I normally don’t write book review posts, but I recently finished a book that has so much to offer and was such an enjoyable read that I had to write about it.

The name of the book is Creativity Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace. This book might not seem like my usual reading material because it is a management book, but I got a lot out of it.

I was able to relate to the creative process for making animated movies because it’s quite similar to what I do when I write. Additionally, I was able to relate to Ed Catmull’s discussion on the fear of making mistakes and the fear of failure. He explains that fear can keep us from moving forward. It’s something that everyone can relate to. Have you ever not done something simply because you were afraid you’d make a mistake?

It has taken a long time for me to get over this when I write. There was a time when I’d get stuck for days on the same page of my work in progress because I had to get it perfect in the first draft. By doing that, I was keeping myself from getting down a first draft. Now, I worry about fixing the imperfections when I edit.

Mr. Catmull also gives lots of management tips that writers already use (e.g., critiques, brainstorming), but I can see how those tips would work in companies. He discusses these tips by using examples from Pixar. I loved reading all of his Pixar stories.

If you are not interested in reading a management book, you will love this book anyway if you are as big a Pixar and Disney fan as I am. Mr. Catmull tells the entire Pixar story and I highly suggest reading the Afterword about Steve Jobs. You will get a different perspective of him than what you’ve read about before or have seen in the movies.

Overall, Creativity Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration is a great read.

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