So Monday, we meet again.
We hope you all had a great weekend and are ready to take on the new week…and for those that aren’t, you can always curl up with a great book instead.
Monday Inspo
Category Archives: 2022
Best Mindfulness Books on the Market
Continuing Booko’s August focus on self-care, this week we are looking at some recent releases on Mindfulness. Mindfulness is a form of meditation borne of Buddhist tradition – yet you don’t need to be spiritual or “the meditating type” to benefit from this practice. Mindfulness asks us to focus on the present moment without judgment, and can be as simple as focussing on our breathing for one minute. There is much evidence to show that mindfulness can improve our physical as well as mental wellbeing, helping to relief stress and anxiety, improving mental clarity, and helping us get more out of personal interactions. If you have ever felt too busy, overwhelmed, or distracted, then you may benefit from mindfulness practice – and here are some great guides to get you started:
Becoming Aware: a 21- Day Mindfulness Program for Reducing Anxiety and Cultivating Calm by Daniel J. Siegel
This companion to Daniel J. Siegel’s bestselling Aware offers a 21-day, step-by-step guide to adopting his Wheel of Awareness meditation practice. Siegel developed Wheel of Awareness after reviewing current scientific research, which shows that mindfulness offers physical as well as mental health benefits. Using a series of meditation instructions, practical exercises, and everyday tools and techniques, Becoming Aware enables readers, including children, to focus attention, open awareness, and develop compassion, leading to an enduring sense of calm and quiet.
The Resilience Project: Finding Happiness through Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness by Hugh van Cuylenburg
The Resilience Project is more of a memoir than an instruction manual, yet Hugh van Cuylenberg’s life stories are sure to inspire you to make a habit of the simple yet transformational practices of gratitude, empathy and mindfulness – behaviours that lead to resilience and happiness. With humour, poignancy and clear-eyed insight, Hugh van Cuylenberg shares the personal experiences – including his sister’s eating disorder, and his time volunteering in northern India – that has led to his discovery of the link between gratitude, empathy, mindfulness and happiness, which in turn has inspired him to work to help people live a happier and more fulfilling life.
Now Is the Way: Simple Mindfulness for Modern Times by Cory Allen
Cory Allen, host of the popular Astral Hustle podcast, adds author to his resume with this practical, highly readable guide to the why, what, and how of mindfulness. As in his podcasts, Now is the Way mixes mindfulness, neuroscience, philosophy and music; it includes a detailed review of current research; discussion of trends in the mindfulness movement; no-nonsense exercises such as deep breathing; as well as how to use “binaural beats”, a form of sound therapy. There is also a detailed bibliography for further exploration. Cory Allen thinks of mindfulness as “strength training for the brain” – it can help us take control of our thinking, stop merely reacting to life and start to live it the way we want.
How to Focus (Mindfulness Essentials) by Thich Nhat Hanh
The late Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh is best known in the West as the “Father of Mindfulness”. He also developed the concept socially-engaged Buddhism, and was an active proponent of nonviolent activism. The Mindfulness Essentials series is a pocket-sized collection of Thich Nhat Hanh’s writing that focuses on key elements of mindfulness practice. How to Focus offers a set of simple meditations, written with his characteristic kindness, that can help us overcome constant distraction and regain our powers of concentration, and thus foster the conditions that bring insight and understanding.
Gutsy: Mindfulness Practices for Everyday Bravery by Leah Katz
Dr Leah Katz is a clinical psychologist who uses a mix of behavioural therapies and mindfulness techniques in treating anxiety and depression. In Gutsy, she shows how mindfulness can be part of a broader toolkit that helps us make bolder, more fulfilling choices;
by adopting a mindset of joy, gratitude, and resilience, we can learn to identify what is holding us back, to overcome our fears, and move past society’s unrealistic and often harmful expectations to create the self-loving and compassionate life that we all deserve.
Attention Hijacked: Using Mindfulness to Reclaim Your Brain from Tech by Erica B. Marcus
Attention Hijacked offers invaluable advice to steer teens towards healthier tech-use habits, without resorting to “screentime is bad” scare tactics. Erica B. Marcus acknowledges that technology offers many benefits, including education, entertainment, social connection and personal expression; yet some technologies are designed to be addictive, and can interfere with cognitive abilities and mental and physical health. Attention Hijacked shows how mindfulness can help us reassess our technology use, leading to a more conscious, balanced approach. A great resource for teens as well as their caregivers and teachers.
