Creative Endurance: 56 Rules for Overcoming Obstacles and Achieving Your Goals - Plus 20 Interviews with Leading Artists and Athletes

by Mike Schnaidt

A must-read guide for any creative, Creative Endurance offers practical advice and inspiration for staying motivated and achieving your big-picture goals.

Are you experiencing creative burnout? Using the effective strategies for creative endurance developed by creative director of Fast Company and accomplished marathon runner Mike Schnaidt, you can remain imaginative and inventive through any tough situation, throughout your life and career.

Featuring inspiring stories from designers, astronauts, illustrators, ultramarathoners, chefs, photographers, and an Olympic Gold medalist, Creative Endurance provides a unique combination of practical advice, in the form of 56 “rules,” alongside inspiring examples to help you overcome creative obstacles and thrive.
Learn from graphic designer Sagi Haviv, the creator of the US Open logo, as he shares his experience of generating over 6,000 sketches for the iconic design. Join photographer Peter Yang behind the scenes of his most memorable celebrity shoots, including with Barack Obama. Hear from astronaut Jeanette Epps, who went from a Ford Motor Company employee to a member of NASA’s space crew. Get tips from celebrated cookbook author Molly Baz on crafting compelling recipes. Discover the mental preparation strategies of Olympic Gold medalist Billy Demong. Learn expert tactics and advice for maintaining focus and motivation in your career from endurance racing legend Hurley Haywood.
With lush illustrations across four sections of increasing time increments (Your Day, Your Project, Your Job, and Your Life), Creative Endurance will guide you through the daily grind of work to the big-picture goals of your life. Learn how to overcome obstacles in your daily routine, develop focus and imagination, and establish a sustainable practice. Refine your creative process, pitch ideas to clients, and handle negative feedback and massive projects. Discover practical tactics for hiring, budgeting, and navigating career challenges, along with advice on finding your creative voice and making a lasting impact in your industry.

Each chapter concludes with an interactive and inspiring spread of suggested activities.

Creative Endurance is the ultimate guide to achieving your goals and thriving in your creative career without sacrificing your well-being.

Genres: Self Help, Art, Productivity, Nonfiction, Design, Business, Personal Development

Audible Audio

Published January 16, 2024

Reviews

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, Rockport Publishers, for the advance reading copy.

This book is what I needed the entire time! I get too invested and involved in my work that I tend to get overwhelmed and demotivated most days. However, seeing the different perspectives of different professionals from different walks of life which is provided in clear and constructive tips I find this compilation to be life changing. You will know what I mean when you read just two pages. It’s so well planned and full of interesting ideas to follow.

I say no one stays motivated and creative all the time. This book is definitely for all of us, young or old, who needs a refresher on how we can enjoy at what we do.

[Brian Meyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

[3.25] If you’ve never read a book that explores creativity -- or maybe read one such work -- then Schnaidt’s practical guide to creative thinking will likely provide dozens of useful insights. Having read nearly a dozen personal development books that focused on creativity, innovative thinking and leadership, I’m sad to say that “Creative Endurance” unearthed no new revelations. But the book deserves to stay in my 3-star tier based on its news-you-can-use format and its ability to remind us of important strategies for fostering creativity. The author has wisely included question-and-answer sections that showcase successful people in a diverse mix of arenas. He also provides frequent “takeaways” that succinctly summarize key points. For me, “Creative Endurance” helped to reinforce numerous tactics for igniting our creative spark. Here are some helpful strategies:
-- Harness simple tasks such as walking or doing the dishes to allow the subconscious to kick in and help devise solutions or unexpected ideas.
-- Recognize that many projects will not pan out as planned. We must adapt to thrive.
-- Avoid going into any project with concrete answers. Keep an open mind.
-- Variety is the key to creative endurance. Shake up your routine on occasion by changing the time or place in which the creative process is launched.
-- “Gamify” daunting tasks for laborious or tedious projects. In other words, set fun short-term goals that are attainable (Footnote: I’ve been practicing this since I was a 16-year-old clerk in an office supply store. During long work shifts, I would try to avoid boredom by setting my own hourly goals to sell a certain dollar value of goods. No, I wasn’t working on commission. I was just a weird kid.)
-- Short “power naps” that last 15 or 20 minutes are often perfect ways to hit our creativity “reset” buttons.
-- “Diligence is stronger than talent.” I practiced this strategy during my years as a news director and managing editor in radio newsrooms. I often said I would rather hire an incredibly hard worker of “average” intelligence who consistently produced solid content than a lazy genius who works only slightly more often than the groundhog looks for his shadow in any given year.

