*Finalist* National Indie Excellence® Awards IAN Book of the Year Awards Best Book Awards “A life-changing, unputdownable read.” - Suzana Apelbaum, Global Head of Creative & Innovation, Google WE’RE BORN CREATIVE. THEN, WE FORGET. THIS BOOK HELPS US REMEMBER. Welcome to the Creative Club smashes the myth that creativity is reserved for the chosen few and invites people to make life their biggest art project. This book is for anyone who’s felt stuck in someone else’s story, silenced by self-doubt, or afraid they’ve lost their creativity—and is ready to remember what it means to create and live fully. Pia Mailhot-Leichter shares her messy, beautiful life—gritty New York nights, the ruins of marriage, and the unexpected clarity of a Trans-Siberian train ride—to explore how we lose and find our creative power. Through neuroscience research, poetic pit stops, and practical exercises, it guides readers through subtle shifts that gradually lead to profound transformation. By the end, life isn’t just lived—it’s turned into a work of art. This anti-how-to guide is a reminder to: Rediscover creativity that’s been there all along. - Reclaim your creative power and write and live your story. - Overcome creative blocks with mindset shifts. - Tap into your imagination and intuition to design your life. - Stop living on autopilot and start living creatively. Part memoir, part guide, part gentle rebellion, Welcome to the Creative Club is for people ready to become the creative director of their lives. Join the Creative Club (the membership card has been in your back pocket all along). "An irresistible invitation to awaken our creativity and use it to transform our lives with joy and delight. This book cracked me wide open, expanding creativity into every part of my life. I was standing on the ledge and didn't even know it-Pia's heartfelt book is the push you need to dive headfirst into your creativity and live fully." - Suzana Apelbaum, Global Head of Creative and Innovation, Google "This book is a wild ride to re-spark creativity in your life!" - Betsey Johnson, Iconic Fashion Designer "A transformative journey that rekindles your innate creativity. This book grabs you by the collar and doesn't let you go." - Michael Thompson, best-selling author of Shy by Design "A journey into the heart of creativity, where Leichter's stories serve as both guide and inspiration. This book will challenge you to explore your innate creativity and live deeply in the pursuit of your fullest potential. Once you start, you won't be able to put it down." - Paul Ryan, CEO and Inner Entrepreneur podcast host "Welcome to the Creative Club is an initiation into the creativity within all of us. This book shows that, while the path may be hard, the life we dream of isn't far away - it's waiting to be lived." - Hayden Flohr, Creative Performance Coach and The Stacked Coach podcast host "Brilliantly demystifies the neuroscience behind creativity, showing it's wired into us all -and can reshape the way we live." - Heather L. Rusch, PhD, neuroscientist and Founder of ELEVEX "Sharp, funny, intelligent, therapeutic, spiritual, vulnerable, and honest - this book is a beautifully written exploration of creativity. Pia lyrically paints vivid scenes from her life, busts myths with research, and provides a framework to make creativity a way of life - inviting us all to become lifelong members of the Creative Club." - Lulù Ajufo, Energy Worker, Mentor and Healing Guide "Not another self-help book. What sets Welcome to the Creative Club apart is Pia's fearless, masterful storytelling-bravely vulnerable, boldly inspiring, and deeply relatable. Grounded in love, it shows how to turn pain into creative power, helping you set fear aside and lean into joy." - John E. Bishop, Advertising & Media Anthropologist ; VP, Business Intelligence, Advertiser Perceptions "The vision of a creative leader, the empathy of a coach, and the complicity of a confiding friend collide in this handbook filled with raw, powerful stories and practical techniques. If your inner creative needs to be reawakened - start here." - Emma Pueyo, Creative Partner, Not Actual Size; Co-founder of Más Mujeres Creativas Welcome to the club.   I wrote  Welcome to the Creative Club  because I believe life is the ultimate art project.   Along my weird, wonderful, and wild journey, I realized I'd been reading from someone else's script—and it was time to write my own. I discovered that creativity isn't reserved for a gifted few. It's our birthright, a daily practice, and the most potent tool we have for designing meaningful lives.   This book is about reclaiming what's always been yours: your innate creativity. Part memoir, part manifesto, and part quiet rebellion, it shows how I lost and found my creative power, smashes myths with neuroscience research, and shares conversations with my brilliant therapist and iconic fashion designer Betsey Johnson. It's a reminder that you are the crea