11 Beautiful Coffee Table Books That Will Unlock Your Creativity
by emily piepenbrink
Beyond all of the necessary tools and responsibilities of being an entrepreneur, creative entrepreneurs also need to develop ways of nourishing their innovation. For me, one of the most tried and true methods of getting inspired is through beautiful coffee table books.
When I start feeling creatively depleted or have a new project and don’t quite know my visual jumping off point, I pull out my coffee table books. So find a sunny spot, gather your emotional support beverages, and crack open some coffee table books to help you be creative.
How I Use Beautiful Coffee Table Books To Stay Inspired
During my inspiration sessions, I’m aiming to do a couple things for my brain and my creative work processes. Here’s what I’m actually doing when it looks like I’m perusing inspiring coffee table books instead of being “traditionally productive.”
1. Create a bit of visual white noise in your brain.
As a creative entrepreneur, you’re going to start any project with some background inspiration from your past or from things you’ve seen. In order for your work to stay true to your point of view, flood your brain with new inspiration. This will help give you new, non-derivative starting points for your new project.
2. Look for elements of design.
Whether you’re an interior designer, wedding planner, brand and web designer like me, or in another creative field, you’ve got your favorite elements of design. We all do, and it’s not always a bad thing. Having a distinct aesthetic helps build your brand, but you don’t want to get so settled in your aesthetic that you never grow or change. Use these beautiful coffee table books to discover new color palettes, new ways to work with scale and harmony, and so on.
3. Search for stories in visuals.
As you, my fellow creative small business owner, well know, our visuals tell stories. Stories we tell for marketing, stories we tell to serve clients, and stories we tell to develop our brand and our audience. As you peruse these books for creative inspiration, when you find an image that makes you feel something, take a moment to dissect it. What are the elements of that image that call to you and your brand, and how can you take those elements and tell a better version of your story?
My Favorite Coffee Table Books For Creative Inspiration
Tim Walker is a visual artist in magical realism, or maybe it’s better put as fairytale realism. A wildly famous photographer who worked for a number of luxury brands and Vogue editions, his work is one of my go-to places for inspiration. This is a keystone in my creative inspiration library.
Ashley Longshore is a loud, colorful, big personality artist (primarily painter). This book, I Do Not Cook, I Do Not Clean, I Do Not Fly Commercial, is a riot of color. If you love palettes and shape and want to see a clear point of view, this is a must-have.
Going from Ashley Longshore’s book to this achingly ethereal photography book by Jamie Beck, might give you whiplash. But, your creative inspiration library should be diverse. Beck’s photographs live in a natural color palette and give so much attention to light that they’re hard to put down.
Luke Hall is a massively talented artist and designer from the UK, and this book is like stepping into his brain. It’s great if you’re looking for color and shape inspiration, or if you’d just like to get a feel for how another creative entrepreneur works.
Frances Potter is best known for her pottery, and the shapes and composition of the images in this book are impeccable. The bonus of this book is the text, which really dives in to how her pottery business is successful because of her additional passions for and work in gardening and photography.
Rachel Ashwell is synonymous with Shabby Chic design style. Of all of her many beautiful coffee table books, this one stands out. It’s dedicated to her remote Texas Bed & Breakfast, and the images are a master class in contrast. It’s a great way to see how contrast can create compelling stories.
This book particularly speaks to me as a brand designer as it’s a collection of branded and marketing images of Veuve Clicquot. If you’ve ever wanted to see how a brand can become a lifestyle, this book nails it. It’s also great for seeing how a brand color can tie your brand’s story together.
David Stark is an event and experience designer who thinks far beyond the box. His work with color, shape, composition, and harmony are translatable to any creative business. This book is mandatory for your creative archive.
This book is from Penguin and literally goes through all of their cover collections, and the text actually breaks down why and how they ended up with what they did. It’s a beautiful collection of book covers, and incredibly inspiring if you’re wanting to think about innovation.
Claude Lalanne is a visual artist that I have trouble summarizing. His work includes floral sheep and whimsical furniture and unusual object d’art. If you really want to get out of your own head and help yourself start thinking creatively, this book is an excellent choice.
There are a million interior design coffee table books, but this one is one that I can enjoy without feeling overwhelmed. Her color palettes tend to be diverse but not overpowering, and her use of space is something I always come back to.
Build time in your business schedule for inspiration. As a creative small business owner, that’s a renewable resource, but it must be nurtured. Beautiful coffee table books are one of my favorite ways of growing my visual storytelling and design skills.
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I believe we are called to a life of creativity, and I’m trying to show up for that every day. When I’m not designing website templates, brands or illustrations, I’m getting my glitter shoes metaphorically muddy with my own artistic pursuits. I’m a maker, a quilter, a Christmas enthusiast, a baker, and a truly abysmal (but passionate) gardener.
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