[Fern Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Creative Endurance’ has to be one of my favourite books in terms of infographics and layouts that I’ve come across. The pages are brilliantly designed making it a joy to look through even without reading any of the information on the pages (though that too is very useful!) Exploring topics on how to start and see through creative projects this book is a fabulous how to manual. From tips of those who’ve been very successful creatively, inspirational interviews and quotes and plenty of pages to spend time working out what you want to do and how to get there this is a great resource.

[Hannah Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

No idea in this book is new or surprising. The pages are filled with overly regurgitated ideas about the creative process, plus are WAY over designed, I guess to try and trick us into thinking the ideas are novel. Could have been an infographic (and probably already is).

[Jessica M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creative Endurance by Mike Schnaidt is a propelling book/guide which showcases a diverse array of creatives and their experiences overcoming and combatting obstacles in their industries. Alongside teaching the reader these creatives experiences, this book is actionable and pushes the reader to integrate core skills into their own journeys.

Upon beginning this book I was immediately struck by how many people were interviewed, in different careers, with different life circumstances and with different experiences. This makes the book accessible to all creatives not just to those in the art and design industry.

As a creative individual myself, I found the relatable tips very proactive. I took notes from the book to use in my own personal creative journey. It was also inspiring to hear from so many different people.

I can’t fault this book/guide because it is relatable to everyone, no matter their industry or goals. I highly recommend this book to everyone, thank you to Mike Schnaidt, Quarto Publishing Group - Rockport Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC.

[Lisa Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This probably would have worked better for me with a print book. The layout was very artistic and the sections were small and intense, which would make this a good book to read a small part of every day for continued inspiration. There are interviews with a lot of different people in wildly different areas, all of them giving advice in different areas. For instance, the thing I thought was the most interesting was when someone was talking about how to interview a potential employee: find people you want to hang out with and be specific without being like a stalker.
There are also exercises, which were hard to read on my copy, so you could put your ideas together. There was a lot of practical advice but the people were also motivational.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

[Caylee Grey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an insanely good-looking book, and one that I have immediately fallen in love with.
Seriously practical advice, by well-known creatives.

These include carrying a notebook, using a complex coffee ritual to allow a gentle entry into the studio, be your own coach, use imposter syndrome as fuel, and keep showing up: you'll get better.

Split into four sections:
Your Day, Your Project, Your Job, and Your Life.

There are creative activities for each, on pages that are so gorgeous that you really WANT to fill them in.

---

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, and I've gone and pre-ordered a physical copy for myself.

[Radim Malinic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my! The overall size (160 pages) is misleading. The amount of content in this book is just crazy. There is so much packed in this book. It would easily fill a book twice the size. The pages are stacked with amazing nuggets of wisdom and full of life-proven creative advice from first-hand experiences. I love how the book design art direction leans towards a more editorial style that is full of clever quirks and dynamic typography usage. Mike's writing style is as excellent as his design work. I enjoyed reading short guest interviews in the book too. This is a firecracker of a book if you're thinking of taking your creativity to the next phase.

[Dora Okeyo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is right up my alley, and it's the perfect book for any creative as it's got the practical advice, tips and guides and above all, visual appeal.

I mean, this book is so beautiful and vibrant you can't help but dive into the activities at the end of each chapter.

Split into four key aspects of the creative's life: Your Day, Your Project, Your Job, and Your Life.

Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.

