Creative Endurance

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

By: Mike Schnaidt

Narrated by: Ron Butler

A must-listen 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.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2024 Mike Schnaidt (P)2024 Rockport Publishers

Critic reviews

Lucky reader, you are the beneficiary of Mike Schnaidt’s insatiable curiosity. I can’t think of many other books about creativity that include interviews with a nine-year-old and a seventy-six-year-old, a Black woman astronaut and a bank vice president. In Creative Endurance, Mike offers practical, digestible tips to help reenergize creatives—and just about anyone else who is feeling a bit blocked.—Stephanie Mehta, CEO, Mansueto Ventures

A stunning and inspiring meditation on design by an insightful practitioner. Schnaidt's take on creativity will delight your eyes with a breathtaking design and stimulate your thinking, offering a unique guidebook to fuel your work and personal best.—Robin Landa, Distinguished Professor, Kean University, and author of The New Art of Ideas

Bang! Kapow! Zowie! I cannot imagine a more knockout, more energetic, more useful, or more rewarding guide to building a creative life than this beautiful book. I just wish I had access to all of these stories and insights and anecdotes a whole lot earlier in my career. But I have it now and that helps me sleep better. Bravo, Mike.—Brian Collins, COLLINS

Wonderfully thoughtful book that will resonate enough to listen to or read repeatedly

Such a great companion to listen to when driving or walking. For me it was when I was doing errands. The book reads in segments, which makes it simple to listen to short sections of it if necessary. You will want to back it up, as well as listen to it again. I ended up buying the print version which presents in a really creative and different way than the audio book. There’s just so much to this book that will resonate differently for everyone and one that depending what or where you’re ‘at’, will always gift you some nugget of insight.