Make Your Art No Matter What: Moving Beyond Creative Hurdles
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- Create Date：2021-04-17 11:31:09
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Beth Pickens
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Summary
The Artist's Way for the 21st century—from esteemed creative counselor Beth Pickens。
If you are an artist， you need to make your art。 That's not an overstatement—it's a fact; if you stop doing your creative work， your quality of life is diminished。 But what do you do when life gets in the way？ In this down-to-earth handbook， experienced artist coach Beth Pickens offers practical advice for developing a lasting and meaningful artistic practice in the face of life's inevitable obstacles and distractions。 This thoughtful volume suggests creative ways to address the challenges all artists must overcome—from making decisions about time， money， and education， to grappling with isolation， fear， and anxiety。 No matter where you are in your art-making journey， this book will motivate and inspire you。 Because not only do you need your art—the world needs it， too。
• EXPERT ADVICE: Beth Pickens is an experienced and passionate arts advocate with extensive insight into working through creative obstacles。 She has spent the last decade advising artists on everything from financial strategy to coping with grief。
• PRACTICAL AND POSITIVE: This book is both a love letter to art and artists and a hands-on guide to approaching the thorniest problems those artists might face。 Pickens offers a warm reminder that you are not alone， that what you do matters， and that someone out there wants you to succeed。
• TIMELESS TOPIC: Like a trusted advisor， this book is an invaluable resource jam-packed with strategies for building a successful creative practice。 From mixing business and friendship to marketing yourself on social media， this book can help。 And it will—again and again。
Perfect for:
• Visual artists and makers
• Writers， musicians， filmmakers， and other creatives
• Art and design school graduates and grad-gift givers
If you are an artist， you need to make your art。 That's not an overstatement—it's a fact; if you stop doing your creative work， your quality of life is diminished。 But what do you do when life gets in the way？ In this down-to-earth handbook， experienced artist coach Beth Pickens offers practical advice for developing a lasting and meaningful artistic practice in the face of life's inevitable obstacles and distractions。 This thoughtful volume suggests creative ways to address the challenges all artists must overcome—from making decisions about time， money， and education， to grappling with isolation， fear， and anxiety。 No matter where you are in your art-making journey， this book will motivate and inspire you。 Because not only do you need your art—the world needs it， too。
• EXPERT ADVICE: Beth Pickens is an experienced and passionate arts advocate with extensive insight into working through creative obstacles。 She has spent the last decade advising artists on everything from financial strategy to coping with grief。
• PRACTICAL AND POSITIVE: This book is both a love letter to art and artists and a hands-on guide to approaching the thorniest problems those artists might face。 Pickens offers a warm reminder that you are not alone， that what you do matters， and that someone out there wants you to succeed。
• TIMELESS TOPIC: Like a trusted advisor， this book is an invaluable resource jam-packed with strategies for building a successful creative practice。 From mixing business and friendship to marketing yourself on social media， this book can help。 And it will—again and again。
Perfect for:
• Visual artists and makers
• Writers， musicians， filmmakers， and other creatives
• Art and design school graduates and grad-gift givers
Reviews
Tess Malone
，
This is a guide for how not let obstacles prevent you from making your art。 Pickens breaks down the common barriers to artistic practice—issues with time， not asking for you need， even fear of death—and gives smart questions to ask and concrete solutions。 I appreciated the anti-Capitalist and intersectional framework。 Pickens is， as always， as a warm and empathetic task master you need to get out of your own way and make your art！
Debra
，
I frequently struggle with creative blocks and stop painting for long periods of time。 I am always looking for books to inspire creativity and give me concrete ideas to keep painting。 tI found this book to be filled with all the general things about procrastination that we are all familiar with。 Some might find this book helpful。 It does cover a broad range of topics from depression to marketing。tI received this book from NetGalley。
Kaitlin
，
Written by a therapist who deals mostly with people working in the creative field there are some pearls of wisdom in here， but overall I found it a slow read with a few too many examples。It was not quite what I was looking for， but if you are stuck in an artistic rut， you might find it helpful。Thanks to Netgalley for a copy， all opinions are my own。
Cathy Geha
，