Learning to relax; the top 6 books to show you how
Taking time out to relax sounds ridiculously straightforward, a little indulgent and often something we only do if we have spare time. What has emerged from research is that it is critical to make time to relax due to its compounding health benefits – especially in the busy times we are experiencing in the world today.
We have looked over that latest books hitting the market on self care and have found 6 that are a mix of effective relaxation methods, the reasoning behind the importance of self care and also practical how to guides that we can adopt at home, or even at work.
The Relaxation Solution: The Secret to Stress-Free Living by Stephen Diamond
The Relaxation Solution is a guidebook to discovering how the modern world has taught us to make ourselves tense, and how we can stop it, let it all go, and truly relax.
Our environment today is dominated by stressful situations. Family life, financial trouble, illness and job demands are all significant sources of stress. People learn to respond to stress by tensing up. Originally a valuable self-protection mechanism, this habitual response is now making them anxious and ill. The Relaxation Solution provides a new approach to mindfulness, a set of exercises and meditations that gently and effortlessly guide the reader to experiencing freedom from tension. When practiced, these exercises reverse the habitual, unconscious tension response and instil a new habit of relaxation.
As a bonus, this little solution includes online access to 35 minutes of guided meditation audios.
The Joy of Self-Care by Becca Anderson
Self-care ideas are unique, they aren’t formulaic, but are personal and ever-changing. The Joy of Self-Care provides space for rest, catharsis, and healing, and brings value back into your cultivation of joy and embracing the joy of being you. What do you miss about yourself? Maybe it’s how you used to easily calm down following stress or enjoy your own company. Gain solace in the midst of chaos by reconnecting with yourself. Self-care isn’t a chore, an obligation, or emotionally exhausting work. It should be a fulfilment of your needs, a safe space, an act of joy. Full of self-care ideas, The Joy of Self-Care has something for everybody.
Finding a personalised self-care routine can be daunting. The perfect addition to any self-care kit, this de-stress book is full of self-care ideas to help you get started-with the help of an expert. Author Becca Anderson specialises in personal growth and shepherds readers to their better selves with positive thinking and other self-care ideas.
Inside The Joy of Self-Care, you’ll find; Self-care ideas to help you physically, emotionally, and mentally recharge, a spirit of self-care and self-love and how to value calm, comfort, and rest.
How to Implement Effective Relaxation Techniques by Michael Robertson
One thing that we should understand is that stress is something we cannot avoid. The only thing you can do is to learn how to cope with it. After all, life is all about overcoming the challenges you face. Stress can take a huge toll on your life. It can bring out the worst state in you. Instead of approaching life with a sense of optimism, stress can make you feel lost and hopeless. Worst, it extinguishes the little motivation that would have ensured you remain productive.
In How to Implement Effective Relaxation Techniques you’ll discover the root cause of your stress and anxiety, how to relax your mind and body, and let go of worry. It’s through this understanding that you will take the right steps towards developing healthy habits to manage your everyday stressors. At the end of the day, a relaxed state of mind and body will allow you to spend less time worrying. Once you master the relaxation techniques detailed in this manual, you will organise your life to continuously strive to achieve more of the things that add value to your life.
The Power of Breathing Techniques by Lutz Schneider
We can survive for weeks without food and days without water, but only a few minutes without air. Would it not be justified to presume that the air, which is more important for human survival than food or water, should live up to basic standards? How much air do we need for ideal breathing? And how should we breathe? The amount of air that you breathe has the potential to change everything you believe about your body, your health and your performance. In this book, you will discover the fundamental relationship between oxygen and your body. Increasing your oxygen supply is not only healthy, it enables an increase in the intensity of your training and also reduces breathlessness. In short, you will notice an improvement in your health and more relaxation in your everyday life.
