Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes.  Art is knowing which ones to keep.

- Scott Adams

There are two things that I love reading, learning, and chatting about with reckless abandon. . .The first is creativity and the second is leadership.  I know, lame right? [insert ego here] Try as I like to dive into fiction and novels, when I have free time my mind races to blogs and articles about creativity and leadership.

In regards to creativity I’m obsessed with all aspects of creation — artistry, the process, the product, the emotion, the success, and just as importantly — the failure (if there is such a thing).  Leadership holds many of the same tenants of my interest.

In the quiet of my heart, my goal is to become a creative person and an inspirational leader.  The frustrating part is that I spend a lot of time reading and thinking about creativity, and not nearly enough time actually creating.

But regardless of all the excuses, even just reading about other artists’ processes gets me a little closer to my own inner leader. So, here are a few of my current favorite inspirations:

Leadership:

• Angels and Ages: A Short Book About Darwin, Lincoln, and Modern Life
• Team of Rivals: The Political Geniue os Abraham Lincoln (are you seeing a pattern yet?)
• White Hot Truth: blog by Danielle LaPorte (honestly, her blog really rests in both Leadership & Creativity)
• Penelope Trunk: Brazen Careerist: blog about leadership in your career
• Leadership by Rudy Guiliani.  I know, I don’t agree with his politics, but he is a student of leadership that is really interesting.

Creativity:

• Christine Kane: Be Creative.  Be Conscious. Be Couragous.
• Highly Sensitive Power (this blog is my current homepage, so the first thing I see is the daily Creative Prompt)
• Inspire Me Thursday: an old favorite that always leaves me feeling arty
• Ready Made Magazine: if you build it they will come.
• My current favorite Ted Talk by Elizabeth Gilbert of Eat, Pray, Love fame