Make Your Art No Matter What by Beth PickensMoving Beyond Creative HurdlesWith personal anecdotes， examples and stories taken from people she has consulted with， information she has gleaned from life， and issues she believes are important to artists this book provides case studies， suggestions， activities， meditations， list making， work to be done and more as it identifies twelve areas that might cause difficulty and how to overcome issues that might arise。 The Twelve areas covered:* Time* Work* Make Your Art No Matter What by Beth PickensMoving Beyond Creative HurdlesWith personal anecdotes， examples and stories taken from people she has consulted with， information she has gleaned from life， and issues she believes are important to artists this book provides case studies， suggestions， activities， meditations， list making， work to be done and more as it identifies twelve areas that might cause difficulty and how to overcome issues that might arise。 The Twelve areas covered:* Time* Work* Asking* Money* Fear* Grief* Other People* Education* Thinking and Feeling* Isolation* Marketing* Death + God- additional reading suggestions aAs an amateur artist， I have gotten away from the practice of creating and thought this book might assist me in returning to art， but it did not provide that stimulus or ideas that I was hoping for。 Instead， it is more of a friendly consultant-like exploration of the topics listed above， the author’s thoughts and suggestions and beliefs on each topic， and a bit like a manual and self-help for artists with the above specific issues to address。 If you do have such issues then this book might help， but it is not the book that I need right now or the one I was hoping it would be。 Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the ARC – This is my honest review。 2-3 Stars 。。。more
Darlene Messenger
，
I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own。Author is a psychology counselor， specialist in women's studies and gender studies， an activist。 This book is written about and for creatives of all walks of life。 With topical chapter headings， prompts and questions for further reflection，she delves into the value and purpose of art; of any creative choice; in one's daily life。 Her religious viewpoint is panentheism which is addressed i I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own。Author is a psychology counselor， specialist in women's studies and gender studies， an activist。 This book is written about and for creatives of all walks of life。 With topical chapter headings， prompts and questions for further reflection，she delves into the value and purpose of art; of any creative choice; in one's daily life。 Her religious viewpoint is panentheism which is addressed in final chapter。 If this is your forte， enjoy。 Take what you like and discard the rest。 I can only address the structure of the text and not the full content as it wasn't to my personal usefulness。 。。。more
Kristine
，
Make Your Art No Matter What by Beth Pickens is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in late March。Pickens writers chapters on the hindrances that artists face， as told through interviews and her own experiences as a kind of art liaison and philanthropist。 This book emphasizes making use of every moment， staying inspired and busy， self-confidence， promotion， working with others， humbly accepting praise and criticism; an all-around helpful resource for someone who’s making art on their own。
Cass
，
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a digital copy in exchange for an honest review。Wow。 Beth Pickens is a counsellor who focuses on working with artists， and her book has been compared to Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way for millenials。 I can understand why - I got through one chapter of the latter， but found this book much more accessible。She gently but firmly guides the reader through chapters that will help them continue practising their art， no matter what medium。 Things we Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a digital copy in exchange for an honest review。Wow。 Beth Pickens is a counsellor who focuses on working with artists， and her book has been compared to Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way for millenials。 I can understand why - I got through one chapter of the latter， but found this book much more accessible。She gently but firmly guides the reader through chapters that will help them continue practising their art， no matter what medium。 Things we shy away from because of doubt， or lacking time or 。 。 。 Networking， ugh。 Pickens provides a perspective that is friendly and honest， but also acknowledges her own identities and how they inform her view - where she has privelege and where she doesn't。 Pickens notes that she may not be the right resource for some， but encourages you to seek out people who can speak to your experience。 I loved this book， and will be buying a physical copy。 I've screenshot so many pages that really struck a chord or made me challenge old thinking patterns about my own art。 A couple of the exercises Pickens mentions made me pause。 Or avoid them （ahem， the Ask list， anyone？）I did skip a chapter on death as I am not really in a place to ponder existential questions right now。 " Your life is finite， and you should make your art。 Things will get in the way and you should still make your art。Return to your art， over and over again。" 。。。more
tappkalina
，