Sanctuary Of Your Own: Create a Haven Anywhere for Relaxation and Self-Renewal by Caroline Dow
Bring a sense of the sacred to your environment so not matter where you are, you can connect with spirit. This book shares ideas and techniques for transforming any space into a haven designed to bring balance, serenity, and joy into your life. By engaging your five senses and working with the power of intention, you can create a sacred space almost anywhere. A Sanctuary of Your Own shows you how to carve out a mini sanctuary at work, in your car, or even in your hotel room when you’re traveling. Author Caroline Dow also shares tips for creating your own altar, getting rid of clutter, and designing spaces to share with family and friends. Whether you want to facilitate a meditation practice or express your personal interests and cultural background, this accessible guide helps you take small steps that get big results. With examples from cultures around the world and helpful ideas for incorporating colors, fragrances, botanicals, gemstones, textiles, and even special numbers, A Sanctuary of Your Own helps you create a perfect space where they can feel safe, relax, and find some peace.
Small Habits for a Big Life by Rebecca Ray
Change is not about grand statements and sweeping gestures. It is about chipping away, a bit at a time, at the edifices that hold us back. Dr Rebecca Ray knows about the power of small habits to make big changes. She has turned herself from regular clinical psychologist into one of Australia’s most effective communicators on matters of the mind by introducing small changes into her life. Rebecca has helped many members of her large online community and her clients do the same. In Small Habits for a Big Life Rebecca Ray breaks down the process for her reader. She explains how we can override the part of the brain that seeks pleasure and comfort (ice cream and wine) and activate the parts that tolerate some discomfort for the sake of long-term goals (an hour of study instead of an hour of Netflix). Small Habits for a Big Life clears the way for readers to embark on their own path to change and provides exactly the right amount of support along the way.
Enjoy!
The best six books exploring how exercise helps the mind.
We all know that exercise is good for us both mentally and physically and has numerous health benefits. That said, there are still days where we really don’t feel like getting out of bed and heading into the cold for a run (hello Melbourne Winter’s we’re talking about you). Thankfully, there are a growing number of indoor options for those days we can’ face the cold but want still to get moving. For those that need a little more convincing, we have found six great books that not only explain what we can do, but why we need to.
Brace yourself, you’ll be lacing up your runners at the end of this blog and reaching for your drink bottle as we know these are going to inspire you to get moving.
Eat Like a Pig, Run Like a Horse by Anastacia Marx de Salcedo
There is no pill. There is no diet. Could it be that our underlying assumption, that what we’re eating is making us fat and sick, is just plain wrong? To address the nation’s bulging waistline and the disease states associated with it, scientists have conducted a whopping 500,000 studies of diet and 300,000 of obesity. Journalists have written 223,000,000 and 15,600,000 news articles respectively about the topics. Yet nothing seems to halt the epidemic. It’s clear a new approach is needed. Anastacia Marx de Salcedo’s Eat Like a Pig, Run Like a Horse, looks not just to data-driven science, but to animals and the natural world around us. What she finds will transform the national debate about the root causes of our most pervasive diseases and offer hope of dramatically reducing the number who suffer from these, no matter what we eat. She starts by chronicling her own medical miracle. She has multiple sclerosis, but discovered that daily exercise keeps it from progressing. And now, new research backs up her own experience. This revelation prompted her to ask what would happen if people with lifestyle illness put physical activity front and centre in their daily lives instead of diet? In a fascinating journey divided between personal profiles of patients, mad(ish) scientists, and beguiling animal stories (bats, who fly hundreds of miles weekly, are incredibly disease resistant, much like how aerobic exercise boosts our own immune system), Anastacia shows we need to move beyond our current diet-focused model to a new, dynamic concept of metabolism as regulated by exercise. Suddenly the answer to global good health is embarrassingly simple. Don’t worry about what you eat. Worry about how much you move.
Sweat: A History of Exercise by Bill Hayes
Exercise is our modern obsession, and we have the fancy workout gear and fads to prove it. Exercise, a form of physical activity distinct from sports, play, or athletics, was an ancient obsession, too, but as a chapter in human history, it’s been largely overlooked. In Sweat, Bill Hayes runs, jogs, swims, spins, walks, bikes, boxes, lifts, sweats, and downward-dogs his way through the origins of different forms of exercise, chronicling how they have evolved over time, and dissecting the dynamics of human movement. Hippocrates, Plato, Galen, Susan B. Anthony, Jack LaLanne, and Jane Fonda, among many others, make appearances in Sweat, but chief among the historical figures is Girolamo Mercuriale, a Renaissance-era Italian physician who aimed singlehandedly to revive the ancient Greek “art of exercising” through his 1569 book De arte gymnastica. In the pages of Sweat, Mercuriale and his illustrated treatise are vividly brought back to life. As Hayes ties his own personal experience to the cultural and scientific history of exercise, from ancient times to the present day, he gives us a new way to understand its place in our lives in the 21st century.
