Leidy Klotz, a professor of engineering at the University of Virginia, shares how subtraction—the act of removing things from our processes, to-do lists, and minds rather than simply adding more—can also be a useful tool in solving challenges. With real-world examples and research from designers, innovators, and Nobel prize winners, Subtract provides a different way to approach problem-solving.

11. The Human Element: Overcoming the Resistance That Awaits New Ideas by Loran Nordgren and David Schonthal

A Wall Street Journal bestseller, The Human Element is about how to overcome the friction that comes with change. Authors Loran Nordgren and David Schonthal, professors at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, show how inertia, emotion, effort, and reactance cause resistance—and how they can instead be used to create change. Their research provides a framework for innovation and transformation that you can use in your own organization.

12. The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet by John Green

Based on New York Times bestselling author John Green’s podcast of the same name, The Anthropocene Reviewed is a collection of essays that center on today’s world, where humans have fundamentally shaped our planet. Touching on a vast array of topics, John Green shows how storytelling and humanness can bring color to everyday stories. 

Unlock Your Creative Potential

Ready to transform your approach to creativity and lead with confidence? Dive deeper into the world of creative leadership with IDEO U’s Leading for Creativity online course. Learn proven strategies to inspire innovation, empower your team, and foster a culture of creativity that drives lasting impact. Enroll today and start unlocking the full potential of your team’s creative brilliance!