We are not responsible for our first thought。 We are responsible for our second thought and first action。 Don't think it's bad， because I gave it 2 stars。 2 stars to me literally mean "it was okay"。I just expected a totally different book based on the title。 I thought an artist will lighten me up， tell me secrets， or reapeat the forever repeated facts， instead the author stated at the beginning that she doesn't consider herself an artist， but she works with them， so here is how she can help。 We are not responsible for our first thought。 We are responsible for our second thought and first action。 Don't think it's bad， because I gave it 2 stars。 2 stars to me literally mean "it was okay"。I just expected a totally different book based on the title。 I thought an artist will lighten me up， tell me secrets， or reapeat the forever repeated facts， instead the author stated at the beginning that she doesn't consider herself an artist， but she works with them， so here is how she can help。So what this book is about exactly？The main titles are: Time， Work， Asking， Money， Fear， Grief， Other people， Education， Thinking + Feeling， Isolation， Marketing， Death + God （not necessarily in a religious way）。I would actually recommend this to those who need some guidance both in their art or life in general。 The target audience may be artists， but in my opinion this book could help anybody。 I mena， who couldn't use some tips on time and money management？ But I watch and read so much stuff about writing and self-improvement， that I didn't get new informations。 Although I got two amazing quotes， so that's a win itself。 Don't believe everything you think。 。。。more
Annie
，
Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader。 Make Your Art No Matter What is a well written practical guide full of anecdotes and advice by art advocate Beth Pickens。 Due out 6th April 2021 from Chronicle Books， it's 208 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats。 It's not much of an overstatement to say that everyone I know has had their lives impacted in major and minor ways because of the pandemic and the societal shifts which have occurred to a greater degree the last yea Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader。 Make Your Art No Matter What is a well written practical guide full of anecdotes and advice by art advocate Beth Pickens。 Due out 6th April 2021 from Chronicle Books， it's 208 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats。 It's not much of an overstatement to say that everyone I know has had their lives impacted in major and minor ways because of the pandemic and the societal shifts which have occurred to a greater degree the last year （and a little bit）。 There have been upheavals in travel， culture， performance art， museums， studios， makers' groups， libraries， concerts， everywhere， top to bottom。 Additionally， humans are social creatures， we create because we *need to*。。。 and those psychological and creative outlets have been severely curtailed or cut off altogether。 This is a timely look at how to continue to make art practice and creativity a non-negotiable part of our existence。 These are concrete suggestions from an experienced advocate， applicable for all ages。 When I read the author's words about social justice and advocacy work they resonated so deeply。 I have the same cares， the same feelings （justice， equity， reproductive health advocacy for women no matter where they live， disability action and access， LGBTQIA+ rights， education access， freedoms， safety， etc etc）。。 and have also *needed* art， music， expression， to gather and maintain some sort of positive energy in my own life surrounded by desperate inequality， unfairness， danger， and the general seemingly unrelenting sh*tstorm that is much of world existence these days。 I'm a healthcare professional， I've dedicated my life and my intellect to improving the lives of my fellow humans， but I get overwhelmed and burnt out。 I have needed art to survive （and thrive）。This is a valuable resource for artists， with concrete advice and guidance。 It's also conversely a good read for audiences and patrons of the arts。 I would recommend this as a meaningful selection for library acquisition as well as for students and admirers of the arts。Four stars。Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes。 。。。more
Michelle McGrane
，
A creative counsellor and artist coach， Beth Pickens begins her book with a love letter to all artists: “Dear Reader， I love artists。 You are my favourite people and my life is more livable because of your work。 I’m so grateful for what you make and put into the world。 All my life， art has facilitated my ability to have feelings during disorientating grief， challenged me to grow even when I didn’t want to， introduced me to crucial information I couldn’t find elsewhere， and helped me become more A creative counsellor and artist coach， Beth Pickens begins her book with a love letter to all artists: “Dear Reader， I love artists。 You are my favourite people and my life is more livable because of your work。 I’m so grateful for what you make and put into the world。 All my life， art has facilitated my ability to have feelings during disorientating grief， challenged me to grow even when I didn’t want to， introduced me to crucial information I couldn’t find elsewhere， and helped me become more of myself”。She continues， “The full scope of human emotion becomes available to me and is then intensified by art。 Art tells me that I am not alone in any feeling， thought， or experience。 Art has saved my life and the lives of many of my loved ones”。 Boom！ The first paragraph already insists that the book is a trusted companion that every artist needs to read and own。 It’s a long time since I read such honest， simple and passionate first lines。Pickens goes on to identify a number of major roadblocks in artists’ lives: time; work; asking， money; fear; grief; other people; education; thinking and feeling; isolation; marketing， and death and God。 These blocks all have a chapter of their own prefaced with a relevant and carefully selected quote， and a conclusion and list of further reading at the end of the book。This is a wonderful handbook of enthusiasms， epiphanies and support， both for those who have been involved within an art form for many years， and the perplexed who might be wondering where to begin。 Pickens writes beautifully。 She is both a fearless and arrestingly tender kind of writer whom one never doubts is rooting for artists everywhere。 While her writing is warm and grounded， she is working at the margins of the sacred。I fervently hope that great things await this invaluable book， not least of all a wide and international readership。A huge thank you to @NetGalley and @ChronicleBooks for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Michelle "Champ"