Yoga Happy: Simple Tools and Practices for Everyday Calm & Strength by Hannah Barrett
Yoga Happy is an essential companion to help you through life, whether you’re a complete yoga beginner or wanting to deepen your home practice. In this beautiful, full-colour book you will find everything you need to build your inner strength and resilience, enhance your yoga practice, and help you find calm, happiness and the resilience to navigate the modern world. Written by yoga and meditation teacher Hannah Barrett, who has helped hundreds of thousands of people both online and through her workshops and classes, Yoga Happy encourages you to incorporate key disciplines, thoughts and actions into your everyday life. No matter how little time or space you have, Hannah shows how you can find your energy, reduce stress at home or at work, get a good night’s sleep and learn to cope better with whatever life throws at you. This inspiring handbook will also guide you through short, illustrated yoga sequences adapted for all abilities, plus give you breathing techniques, meditations and other proven mindful practices that will help to nourish and support your mind and body.
The Truth of Yoga: A Comprehensive Guide to Yoga’s History, Texts, Philosophy, and Practices by Daniel Simpson
A succinct, approachable guide to the origins, development, key texts, concepts, and practices of yoga. Yoga is practiced by many millions of people worldwide and is celebrated for its mental, physical, and spiritual benefits. And yet, as Daniel Simpson reveals in The Truth of Yoga , much of what is said about yoga is misleading. For example, the word “yoga” does not always mean union. In fact, in perhaps the discipline’s most famous text, the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, its aim is described as separation: isolating consciousness from everything else. And yoga is not five thousand years old, as is commonly claimed; the earliest evidence of practice dates back about twenty-five hundred years. (Yoga may well be older, but no one can prove it.) The Truth of Yoga is a clear, concise, and accessible handbook for the lay reader that draws upon abundant recent scholarship. It outlines these new findings with practitioners in mind, highlighting ways to keep traditions alive in the twenty-first century.
Caged Lion: Joseph Pilates and His Legacy by John Howard Steel
Caged Kion is the surprising story of Pilates, the man and the method.
Part biography, part history, and part memoir, Caged Lion untangles for the first time Joseph Pilates’s opaque life story and the perilous journey of his exercise program known the world over as Pilates.
This is the story of Joseph Pilates, a gifted man who immigrated to the United States at forty-three with no assets or credentials. He not only invented an exercise regimen which today is practiced by more than ten million people, but in the process, reinvented himself.
John Howard Steel brings Joseph Pilates and his eponymous exercise regime to life from his unique perspective as a student, friend, and confidant. Joe’s influence profoundly changed Steel’s life; in turn, Steel was crucial for the survival of the Pilates Method and Joe’s legacy. Steel’s vivid account traces the expansion of Pilates from a small cadre of dedicated adherents, through two periods of near extinction, to the global sensation it is today. Steel describes Joseph Pilates’s years as a prisoner during World War I, Joe’s motivation to discover his system of exercises, his inspirational teaching technique, and the unique attraction of the Pilates Method. It’s quite a story.
Just Breathe by Dan Brule
Hailed by Tony Robbins as the “definitive breathwork handbook,” Just Breathe will teach you how to harness your breath to reduce stress, increase productivity, balance your health, and find the path to spiritual awakening. Big meeting jitters? Anxiety over a test or taxes? Hard time focusing? What if you could control your outcomes and change results simply by regulating your breath? In this simple and revolutionary guide, world-renowned pioneer of breathwork Dan Brul shares the Breath Mastery technique that has helped people in more than fifty countries reduce anxiety, improve their health, and tap infinite stores of energy. Just Breathe reveals the truth that elite athletes, champion martial artists, Navy SEAL warriors, first responders, and spiritual yogis have always known; when you regulate your breathing, you can moderate your state of well-being. So if you want to clear and calm your mind and spark peak performance, the secret is just a breath away. Breathwork gives you the tools to achieve benefits in a wide range of issues including: managing acute/chronic pain; helping with insomnia, weight loss, attention deficit, anxiety, depression, trauma, and grief; improving intuition, creativity, mindfulness, self-esteem, and leadership; and much more. Just Breathe will help you utilise your breath to benefit your body, mind, and spirit.
