Wouldn't it be nice if there were a well that never runs dry where you can just throw down your bucket and pull out a bucketful of ideas? Or a tree that keeps bearing sumptuous, creative fruits that you can just pluck with no strings attached? Actually, there is. Except the walls of this well are not of concrete but paperback, and this tree has been sliced to slim, flippable pages - books. Books - any kind you can think of - are the well from which we can endlessly draw ideas. From the basic picture-filled books that you read as a child and that shaped your perception of the world to the voluminous science books that explained the marvel of gravity. We won't forget the fictitious stories that transported us to worlds we could only have imagined.

After dogs, books are man's next best friend. When you're broke and have no one else to turn to, books will always be there. The internet may desert you (and it does, often) but books never leave. One would expect that with such rare loyalty, we would show books just a little bit of reverence and at least read them. But statistics suggest otherwise. According to a Pew Research Center survey, roughly a quarter of American adults (23%) say they haven’t read a book in whole or in part in the past year, whether in print, electronic or audio form. 

The issue with some creatives is not that they don't read at all but that they spend too much time reading blogs, tweets, magazines, and other short-form pieces. These are great for ingesting a lot of information and keeping up with current events, but it does not exercise our brains in the same way as reading a book, which requires the reader to put aside their distractions and pay attention. Reading books offers a lot of benefits to creatives and the rest of the world. Let's discuss some of those benefits.

1. Reading exercises your brain

You never miss a visit to the gym because you want that Beyonce figure and it doesn't happen by magic. But do you realize that mental health is just as important as your physical health? Yes, rock-solid abs look sexy but you know what's sexier? A smart mind. Reading is an exercise for the mind. That's probably the oldest cliche you'd ever hear but it's true. So while you're doing your squats and burpees, don't forget to work out those brain muscles with a book or two. The thing about exercise is that if you want to see results, you'd have to do it repeatedly. So don't just stop at one book. Read, read, and read again. The more you exercise, the smarter you become.

2. Reading improves your concentration

We live in a fast-paced world where everything begs our attention - posters, videos, ads, music, etc. We've gotten accustomed to tapping away on our phones and scrolling through images. If content doesn't catch our attention in the first few seconds, we can easily scroll past it to the next item. These activities do nothing to help our concentration.

Books are different. Books, unlike television, require active engagement and participation. You can be watching a movie while cooking dinner and still not miss the gist of the movie. But it is not the same with books. Reading involves all your senses. Your whole mind is absorbed. As you read, you're creating images, connecting scenes, noting new words, and relating new concepts with what you previously knew. You’re using critical thinking and logic to process information and to understand the concepts and ideas that the author is trying to convey. Engaging in an activity like this regularly increases your attention span and level of concentration. 

3. Reading reduces stress

Studies  show that reading reduces stress even more effectively than some of the other popular practices, such as listening to music and exercising. Health and wellness statistics also demonstrate that reading for 30 minutes will reduce blood pressure, pulse rate, and psychological strain. With these results, you don't need a soothsayer to tell you how beneficial reading is to your mental health and overall well-being. So the next time insomnia begins to creep in, don't act on your first impulse which will most likely be to turn on the TV or browse through social media on your phone. Instead, try reading a book. 

4. Reading improves your communication skills

Reading books builds your vocabulary. When you read books, you come across new words, you note how they are used in sentences and you subconsciously fit them into your lexicon. So when there's a need for you to say something, you're not at a loss for words because you have a base of vocabulary from which to select words. You can better articulate your thoughts and feelings. When you know how to express yourself, your confidence grows. You feel more comfortable voicing your ideas because you have the words to efficiently convey them to your listeners.

5. Reading boosts your confidence

A study by the University of Liverpool revealed that respondents who identified as readers were 10% more likely to report having appropriate levels of self-esteem than non-readers. If we take into account people who read for at least 30 minutes a week, the number rises to 18%. These figures don't lie. When you read a lot, you'll always have something to contribute to a subject. They say information is power, right? 

6. Reading increases your knowledge base

As a creative, your work requires that you have a certain level of knowledge about everything. Now you can't possibly know the details of World War 1 if you were born only three decades ago. Or write a story that's centered on the injustice in the legal system if you don't know how the system works. This is where books come in. Books are a window to the world, a portal to the author's mind. They give us a glimpse into the past, present, and future cultures from the perspective of the author. Reading arms you with the information you need to create nuanced, authentic art. 

Conclusion

We have established how important reading is for creatives. But if you want to enjoy these benefits, you have to put in the work. Go to a bookstore closest to you and buy an actual book or download one. Make out time to read each day. I hope this article gives you all the incentive you need to read.