We asked folks we admire to shoutout books and tell us about the impact those books had on them.

 A. Natasha Joukovsky | Consultant-turned-Novelist

I took a seminar as an undergrad at UVa on Ovid’s Metamorphoses and the visual art inspired by it, and fell in love with the poem immediately–its self-reflexive irony; its nonchalance; its clever, layered quality. Like most epic poems, it’s extraordinarily ambitious, but somehow without taking itself too seriously. It was the kind of art about art I myself wanted to make.Read more>>

Annalise Hoerter | Freelance Photographer & Videographer

Do The Work by Steven Pressfield has helped me realize that feeling overwhelmed is just apart of the process with each project. The resistance to start something is far more dramatic than the actual task. Also, that all new ideas come from a place of ‘love,’ and we begin to doubt ourselves when ‘fear’ enters. ‘Fear’ will always be there; so go back to ‘love,’ and you can accomplish anything! Read more>>

Josh Frye | Artist, Music Producer, Day Program Director

The book No Mud, No Lotus is one of many books that I would count among those that have strongly affected my life. Comparing the suffering inherent in the lives of humans to the mud that fertilizes the beautiful lotus blossoms, this metaphor allows for a new lens through which to see the pain and struggle of the individual experience in a way that highlights the transformative power of art, intention, and the healing power of breathing. Read more>>