Enjoy!
Top six books for those who want to learn to meditate
Meditation is known and followed by many who delight in the calm and clarity it brings them when they need it most, though others can find it lacking in science and complete woo-woo. In these crazy times we are living in with a climate crisis, global pandemics, spring inflation and even a war, Team Booko has found six amazing books that want to help ease your mind and may even change the mind of the strongest sceptic. Whether you are looking for quick suggestions to relax during the day or answers to deeper questions about the direction of your life, these books each aim to work towards a positive impact on your life while drawing on science and practice.
Finding Peace: Meditation and Wisdom for Modern Times by Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche
Finding Peace is a practical guide to the life-changing benefits of meditation from leading Buddhist master Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche. Rinpoche is the leading Buddhist monk in the UK, who shares his collected wisdom on how we can all overcome negative thoughts and calm our minds with simple meditation practices. His teachings have transformed the lives of people all over the world and, in our modern chaotic world, have never been more pertinent.
He teaches us that our minds are infinite like the sky, which can easily become clouded with stress and emotions, but with meditation we are able to clear away these clouds. By freeing our minds of those obstacles we can find peace in every moment and live a truly fulfilled life. With practical steps on breathing, posture, forgiveness, relationships and routine, this is the definitive guide for beginners and experienced meditators alike to learn from the wisdom of a globally revered meditation master.
Breathe Like a Badass by Hannah Jane Thompson
Breathe Like a Badass is a practical handbook that shows you how to harness the power of meditation, covering everything from comparison and office politics to body image and relationships. This practical handbook teaches you how to start and stick to a non-woo-woo, scientifically based, zero-BS meditation habit that you can turn to again and again when life and work gets tough. Qualified meditation teacher and certified life coach Hannah Jane Thompson has been practising meditation for over 11 years, after discovering the difference it made to her own life. As an ambitious but chronically anxious journalist, Hannah suppressed all feelings of not being ‘good enough’ until one day she was hit with chronic depression, anxiety, and panic attacks. At her absolute lowest point, she discovered meditation, and it quite literally saved her life. Breath by breath, meditation taught her to stop, breathe, accept who she was, and question those negative thoughts and transform them into something a little more kind, positive, and mindfully productive. Drawing on her own story, her teaching practice and experiences of her clients, Hannah shows you how to harness the power of meditation. Breathe Like a Badass is your no-BS guide to creating a life-changing, burnout-busting emotional toolbox of your own.
Total Meditation: Stress Free Living Starts Here by Deepak Chopra
Times are hard. Meditation doesn’t have to be. Meditation leads to transformation. It affects every aspect of your wellbeing and can bring about positive change in your body, affect your mental outlook, increase your decision-making ability and eliminate worry and anxiety. The master of modern meditation Deepak Chopra draws on his 30 years of practice and reveals how to achieve blissful awareness by waking up to who you really are. Perfect for beginners, sceptics or those looking for a new approach to stillness, his simple 7-day programme offers a life-changing path to a quiet mind.
The No-Nonsense Meditation Book by Steven Laureys
Rigorously researched and deeply illuminating, world-leading neurologist Dr Steven Laureys works with celebrated meditators to scientifically prove the positive impact meditation has on our brains.
Dr Steven Laureys has conducted ground-breaking research into human consciousness for more than 20 years. For this bestselling book, he explores the effect of meditation on the brain. He uses hard science to explain the benefits of a practice that was once thought of as purely spiritual. The result is a highly accessible, scientifically questioning guide to meditation, designed to open the practice to a broader audience. A mix of fascinating science, inspiring anecdote and practical exercises, this accessible book offers scientific evidence that meditation can have a positive impact on all our lives.
