psychology/patterns of mind
~ The 5 Personality Patterns: Your Guide to Understanding Yourself and Others and Developing Emotional Maturity — by Steven Kessler ~
Review from Drew: This is the book that I think of when I hear the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover.” It looks like any self-help book that your dad might get you to read on outside, but inside it is fucking brilliant - the best psychology book that I have ever read. Kessler mixes human development psychology with energetics in such a powerful, Truthful way that I think this should be required reading for anyone on a spiritual healing journey.
The basic premise is that most humans will go into one of 5 survival patterns when they are distressed: leaving, merging, enduring, aggressive or rigid. Which pattern you go into is coded into you by things you did / did not receive during the early stages of your development. The book will help you diagnose yourself and give you real strategies for how to break out of that pattern in order to spend more time with your real self.
~ The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity — by Julia Cameron ~
Review from Drew: As a writer, this book was such a boon to me when I was just starting. It’s structured as a full 12-week curriculum that guides you through the process of getting in touch with your creative energy. To be totally honest I only made it to week 7 or 8, but I have integrate some of the central tenants (e.g., Morning Pages, where you get up and write three stream-of-consciousness pages every morning) into my daily / weekly practice. I credit this book and the exercise with helping me snap into focus as a writer.
~ On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft – by Stephen King ~
Review from Drew: Whether or not you’re into his stuff, I feel like any writer would benefit from reading Stephen King tell about his story and his writing style. This book is part memoir and part King sharing his process and his writing process. It’s a bit masculine in flavor for my liking, to be honest (that’s how you churn out 65 novels in about as many years), but I’ve incorporated many of his tools and approaches into my own writing process.