Feb 7th 1-2-3: You Need To Do More Of This
1: Why You Love Art ( 2 minute read )
If I may be so bold, there is quite literally nothing more helpful to a creative than reading fiction.
Quite the bold statement, but I have only ever found this to be historically and personally true. I have not met one person whose entire life is not improved by cracking open a book everyday. It doesn’t even have to be for that long, I have found 15 minutes sessions to prove highly effective.
But why is this?
Well reading is important for a few reasons, for one it calms your mind and relaxes your body. The University of Sussex found in 2009 that reading can reduce stress levels by up to 68%. This makes it more effective than music, drinking tea, talking a walk, and more. This is because reading fiction allows the brain to focus on a narrative instead of typical stressors, which allows your mind and body to relax and reduce tension.
It is also incredibly important for the sake of expanding your thinking and imagination.
Guillermo del Toro, a visionary filmmaker who made Pan’s Labyrinth and the Shape of Water to name a few, has an extensive and sprawling library of literary works. He was always fascinated by mythology, magical realism, and gothic horror which influenced the way he approaches visual storytelling. If it were not for Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Bram Stoker’s Dracula, we would never get to experience the way he paints monsters and creatures as misunderstood beings.
Lastly, reading can open up the doors to new inspiration for your own art.
Hayao Miyazaki, the legendary animator and storyteller behind Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle, is a dedicated and devoted reader. Not only has he credited authors such as Ursula K. Le Guin for inspiring his works, but he has also even adapted stories that were written such as Diana Wynne Jones’ Howl’s Moving Castle. He believes reading has helped him to cultivate a deep sense of empathy which shows in his movies.
So there you have it. We learned today that reading helps with the following:
calming and relaxing the mind and body
expanding your thinking and imagination
and opening the doors for new inspiration for your own art.
All that is left, is to find an exciting fiction novel to cozy up with and then get to reading!
Everyone can find 15 minutes a day to read a couple pages.
Trust me, it will be worth it.
2: Creative Prompts From Us (ex. Write a short story, a poem, a song, or draw a quick illustration of these! Let your imagination run free.)
I. Make a short list of 3 fiction books that sound like a fun and exciting ride for you to enjoy over the next month or two.
II. Then pick one from that list, and set aside at least 15 minutes a day to read it.
3: Inspirational Quotes From Others
I. "I read books because I love them, not because I think I should read them. They help me build entire worlds in my head.” - Guillermo del Toro, Filmmaker and Visual Artist
II. "A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.” - Ursula K. Le Guin, Writer and Philosopher
III. "I’ve learned from reading books. I read because I want to live multiple lives.” - Hayao Miyazaki, Animator and Filmmaker
Thank you so much for reading!