Strong, Calm and Free: A modern guide to yoga, meditation and mindful living by Nicola Jane Hobbs
Heartfelt and deeply practical, Strong, Calm and Free brings alive the possibility of a life of inner peace, compassion and joy. Grounded in both modern science and ancient wisdom, this beautiful and inspiring book demystifies the philosophy and psychology of yoga, making the 4000-year old practice accessible for modern life. Whether you’ve never stepped foot on a yoga mat before or want to deepen your home practice, this beautifully-illustrated book is suitable for all abilities, gently guiding you through a ten-week journey of yoga sequences, meditations and mindful living practices that will build strength, bring insight and offer a path to healing and freedom. Written by holistic counsellor and international yoga and meditation teacher Nicola Jane Hobbs, Strong, Calm and Free shares the tools to help you navigate the peaks and valleys of modern life, to dispel the “I’m not good enough” myth that holds so many of us back and to experience the miracle of being yourself. By sharing her gentle wisdom alongside simple, practical exercises, Nicola invites you on a path of inner transformation. A mindful adventure of self-discovery. A journey towards health, happiness and wholeness. Towards strength, peace and freedom. Towards becoming fully and fearlessly who you are.
A Monk’s Guide to Happiness: Meditation in the 21st century by Gelong Thubten
We’re all on a search for happiness, but we’re looking in the wrong places. Everyone looks externally to find contentment, we think material possessions will unlock our happiness. A Monk’s Guide to Happiness explains how and why we need to look within, and connect to our true essence, in order to find peace. Everyone has the potential to be happy, after all, we’re all ‘hardwired’ for happiness. But how do we get there? By meditating. Not just in the morning, but throughout the day by introducing micro moments so we never drop the mindfulness ball, even when we’re busy. Meditation is more than just a stress-reduction tool or a relaxation therapy, it is the key to finding long-lasting happiness. Gelong Thubten, a Buddhist monk who has worked with everyone from Silicon Valley entrepreneurs to Ruby Wax and Benedict Cumberbatch, explores the theme of happiness in his debut book and explains how to bring meditation into our busy 21st century lives with simple exercises.
Enjoy!
Monday Inspo
This month we are exploring the world of self care and the various activities we can do to calm our lives and minds. This week it’s meditation. Be sure to read the blog on Thursday for our top meditation books.
So you want to be a potter – 6 books to help you on your way
Cool, dense, pliable – there’s something very primal about the appeal of wet clay. There has been huge, renewed interest in pottery, spurred on by social media and pandemic lockdowns. While some people enjoy it as a creative outlet, others see it as mindful and therapeutic; and with increasing attention on hand-made, artisanal and unique homewares, pottery can even become a career or business opportunity. If you are ready to start experimenting with clay, here are some great sources of advice, techniques and project suggestions:
Pottery for Beginners: Projects for Beautiful Ceramic Bowls, Mugs, Vases and More by Kara Leigh Ford
Pottery for Beginners is, in essence, a pottery course-in-a-book. It starts with primers on equipment, technique, clay types and setting up a workspace; then moves onto 10 progressive projects, each focussing on a key skill. While each project is standalone, together they present the full range of fundamental pottery skills. You will learn to hand-form as well as how to use the wheel to form bowls, plates and other easy kitchenware. Additional tutorials on glazing and decorative techniques will help you personalise the finish of your pieces. Having previously shared her skills in workshops, podcasts, magazine articles as well as in her thriving online community for potters, Kara Leigh Ford is ready to help and inspire her readers to start their own journeys in pottery.
Pottery (Conscious Crafts): 20 Mindful Makes to Reconnect Head, Heart and Hands by Lucy Davidson
Creating clay objects is a slow, tactile, focussed activity that in many ways seem the complete opposite to the fast-paced, online and constantly connected lives that we normally lead. The process of firing the pieces can challenge our need for control by introducing an (often delightful) unpredictability, encouraging us to “go with the flow”. No wonder more and more people are seeing a mindful, meditative or therapeutic quality to pottery. Lucy Davidson celebrates the wellbeing benefits of pottery in this book of small projects that do not require a kiln or a wheel: be surprised and delighted by ideas including miniature bunting, coasters and terrazzo-style bracelets.
Carve Your Clay: Techniques to Bring the Pottery Surface to Life by Hilda Carr
Bring visual interest and a sculptural quality to your pottery pieces by learning to carve clay surfaces. In 16 easy to follow projects, London-based potter Hilda Carr demonstrates a range of decorative carving techniques synonymous with her style – including incising, combing, inlaying to sgraffito, faceting and fettling. With clear, detailed instructions as well as
guides on how to create form as well as information on glazing and firing, Carve Your Clay is a great technical sourcebook for all skill levels.