，
I think this book would be a wonderful read for someone trying to carve out time to do things they love。 This book seems to cover everything from time management， feelings， to making money on your art。 I didn't really see myself needing to find a way to find more art time， but I could see so many people that I know would benefit from this book。 I hear the phrase "I wish I had time to do ___ like you do"。 Well， you do and this book will show you how。 I received an advanced reader's copy in exchan I think this book would be a wonderful read for someone trying to carve out time to do things they love。 This book seems to cover everything from time management， feelings， to making money on your art。 I didn't really see myself needing to find a way to find more art time， but I could see so many people that I know would benefit from this book。 I hear the phrase "I wish I had time to do ___ like you do"。 Well， you do and this book will show you how。 I received an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Nouk
，
Some advice on art in different kind of categories （time managament， money， beliefs， etc。）。 It doesn't go in depth enough in my opinion， as it is written in a very airy and easy writing style。 The writers own experiences are on the forground， but that is fine。Overall， I skimmed a bit， there is some good advice， it's fine。*I received an E-Arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review* Some advice on art in different kind of categories （time managament， money， beliefs， etc。）。 It doesn't go in depth enough in my opinion， as it is written in a very airy and easy writing style。 The writers own experiences are on the forground， but that is fine。Overall， I skimmed a bit， there is some good advice， it's fine。*I received an E-Arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review* 。。。more
Meredith
，
**I received and voluntarily read an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。**I like the division targeting different areas of life that may be impacting your work， so it makes it easier to find the part you need or want to read。 The author does a nice job of keeping the book conversational without talking down to the reader。Overall， it's practical and would be a good purchase for those looking to overcome some of the things that may be holdin **I received and voluntarily read an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。**I like the division targeting different areas of life that may be impacting your work， so it makes it easier to find the part you need or want to read。 The author does a nice job of keeping the book conversational without talking down to the reader。Overall， it's practical and would be a good purchase for those looking to overcome some of the things that may be holding them back。 。。。more
Morgan
，
Thanks to Netgalley for this digital ARC。 The opinions expressed within this review are my own and unbiased。This is a useful book for artists （for the author writers are classed under this umbrella as well - I don't disagree） who are struggling to practice their craft through various blocks。 I've encountered some of this advice before， but it is distilled into an accessible format here。This is not a book about the creative process itself， it focuses on removing obstacles so that one can create a Thanks to Netgalley for this digital ARC。 The opinions expressed within this review are my own and unbiased。This is a useful book for artists （for the author writers are classed under this umbrella as well - I don't disagree） who are struggling to practice their craft through various blocks。 I've encountered some of this advice before， but it is distilled into an accessible format here。This is not a book about the creative process itself， it focuses on removing obstacles so that one can create art （mostly） unhindered。 The most useful section for me was on marketing and self-promotion and overcoming an inner resistance of such things。 I enjoyed the author's conversational tone。 As someone around the same age， certain references were particularly entertaining。 I too am of "Generation Catalano" and grew up watching Ab Fab on Comedy Central。 Perhaps being something of a peer to the author made the book more accessible to me。 Perhaps not everyone will enjoy the Joy Division reference， but I sure did。 。。。more
Julia
，
