Summer is the perfect time for teachers to catch up on hobbies and interests. For art teachers, it’s a wonderful opportunity to get back into making personal art. Whether it’s the stress of a long school year or maybe just a simple case of artist’s block, a quick art teacher book can provide inspiration and relaxation.
Here are four enjoyable art teacher books to boost your creativity over summer break.
1. Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon
We often think artists need to have a steady flow of mindblowing, completely original, and innovative ideas. Steal Like An Artist is a timeless book that breaks down what creativity really is (the hint is in the title!) and offers tips to overcome artist’s block. The format of the book even embodies creativity with non-traditional chapters. Each “chapter” explores a different facet of what makes an artist and where creativity comes from. Grab this short read to get your ideas flowing!
Art Room Application
Bring this text into your classroom (without breaking the budget) with a free PDF download. Project a page to generate a discussion as a bellringer. This book also makes a great read for advanced art students to challenge their ideation process.
2. Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
If you enjoyed Eat, Pray, Love, you won’t want to put down Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic. It’s attracted a lot of attention and garnered great reviews (1, 2) for a reason! If you struggle with perfectionism as an artist, this book will be the breath of fresh air you didn’t know you needed. With incredibly down-to-earth language, it feels like you’re interacting with a dear friend. Conquer self-doubt and re-prioritize to reach your full creative potential with this read and its corresponding podcast, Magic Lessons.
Art Room Application
The book covers three key factors that contribute to being successful in an artistic field: talent, hard work, and luck. Segue into a class discussion debating whether art is a talent or a learned skill. This is a great conversation to have at the start of a new school year or semester to prompt a growth mindset.
3. Fake Like Me by Barbara Bourland
If you’re looking to get lost in the world of fiction, add Fake Like Me to your summer reading list. An artist experienced a major setback when a fire destroyed her art studio. Follow as she recreates her large-scale paintings and tries to work through impostor syndrome in the world of fine art. This book will leave you reflecting on who you are as an artist and what your goals are.
Art Room Application
The art studio can be an intimidating place for some of our students. Consider how you can make your art room welcoming for all students this fall. Then, incorporate art activities like blind contour drawing, neurographic art, and other non-objective artmaking to get students hands-on without the pressure of creating realistic masterpieces. Bonus points if you make art alongside your students so they can see that imperfections are human!
4. We are Artists by Kari Herbert
If you’re an on-the-go summer art teacher and don’t have a ton of time to sit down to read, this one is a great choice for you! This book is a series of 15 short biographies of influential and diverse female artists. Each biography highlights how the artist overcame a setback, along with fun facts about their life and artwork. It’s also beautifully illustrated with helpful photos.
Art Room Application
It’s always good to bring in some fresh new artists to share with your students! Post your favorites in a rotating artist display. Then, keep the dive into the fascinating lives of artists going with FLEX Curriculum’s artist bios. There are ready-made resources for hundreds of artists, and many have two reading level options. Each artist bio has a graphic of the artist or their artwork, short facts, a quote, and more!
The school year is full of cutting paper, building skills, fostering critical thinking, and making amazing artwork. It’s easy to get caught up in the busyness of art teacher life! This summer, take a deep breath and slow down. Grab one of these art teacher books to kick off break with a creativity refuel! Explore where creativity comes from and who you are as an artist—you’ll be ready to get back into your own art, and you’ll overflow with ideas to bring to your students in the fall.
Keep your art teacher creative flow going with these resources:
- 10 Creative and Fun Ideas to Fuel Your Artistic Soul
- Build a Creative Practice That Sticks By Harnessing the 4 Laws of Atomic Habits
- Tiny Acts, Big Impacts: The Power of Creative Play for Art Teachers
- Art Teachers in Action: Stereotypes and the Joy of Creative Play
What creativity book would you add to this list?
Share this list with an art teacher friend!
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Magazine articles and podcasts are opinions of professional education contributors and do not necessarily represent the position of the Art of Education University (AOEU) or its academic offerings. Contributors use terms in the way they are most often talked about in the scope of their educational experiences.