The Handbuilt Potter: Master Timeless Techniques by Melissa Weiss
This book stands out in two ways: firstly, it focusses solely on handbuilding techniques including coil, slab and moulds – no pottery wheel required. Secondly, Melissa Weiss provides valuable hard-to-find advice on how to use “wild clay”, that is, dig up local clay soils and process it into clay suitable for pottery. She also shares her own recipes for unusual glazes incorporating ash, salt and other dry materials – tips that will help you include a hyper-personal, hyper-local element to your creativity.
Pottery You Can Use: An Essential Guide to Making Plates, Pots, Cups and Jugs by Jacqui Atkin
There is something very satisfying about making objects you can use everyday, that are not only beautiful, but functional as well. Pottery You Can Use is a detailed guidebook that will show you how to create pieces that work best for you – pieces that stack well, are nice to hold, with lids that fit and handles that stay on. From plates, cups, and saucers to casserole dishes, pitchers, and tureens, Jacqui Atkin offers detailed advice from design and calculations, to choosing the best materials, techniques and glazes for your pieces. The combination of clear, beautiful photos and succinct but informative text makes Making Pottery You Can Use a valuable reference for beginners through to professional ceramicists.
Easy Homemade Pottery: Make Your Own Stylish Decor Using Polymer and Air-Dry Clay by Francesca Stone
If you are curious about pottery but worried about the mess and the specialised equipment, then air-dry clay and polymer clay may be a good starting point. These lightweight clays are readily available at craft stores and can be air-dried or baked in a domestic oven. In this, her first book, craft blogger Francesca Stone has channeled her talents for creating easy, on-trend projects into a range of decorative homewares, including coasters, planters, candle holders and bookends – that achieve the organic, handmade ceramic look using air-dry or polymer clays. The projects require only a few basic tools and show you fundamental techniques that will help you realise your own pottery ideas!
So you want to be a painter? Six books to help you on your way.
Painting is something we all started off in life adoring and thinking we were amazing at. Then somewhere along the way we started doubting our skills. The wonderful Ken Done in his book A Life Coloured In (psst you can also read his newest book Art, Design, Life here) rightly pointed out that it’s around the time we start injecting rational thought into our work that the belief in our creativity starts to wane. While this is such a shame, it is heartening to see that so many adults are picking the paint brush up once again in an effort to spark painting’s original joy.
If you happen to be one of those creative individuals, then you are in luck! We have scoured the internet and have found six books to help you on your way.
Drawing and Painting Beautiful Flowers by Kyehyun Park
Learn how to draw beautiful flowers and add breathtaking watercolour with the easy step-by-step instructions in Drawing and Painting Beautiful Flowers. Drawing and painting realistic flowers is achievable! Create a wide variety of blooms and greenery using an easy step-by-step method, then add watercolour for gorgeous effects. In Drawing and Painting Beautiful Flowers, discover how to draw flowers such as roses, cosmos, daffodils, tulips, hydrangeas, lilies, daisies, and more from various angles, and learn about perspective and shading. Once you have the skills to draw a single flower, learn how to draw groupings, bouquets, and wreaths. Mix in grasses and wildflowers to create a variety of looks and dynamic scenes. Then, learn simple techniques to add luscious watercolour, using shading, blending, and gradient techniques for eye-catching results. Popular Instagram artist Kate Kyehyun Park shares her secrets for capturing realistic flower, leaf, and plant shapes. Artists of all levels love drawing and painting nature, and with these techniques they’ll confidently render lifelike botanicals in an array of lovely palettes.
Master Oils : Painting Techniques Inspired by Influential Artists by Selwyn Leamy
Learn how to paint in one of the modern artist’s favourite medium: oil. Taking inspiration from iconic paintings in the London Tate Collection, discover the techniques of the masters and improve your own painting skills with 30 guided projects. Master brushwork and form with Cezanne; thin and blend with Turner and Whistler; and play with texture with Richter and Riley.
