Notelets on Nurture #15
Turning inward in an outward season + books to nourish your creative spirit
Welcome back to Notelets on Nurture, an occasional Sunday series where I share reflections and collaborations designed to bring you home to your creative self.
This edition lands in my favourite season. There’s a certain softness to summer with the balmy days and golden light. But this doesn’t always translate into ease. For some, these months are full to the brim in ways that leave little room for rest.
So, I’m sharing three of the books that I could enjoy in quiet pockets of time between the demands of life and work, and the Brand Seasons community contributed 10 titles of their own.
An invitation
Before delving in, I’d love to introduce you to Brand Camp, a six-week email retreat for your brand.
This summer experience will help you nurture a particular project, idea or business in a softer way this summer, and week one offers early access to The Lookout, my new brand audit guide.
We begin on Monday 14th July, and if you’re in a season of reflection or reimagining, or simply craving a pause before your next pivot, Brand Camp is here to hold that space.
Members of the Brand Seasons Clubhouse can join for just £25, and I’m currently offering 25% off an annual subscription.
This means you can access the Clubhouse and Brand Camp for just £85 (usually £120).
Turning inward
Last month felt like a threshold – long light, ripe roses and the push and pull of energy.
June is book-ended by the birthdays of my boys: one in my arms, one in my heart. And it will always be a time of year that leaves me longing yet deeply thankful.
Lowen turned two and we celebrated with a weekend of alpacas, flamingos and tractors. Harris was remembered in his yellow shrub that blooms, right on cue, around his special day. I find solace in that rhythm. In the things that return.
I still drift into what-ifs, but the present tugs me back. To the smiling face of my boy, covered with candy-coloured ice cream. Or the serious face of my girl, losing herself in stories of folklore and faeries, which seem to be speaking to her as she crosses a threshold of her own.
It’s in this noticing that I’m reminded of the power of curiosity and its ability to build not just awareness but resilience. There is beauty in being able to sit with some of the most life-changing things you will ever experience and still find your way back to everyday joy. This is what aliveness feels like to me.
Life writing
Over the past three years, I’ve struggled to put certain events into words. Lately, though, language is surfacing with new tenderness. I notice it in conversations, in the way a sentence catches in my throat and I’m somehow able to tease the thought out and express myself from a place of what feels like healing.
Part of me knows this is a project calling again. I’m tens of thousands of words in, with just as many destined for the cutting room floor, yet the manuscript will ask me to go deep, to tend the parts of myself that a complicated pregnancy left fragile and unfinished. I can feel myself returning to it with a different energy now. Of course, it has to be different. Life is different.
I was first drawn to life writing as a means of regaining some control over a situation when I felt entirely powerless. Rewriting my story felt like rebellion. Because creation is my go-to, my safe place, to make things when the world is saying “no”.
This renewed momentum is fuelled by community, too: today I’m beginning The Chain with
, a weekly slot of accountability, and I’ve joined ’ Writing Circles, which are stitching rhythm back into my practice.This listicle is sparked by a need for curiosity and creativity, and inspired me to share the books that have nourished and guided me toward finding connection again. With storytelling, with possibility and, most of all, with myself.
Creative books to spark curiosity
I find comfort in books. In the knowledge and insight of others. In their ability to flick a light on in the dark. In how they turn words into something that supports the creative spirit. Being a paper lover, I also adore the feel and scent of them! But that’s a story for another day.
Below are three titles that have stayed with me — some brought strength, others trust or a sense of worth. They sparked daydreaming and hopefulness at a time when I wondered if I would ever be able to look forward, and the books follow with some brilliant community picks.
After the Rain + In Courage Journal by
A soothing guide to self-trust, healing and inner strength. Through a blend of personal reflections and soulful essays, Elle invites readers to show up for themselves with hope and care. The book encourages boundaries and helps us boldly say “yes” to the things that truly light us up.
This book gave me the strength to be with my emotions rather than run from them…letting fear speak without letting it lead. The reflections pair beautifully with her luminous watercolour illustrations, reminding us that fear can be a companion on the path toward creative discovery.
A lyrical reimagining of the stories we thought we knew, told through a lens of power. The tales have opened up such tender conversations between my daughter and me. These aren’t just poems — they’re reminders that we can be warm and wild, and have the right to rewrite our stories.
Creative books from the community
Last month, I asked: “What books have meaningfully shaped your creative practice?” The answers were so generous, and these are the titles that stayed with me…
Little Stories of Your Life by
“This was a game changer for me,” said
who shared how this book inspired her to begin living more creatively. She had felt this wasn’t something she could claim, but Laura’s visual storytelling and seasonal framing made creativity feel accessible. Her writing is, in Victoria’s words, “just chef’s kiss.”Creative Is a Verb + Life Is a Verb by
described these titles as rich with wisdom, stories and prompts that always get her thinking. The storytelling is intimate and accessible, and the exercises are designed to get you out of your own way. “Life pondering always sparks creativity for me,” she said, and these books meet her in that space.I also have to mention Erin’s own book, Move, Rest, Recover, because rest is a vital part of the creative process. Erin combines science and personal insight with permission to slow the hell down, which is often when the best ideas arrive!
Outlive by Dr Peter Attia
This was recommended by
, who noted it was “utterly transformative.” Though it’s primarily about health and longevity, it sparked a wider reflection on what really matters — how we move through the world, how we stay curious and how we care for our creative selves.Big Magic by
shared this as a read she returns to when fear or perfectionism creep in. It helped her work through the need to control every outcome, and offered permission to create just because. It’s a personal favourite of mine, too, and one I soaked up before a pivotal moment.
Timeless Simplicity by John Lane
David Barton said this book “just gets it.” It’s about making space — physically, mentally, spiritually — for creativity in a consumerist world. It sat on his shelf for years before calling to him at the right time. He now dips back in whenever he needs to return to what matters most.
I was chuffed to receive a copy of We Need Your Art on publication day and am inspired to dive in after
recommended it. It feels like an invitation to keep creating, even when no one’s watching, because the creative act has value in itself.Cassie also mentioned The Creative Cure by Jacob Nordby, a beautiful blend of encouragement and exercises which sit alongside healing reframes, reminding us that embracing our creative selves isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity.
Time to Think by Nancy Kline
A book about the spaciousness that’s required for real thought and connection. Recommended by
, it’s not strictly about creativity, but it can quietly transform the way we hold space for our ideas (and the ideas of others, too).There were so many other good ones — including several from Do Book Co, which may need a post of their own! And the next one on my pile is The House That Joy Built by , a reflective offering for those who’ve lost creative momentum. The perfect companion as I make my way back to life writing.
If you’ve got a book that’s shaped your creativity in some way, I’d love to know. Just pop it in the comments and maybe say a little about the impact it had or the memory it holds. I might just keep this virtual “library” updated.
Loads and loads of beautiful recommendations! And so many for the reading list, to add to my ever growing, beautiful collection.
I’m always fascinated by folks who love the season of summer, and finds ease or restfulness within. I hope to one day feel that way about it. But for now, your summer is definitely my winter. I love how much the seasons and The Wheel of the Year teach me and guide in these lessons. And who knows, maybe, like I did in childhood, I will one day love summer again.
Love that you've created this list from the comments. Will definitely return here if I need more creative inspirational reading.