"Creativity" has become a pretty profitable business model as of late. There are a dozen Ted Talks about how to unlock it, numerous apps about how to manage it, and plenty of workshops on the right way to use it.

While the Creative Industrial Complex can leave us overwhelmed and a bit jaded, there are a few diamonds in the rough that offer an honest and practical approach to unleashing your inner musician/writer/social entrepreuneur/Leonardo Da Vinci. 

So in honor of the New Year, we've rounded up our five favorite books to get your creative juices flowing in 2015.

1. The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life by Twyla Tharp 

Filled with 32 practical exercises, this self-help book manages not to be annoying at all. Tharp, a well-known choreographer, takes away the bells and whistles that often surround the mysterious phenomena of creativity. Her book is a testament to how much creativity is simply about discipline, routine and old-fashioned hard work. 

2. On Looking: A Walker's Guide to the Art of Observation by Alexandra Horowitz

By taking 11 walks with 11 people, Horowitz delves into the mysteries of human perception. She explains why and how we see certain things, revealing that the way we command our senses defines us at our core. After reading this book we promise you'll be tempted to look away from your smartphone the next time you're walking down the street. Maybe you'll even do that banal little thing called observation.

3. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott

Told in Lamott's signature witty tone, Bird by Bird is a must-read for every writer out there. Filled with practical advice, Lamott also ruminates on the vulnerability that comes with creativity and opening yourself up to the world. If you ever feel like giving up on your creative dreams, this is the book to read.

4. The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield

Let's face it, sometimes being creative sucks. It can be hard, draining and exhausting. The War of Art gives you a battle plan for those days when you keep running into obstacles. Whether you want to paint a masterpiece, head a startup or write your magnum opus, Pressfield gives you tactics to overcome your roadblocks.

5. Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us All by Tom Kelley & David Kelley

Written by the founders of the super-innovative design firm IDEO, Creative Confidence breaks down the myth that profound creativity is only within certain people. Watch the Ted Talk below to get a feel for David Kelley's unique take on creativity.