Making art， of whatever kind， isn't easy。 Beth Pickens offers advice that goes beyond the topics of fear and money and time。 More valuable though， is Pickens advice on how to ask for something， how to deal with grief and questions about education。 This is a very useful book， lots of important information for any （struggling） artist out there。 Review based on an ARC provided by the publishers。 Making art， of whatever kind， isn't easy。 Beth Pickens offers advice that goes beyond the topics of fear and money and time。 More valuable though， is Pickens advice on how to ask for something， how to deal with grief and questions about education。 This is a very useful book， lots of important information for any （struggling） artist out there。 Review based on an ARC provided by the publishers。 。。。more
Karen
，
"Here is my thesis， and it will not be the last time that I tell you this: You are going to die。 I will， too。 We have to make choices about time because we have the nite gift of one existence。 You should make your art。"This book is written for artists。 Even though the author does an excellent job defining what an artist， I couldn't decide if I was one or not （which maybe means I am not）， but I decided to put that aside and just enjoy her solid advice。"The more you give time and resources to your "Here is my thesis， and it will not be the last time that I tell you this: You are going to die。 I will， too。 We have to make choices about time because we have the nite gift of one existence。 You should make your art。"This book is written for artists。 Even though the author does an excellent job defining what an artist， I couldn't decide if I was one or not （which maybe means I am not）， but I decided to put that aside and just enjoy her solid advice。"The more you give time and resources to your art， the more you’ll understand paid employment as something that supports your art and life。 We get this backward， thinking that we are on the planet to work and earn money。 Let’s ip it—we earn a living to pay for our lives。"The book is divided into different sections that cover different areas of worry: time， work， asking， money， fear， grief， other people， education， thinking+feeling， isolation， marketing， death+god。 Each section dives deep into that area and explores what is holding the artist back and gives ways to shift that thinking。 "It is said that we are not responsible for our first thought。 We are responsible for our second thought and our first action。。。Our first thought could be steeped in fear， judgment， old thought patterns， and stories; perhaps it’s distinctly someone else’s voice—an ex， a family member， an authority figure from long ago。 We’re not responsible for that first bullshit thought。 We are responsible for our next thought， the second thought， which we consciously conjure in response to that first thought。 Then， we’re responsible for our first action。"There is so much gold in this book。 Regardless of if you're artist or not， I am convinced you will get solid value out of this book。 And if you're an artist， you might get even more。 Above all， the author makes this excellent reminder （you can substitute "your art" with anything else that's meaningful to you）:"Your life is finite， and you should make your art。 Things will get in the way and you should still make your art。"with gratitude to netgalley and chronicle books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Sunaina Rao
，
I may be a little too old for this book， but I'm giving it 4 stars because I really want to buy this book many of the young people in my life。 This book is great because it's filled with little wisdom nuggets， broken up by catchy headers， and has useful chapter titles。 I envision it being a book you skim through and then come back to as you need it。 I liked the subtle artwork inside the book as well - very soothing。 It covers everything from fear and anxiety， to marketing your art， to establishi I may be a little too old for this book， but I'm giving it 4 stars because I really want to buy this book many of the young people in my life。 This book is great because it's filled with little wisdom nuggets， broken up by catchy headers， and has useful chapter titles。 I envision it being a book you skim through and then come back to as you need it。 I liked the subtle artwork inside the book as well - very soothing。 It covers everything from fear and anxiety， to marketing your art， to establishing a workflow and more。 It's like a little toolkit for talking yourself off the edge when confronted with obstacles that artists often face。 The author also includes resources for further reading。 Not a book I would have bought for myself as a young person， but one I would have cherished as a gift。One thing I did get from the book was the license to call myself an artist， at least in my head。 The chapter on what makes someone an artist really rang true to me。 I appreciated the author's use of their own experiences to help illustrate the points backed up by the sources they cited。 Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC 。。。more
Dove
，
When I picked this book， I expected something motivational or inspirational。 It is that， sure， but it's something better: it's practical。 I offers a realistic， clear-eyed view of the possible challenges for artists to make their art and offers specific advice to overcome these hurdles。 What a nice surprise！I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 When I picked this book， I expected something motivational or inspirational。 It is that， sure， but it's something better: it's practical。 I offers a realistic， clear-eyed view of the possible challenges for artists to make their art and offers specific advice to overcome these hurdles。 What a nice surprise！I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Katie Young
，
