Reddit mentions of How to be a Graphic Designer, Without Losing Your Soul

A smile in the mind - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Smile-Mind-Revised-Expanded-Thinking/dp/071486935X/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

How to be a graphic designer without losing your soul - https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-be-Graphic-Designer-2nd/dp/1856697096/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1539299108&sr=1-1&keywords=how+to+be+a+graphic+designer+without+losing+your+soul

Two books that have helped me and ones I tend to find myself re-reading from time to time. Otherwise, my sketchbooks are my best resource. You should try to get into the habit of always exploring ideas and thinking laterally, trying things out — maybe it won’t work for one brief but will in the future. Try to take inspiration from fields outside of graphic design too, like architecture and art history. Build up a library of textures and inspirational images over time that serve as kindling to your imagination for kick starting ideas — these are the best resources as they will inspire original thinking rather than replicating the latest trends :)

Sometimes the idea might lie within the small details. So make an exact copy of a work that you like. In this way you'll inspect every single detail of the work. That'll provide you ;

• software exercise
  
• study the artistic methods of the original designer
  
• if you're lucky you'll start to notice how and why did designer think while designing the poster/logo/etc.
  
  And read books. Please read. Lots. Of. Books. It doesn't matter if it's about graphic design or not. Just read. READ A LOT.
  
  I can suggest a nice (and realistic) book for start creating your library. Since you're fresh in design it'll be a nice guide for you.
  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Graphic-Designer-Without-Losing-Your/dp/1856697096/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373440424&sr=1-1&keywords=how+to+be+a+graphic+designer+without+losing+your+soul

There are the books I was recommended:


1 2 3 4 5 6 7.

I'm a inexperienced student like you but I recommend this book, very helpful for understanding the business of it all which I rarely get to learn in class.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Graphic-Designer-Without-Losing-Your/dp/1856697096