The Creative's Mind: How Exceptional Artists Think, Make, and Perform

by Jim Afremow, Phil White

In every creator’s journey, there comes a stage where mental challenges are bigger than artistic ones—and it can be hard to know where to turn.

This insightful book offers a rich source of mental strategies, resilience tips, and practical advice tailored specifically for creatives.

No matter your medium, you know that you can’t wait for inspiration to strike when it comes to honing your skills. This is true not only for your craft, but a crucial and often-overlooked aspect of the creative your mindset.

From Jim Afremow, author of The Champion’s Mind, and Phil White, co-author of The Leader’s Mind, this new guide takes you inside the mental game of some of the world’s top directors, photographers, writers, and musicians, and shows how their mindset has become their biggest competitive advantage.

Filled with motivating stories and hard-earned advice from the likes of New York Times bestselling author Erik Larson, Grammy-nominated musician BT, and photographer and filmmaker Chris Burkard, this book will teach you how
Apply skills like confidence, positive self-talk, and mental toughness to your creative work Deal with criticism, rejection, and other setbacks proactively Handle mental health challenges like anxiety, impostor syndrome, and burnout while staying resilient and focused on your creative goals Forge consistent routines that find help you quickly get in the zone when you’re creating Develop self-care practices that promote rest and recovery Apply a growth mindset and pursue your art with a renewed sense of purpose Be a more effective teammate and leader in collaborative creative settings Recapture the joy that got you hooked on creating in the first place
Let The Creative’s Mind equip you with powerful tools to maximize your potential, persevere through hard times, and leave a lasting legacy.

Genres: Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

Published June 17, 2025

Reviews

[Edie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am obsessed with the idea of this book. The format works great and the people profiled are fascinating. However, there is something in the writing style which grates on me a bit. I think it is a stylistic thing, a matter of preference, and not anything objectively wrong. Afremow interviews various creatives and then presents the reader with lessons to be learned and exercises to try. It is a good formula. If you are curious about the creative process, or trying to kickstart your own, The Creative's Mind is a valuable resource. Each chapter is like grabbing coffee with your favorite artist and picking their brain. Thank you to the author, narrator, publisher, and NetGalley for the audioARC.

[Jesse Keljo · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a person who considers themselves a “creative person,” my biggest fears include running out of ideas, not being “good enough,” failure in general, and more. In this book, Jim Afremow and Phil White (and the people they interview/profile) fire off so many sparks as you read that they cannot help but dispel the creative darkness such fears create. A huge breadth of creative disciplines are covered from acrobatics and architecture to film and non-fiction writing as well as fashion, music, and more. It was incredibly helpful to take in a creative process in a discipline not my own and see how it could help me break through obstacles I may have in my process. Even better, each chapter ends with a concise breakdown of the artist’s process in terms of the authors’ concept of the 5 Cs of mental toughness: Courage, Confidence, Concentration, Composure, and Commitment. The people in this people may be exceptional (the hatter Graham Thompson was a surprising standout for me), but everyone can take things from this book and go forth and make something for the sake of making something, which is something A.I. will never have on us.

Tanya Eby is an exceptional narrator, and I highly recommend the audiobook to those who enjoy reading in that format.

Many thanks to Brilliance Publishing, Brilliance Audio, and NetGalley for providing a pre-publication audiobook for review purposes. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book profiles creative people who are working at the top of their field in various different creative disciplines, from film costuming to drawing to writing, music and photography.
I loved the wide range and that the people interviewed were in most cases people I had not heard of before, yet are responsible for art and creative work I’ve loved - for example, I like to watch The Mandalorian and Star Wars, but hadn’t thought about who is behind the suits and how that whole world works.
I’m left with a bunch of new art, movies, music and books to look up and enjoy, with the added depth of knowing more about what it took for the artists to get to this level.
This book is also full of creative prompts, action points for journaling and habit formation. I did enjoy reading about the artists more, but imagine that I can go back to the prompts and work through them if I want to.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital arc 😍

[Anne Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very inspiring. Each chapter is filled with real-world insights that you can apply in your own creative process. I am excited about reading this book a 2nd time.

[Carrie Broome · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a short book, around 6 hours for the audiobook. Yet, it took me several days to finish listening. Admittedly part of that is my busy schedule, but a larger part is that it just wasn't that engaging.

