Have you always meant to start a craft or hobby and froze when faced with a blank canvas, empty music paper or a glowing computer screen? You are not alone. Starting creative projects has always been on my New Year's resolution list. This year, I’m doing some prep work before facing that blank canvas and looking at books about developing your creativity written by people who are established artists in their own right.

The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp

I finished reading this the other day and it's just great. Even if you do not need any help boosting your own creativity you might enjoy Tharp's stories about her work and interesting insights into the minds of great artists like Mozart, Beethoven and Balanchine.

The Collaborative Habit by Twyla Tharp with Jesse Kornbluth

Tharp's follow-up to the Creative Habit is The Collaborative Habit. Collaboration is a keyword that you might hear a lot in the office or in school. But Tharp looks at collaboration with an artist's eye and talks about how working with people who have different ideas and perspectives can bring about moments of true inspiration.

Morning, Noon and Night: Living the Creative Life by Judy Collins

Singer-songwriter Judy Collins gives us an in-depth look at her creative process, looking at a typical day (morning, noon, and night) and how certain times of the day can influence an artist's creative process. You don't have to be a Judy Collins fan to read this, but if you are the book is even more of a treat.

The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander

Benjamin Zander is the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic. Rosamund Stone Zander is a psychotherapist and painter. Together, they wrote a book that not only talks about the creative process but about opening yourself up to new possibilities by approaching new conditions in a different way and letting go of assumptions that might get in your way.