About 4 years ago I left my career in London to start a new adventure, I didn’t know what that was but I thought I would never find it working in a all consuming job, like the one I had, so I did a very scary thing and left.
I spent that summer renovating our new home, which was so much fun and kept me occupied. Once the house was done and the winter crept in I started to feel anxious that I didn’t have anything to focus on, this is when I started to figure out what made me happy and what I wanted to do. I don’t know about you but this was pretty overwhelming for me, I felt really lost, so I started to read some non-fiction books to learn about other people’s experiences and advice on happiness, work and general life. Some of these books really helped me, so I thought I would share them with you.
Making A Living Without A Job, by Barbara Winter was first on my list. I knew I wanted to do something inspiring and that didn’t feel like a job, so it was a good place to start. It helped to me think in a different way about what I was looking for in a career and what I was good at. We generally like what we are good at as it makes us feel successful, so looking into what your core skills are is a great exercise. It had some great real-life stories in it, which helped with my motivation and confidence. This book definitely confirmed I wanted to start something of my own and that I could do it, as so many other people have. Would highly recommend reading this if you feel unhappy in your job and want to find your calling.
The $100 Startup: Fire Your Boss, Do What You Love and Work Better To Live More, by Chris Guillebeau, was recommended to me my an old work colleague, so this was next to read. This book kicks you to start, there is no excuse if you have an idea, do it! You don’t need a lot of money just passion and drive. It is full of lots of case studies, which I always love but it more relevant to the States. Still I would recommend as it gives you a boost and makes you question what are you waiting for?
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, by Elizabeth Gilbert. By this point I knew I wanted to do something creative and had read enough business books, I saw friend on Instagram was reading this, so thought I would give it a go. To be honest I wasn’t a fan of this book and didn’t get much from it. It was a lot about Elizabeth’s struggles as a writer and how she coped with it, which was at times interesting to read and would definitely help some people but it wasn’t suited to me.
Turn Your Hobby Into a Business, by Country Living. I love the magazine Country Living, so when I saw this on the shelf in the supermarket I had to get it. It is full of so many inspiring creative people, who have a passion they have managed to turn this into their business. It also has tips and step by step guides on how to write a business plan etc… It definitely got the creative juices flowing and made me super excited to start something creative, plus I found loads of new UK businesses to follow.
Since starting Bright Corner, I have continued to read non-fiction books to help me with lots of areas I know nothing about, next on my list is a finance book for creatives, which will be a challenge, but I want to continue to learn and grow as a company. Even if you don’t know what you want to do but know it is out there, reading about other people’s adventures and mishaps will definitely help and inspire, so it’s a great place to start.