I do appreciate the content at the end of the chapters with the five Cs, but even that honestly got a little bit repetitive, and I found myself zoning out a lot.

Ultimately I think this book is best suited for those who are just starting out on their creative path, as there is inspiration and motivation to be found here, it just didn't work great for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the copy to review.

[Jonah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book by Dr. Afremow and Mr. White doesn’t just talk about creativity; it absolutely unlocks it. Every chapter felt like a personal conversation with a high performer who's wrestled with self-doubt, pressure, and the blank page - and won. The tools aren’t fluff because they’re forged from real-world battles, delivered with clarity and grit. It made me rethink how I approach my work, my mind, and even my mornings. If you’ve ever felt stuck or like your best ideas are out of reach, this is the book that hands you the key.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the chapters feel like they were written by publicists. I thought there would be a bit more about overcoming challenges and less gushing. The recaps at the end of each chapter felt like too much and were redundant and reductive. I think my favorite chapter was on Erik Larson, author of narrative nonfiction. There were some interesting tidbits but there was a ton of repetition.

[F Rompal · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Creative’s Mind sets out to explore the inner workings of high-performing creatives across disciplines, and I appreciated its framework — five thematic “C’s” that organize the insights into easy-to-apply summaries: Courage, Confidence, Concentration, Composure, and Commitment. The structure is clean, and the takeaways at the end of each section offer accessible, actionable ideas, especially for those early in their creative paths.

That said, the interview content felt a bit repetitive, and I personally struggled to stay engaged. Given the artistic focus of the book, I couldn’t help but feel that visual elements — photos, artwork samples, design mockups — would have significantly enriched the experience. The stories often referenced a creator’s process or work, but the lack of images or examples made it harder to connect with the featured voices. I found myself googling several of the artists to better understand their work, which could have been a more integrated part of the reading experience.

Still, for readers newer to creative exploration or those looking for light inspiration in digest form, this book may serve as a motivational spark. It’s clear that the authors approached this project with care and intention, and I appreciate their effort to compile a range of voices under a shared umbrella of creativity.

Thanks to BenBella Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This non-fiction work features “creatives” from different walks of life now working successfully in various fields: DJ, digital illustrator, performance artist with Cirque du Soleil, a milliner (hat maker), etc. For framing, the author has devised the 5 Cs of mental toughness that he says are required for success: courage, confidence, concentration, composure, and commitment.
Each of the stories is tied to these 5Cs, then questions and suggestions are posed to the reader for self-reflection.
In essence, it’s a self-help book for developing your own mental toughness as a creative. There are some interesting ideas in here. Because the book showcases a wide range of creatives, something is sure to resonate. That being said, there wasn’t much in the way of recommendations that I didn’t already know. But it was also good to hear about how many years some of these profiled creatives have been working — and sometimes on a completely different path.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @BrillianceAudio, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook #TheCreativesMind for review purposes. Publication date: 17 June 2025.

[Stefy B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed learning about these many different artist and how they manage their creativity and originality.

I have been in my artistic journey for a couple of years now so many of the tips I found in the book are ones that I have heard before, that said it is never bad to have a good reminder of them and to keep them at the front of your mind.
But I did find fascinating how each of them approach the creativity in their own lives. Which I guess it could be summarized as:have the courage to follow your dreams no matter how crazy they might seem.

The down side of the book for me was the structure of the chapters. I found them extremely repetitive within themselves and that created a tedious reading process.

Now, as mentioned previously the book certainly contains really good advice for anyone who is interested in developing their creativity no matter if it is for professional purposes or hobbies. With the 5 C’s you are sure to be on your way.

[Katie Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved The Creative’s Mind because it’s the kind of book that speaks to both your ambition and your heart. I originally picked it up for inspiration in my own work, but my daughter, who’s a young graphic designer just starting out, took it from me the moment she saw it. She’s already quoting it back to me. We’re both hooked. Highly recommended.

[Madison Geery · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited to pick up this book as I’m always looking for new avenues to find inspiration or get new perspective on others’ creative process. There were interesting takeaways from each creative and hearing about their process, but the relation to the 5 C’s became fairly repetitive.

Thank you to Brilliance and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my review!

[Jim Bures · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book mainly to read the section on my favorite musician, BT. It gave me more insight into his creative process. I also learned some new stories about him. I learned of the 52-17 rule, which I think I might incorporate into my own creative work routine. Well done, Phil White and Jim Afremow!