The Beginner’s Guide to Oil Painting by Craig Stephens
Craig Stephens has a simple motto for painting: With a brush, some paints and a willingness to learn, anyone can do it. With that mindset, Craig takes his most essential lessons, boils them down to their basics and teaches you everything you need to know to start oil painting, without any fuss or highbrow. Thanks to his experience teaching painting to high school students for over two decades, Craig is an expert at helping those with no experience pick up a brush and make beautiful art they are proud of. With his direction, you’ll create dynamic, vivid paintings and learn to capture your world in ways you never thought possible. Each project in this book is designed to highlight the important elements of using oil paints, helping you to practice new skills and get comfortable with the medium. And thanks to Craig’s helpful step-by-step directions that pair a picture with each stroke, you’ll get great results. Hone your colour-mixing eye as you blend the vibrant greens and subtle yellows in the Freshly Cut Avocado piece. Practice painting unique textures, like the small craters in the Simplified Strawberry or the glossy skin on the Smooth and Shiny Plum. Learn all the ways to capture natural light, like transparency in a glass of Refreshing Lemon Water or dazzling reflections on a Chrome Coffee Creamer. Oil painting is a timeless art form, and with Craig as your teacher, you’ll create 22 beautiful pieces for your walls and learn all the foundational skills you need to enjoy this hobby for years to come.
Modern Japanese Painting Techniques by Shinichi Fukui
This book makes it easy to create and admire wonderful Japanese-style paintings and portraits. Modern Japanese-style paintings are recognisable by their restrained use of three-dimensionality and perspective, reliance upon expressive lines, and the bold use of colour to direct the viewer’s eye. There are other ways that artists imbue their work with Japanese-inspired attributes, including through the skilful use of shape, texture, and facial expression. Author Shinichi Fukui introduces readers to 7 notable modern Japanese artists who specialise in shin hanga-style portraiture of Japanese women. He then presents instructions to create 21 different original paintings — from sketching models, preparing and mixing paints, blocking in colour, and rendering fine details. Using these techniques, and a bit of acrylic paint, readers will be able to create eye-catching works of art that express a timeless Japanese aesthetic.
Painting Happiness: Creativity with Watercolours by Terry Runyan
Painting Happiness offers playful, expressive watercolour painting techniques and projects that will help you find your calm. Combat stress and anxiety and release your own inner creative with this beautiful mindful watercolour book. In this simple and vibrant guide, hugely popular Instagram muse @TerryRunyan explores the art of watercolour through the lens of mindfulness, presenting activities and projects which you can paint along with as you allow your creative side to flourish. This watercolour guide is easy and accessible for beginners, as Runyan gently delves into the basics of the artform, starting with simple techniques which you can follow along with, as well as presenting some fun projects ideas for painters to explore. Alongside beautiful examples of the techniques and styles explored in the book, Runyan also encourages readers to practice mindfulness as they paint, and explores the ways in which art can be used to help improve mental health. Exploring the idea of perfectly imperfect watercolours, Runyan places emphasis on self-expression and allowing yourself to make mistakes.
Watercolour Painting at Home by Bley Hack
With Watercolour Painting at Home, artists can learn to find painting inspiration around their homes and gardens, and then paint beautiful, homey art. Easy-to-follow watercolour techniques and projects help you find inspiration at home and paint what you see around you, from seasonal decor to favourite recipes and the flowers in your garden. As we all spend more time at home, you may find yourself looking for a creative outlet that doesn’t require you to get out and about. That’s where Watercolour Painting at Home comes in, with ideas and inspiration for painting from your couch, front porch, backyard, and more. Painting your favourite things will make your home look more beautiful to you, and it will help you appreciate where you live and what you have. It’s easy to find inspiration at home; just look to your holiday decor, favourite recipes, plants, office, and more. Expertly written and illustrated by a professional artist, this beautiful book is filled with inviting and colourful large-scale art accompanied by instructions that are clear and easy to follow for any skill level.
Enjoy!
Have a laugh with Booko: How Do I Un-Remember This?
From the host of Everything Iconic with Danny Pellegrino comes a collection of stories you’ll be glad didn’t happen to you in How Do I Un-Remember This?
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Monday Inspo
Sometimes hobbies are so fulfilling that we look to make them our careers. This week on the blog we’re taking a look at 6 amazing new books that aim to take your interest in painting to a new level. Be sure to check back on Thursday for some inspiration.