[Kate Henderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

**Read electronic copy NOT audiobook**

Firstly, the striking feature of this book is the graphics. They are very bold and the main feature of the book.
There is a lot of info in here, but I found it all a bit hectic - lots of text, lots of graphics, personal collumn-esque style spreads, advice, scientific knowledge - think it was trying to be too many things.
Was a bit all over the place for me. Needed a bit more clear in what it was trying to do/to be.

[Helen Abbott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots to like about this book but on an ebook it came across as a bit chaotic and difficult to follow . I’d like to see a paper copy to see if it’s better . Lots of work has gone into the graphics as has the sheer number of people interviewed . I wasn’t sure who this was aimed at. It’s a light read to pass over some useful tips many of which however can be summed up in the list of contents .
Did I like it ? Yes … did I love it no.
Read via NetGalley

[Ala · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Creative Endurance" is a treasure trove of practical advice for anyone seeking to overcome creative obstacles. Though tailored for creatives in specific industries, its insights resonate with managers and leaders across fields. Schnaidt's actionable "rules" and inspiring anecdotes provide a roadmap for maintaining focus, productivity, and innovation amidst challenges.

A must-read for those who strive to push their creative boundaries and achieve lasting success.

[Laikyn Meng · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a great motivational guide, where it brought together a variety of backgrounds and diverse speakers to talk on subjects that were focused into what creatives truly struggle with. I found it inspiring and insightful.

I received an ARC from Netgalley, thank you for the opportunity to read and review.

[Laikyn Meng · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a great motivational guide, where it brought together a variety of backgrounds and diverse speakers to talk on subjects that were focused into what creatives truly struggle with. I found it inspiring and insightful.

I received an ARC from Netgalley, thank you for the opportunity to read and review.

[Paris Chanel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this one.

Creative Endurance is split into 4 parts: Your Day, Your Project, Your Job, Your Life. It features a range of insightful, short interviews, illustrations, and actionable takeaways. The experiences and advice shared by the interviewees across various fields offer lessons and practical tips on how to overcome or prevent creative burnout. Little reminders we all need.

[Isa aka the "anintrovertrambles" · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was short but ho boy, it packed a punch. I loved the way it was formatted and how it was divided into sections that people as creative would enjoy 🥺 really appreciate the arc team.

[Paul Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok. Very little new and all lessons are kept surface level

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoughtful strategies and interviews offering better ways

An easy reader-friendly pep talk book on how to operate with grit, resilience and optimism as your life & work’s MO. Fashioned as a lighter fare Fast Company article by FC creative director himself, Schnaidt uses thoughtful strategies and interviews—bite-sized Q&A style—from current masters of their craft in both creative and sports industries to offer better ways of doing the long game. While I felt the start of the book was validating (Hey, I do that already!), other parts were constructive reminders (Yes, I should do that more) worthy of self-reflection and a mental reset. I could relate to the numerous parallels between personal approaches to working smarter and developing that internal physical mindset for achieving goals of any perceived size or magnitude. (For those operating outside of sports analogies, it might make for tough sympathies.)

The book never gets into in-depth study, nor deeper details (no visual examples of any work being discussed by creatives assume you know what they’re referring to or perhaps not deemed as essential here?) but rather stays on a more surface level. The writing never strays far from his own first-person narrative, acting at times as a partial work experience memoir in the magazine publishing world. While I’m not a fan of writing in books workbook style, it does offer good wholesome fruit for thought at any point on one’s career about keeping your eyes, ears and mind open at all times. The opposite of inner meditation, this book encourages active participation and the notion that future proofing means making mistakes is fine as long as you learn from them, and past opportunities missed just means another chance to try again. Positivity is the foundation to every interview story....not out of blind idealism, but about optimism in the silver linings all around us.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a new designer still finding my feet — even if I’m 20 years in to a career in publishing — I found this book hugely encouraging and inspiring. I especially appreciated the honesty, the humility, and the humor. That it’s gorgeously designed too goes (almost) without saying.