As someone looking to develop and take their art from a hobby into hopefully something more， I have definitely cherry-picked some useful practical nuggets from this book。The author covers a wide range of topics including money， fear， education， isolation， grief and more。 I found the practical tips such as approaching potential mentors， asking others for help and advice， sourcing ideas for art and exhibition opportunities particularly useful。 I also love the idea of a Personal Inventory Day - a d As someone looking to develop and take their art from a hobby into hopefully something more， I have definitely cherry-picked some useful practical nuggets from this book。The author covers a wide range of topics including money， fear， education， isolation， grief and more。 I found the practical tips such as approaching potential mentors， asking others for help and advice， sourcing ideas for art and exhibition opportunities particularly useful。 I also love the idea of a Personal Inventory Day - a day - the same date each month - for getting on top of admin matters。The book goes much further than just the practical side of being an artist and talks about therapy， isolation （and when might be too much）， death and grief。 There is a chapter on education but this is completely geared to those living in the US and didn't mean much to me being in the UK。 This isn't a book I would probably be referring back to on a regular basis but I have picked up some new and practical tips to try。 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy。 。。。more
Holli
，
This is a book for artists trying to work through the various things that block them。 The writing is light and conversational and the author clearly understands the artist's mind。 It's broken down by chapter which makes it easy to find what you are looking for and it has practical exercises/homework。 Though I can't imagine many authors think they need to learn more about "Death" to be a better artist there is a chapter for that。 A lot of what is said here has been said in other books I've read a This is a book for artists trying to work through the various things that block them。 The writing is light and conversational and the author clearly understands the artist's mind。 It's broken down by chapter which makes it easy to find what you are looking for and it has practical exercises/homework。 Though I can't imagine many authors think they need to learn more about "Death" to be a better artist there is a chapter for that。 A lot of what is said here has been said in other books I've read and said better。 I found a few good suggestions early on so it wasn't a complete waste。 I think this is a case of YMMV。 I can see some people getting benefit but I would hardly recommend this one over something like Art and Fear or Bird by Bird。 Also， it's worth mentioning that far too often the author feels the need to categorize everyone by identities and has a distinct post-modernist power dynamic to her world view。 I could not get behind this and found myself rolling my eyes each time it happened。 Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy to read in exchange for an honest review。 （TBH I read more of this than I normally would have just because I wanted to leave a solid review） 。。。more
Tawney
，
Just like the rest of life， making art doesn't always go smoothly。 Beth Pickens offers bits of practical advice， like that friend who listens to you， cuts through the junk and asks the question you need to consider。 She also goes beyond the expected topics of time， money and fear。 Dealing with grief， asking for something， feelings about education， and hating the thought of having to 'sell yourself'。 These areas and more are addressed。 Some will be more useful than others。 Overall I found this to Just like the rest of life， making art doesn't always go smoothly。 Beth Pickens offers bits of practical advice， like that friend who listens to you， cuts through the junk and asks the question you need to consider。 She also goes beyond the expected topics of time， money and fear。 Dealing with grief， asking for something， feelings about education， and hating the thought of having to 'sell yourself'。 These areas and more are addressed。 Some will be more useful than others。 Overall I found this to be a useful book that doesn't oversell it's message。Thanks to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for an advance copy。 。。。more
Megan Byrd
，
A book for artists that talks about things that get in the way of creating and suggestions for moving through them。 Topics include: time， work， asking， money， fear， grief， other people， education， thinking and feeling， isolation， marketing， and death and God。 Not all were applicable but I got a lot out of it。 Highly recommend。
Josephine
，
An interesting look into many of the issues that can impact an artist。 There are twelve chapters each covering a different topic such as time， work， money， fear， and grief。 I've read many books on creativity and the challenges of being an artist， and this one really pulled on my heart strings in some places especially the grief chapter。 There are also really good chapters on asking and isolation。 The author talks about the importance of asking when you need things and not feeling like you don't An interesting look into many of the issues that can impact an artist。 There are twelve chapters each covering a different topic such as time， work， money， fear， and grief。 I've read many books on creativity and the challenges of being an artist， and this one really pulled on my heart strings in some places especially the grief chapter。 There are also really good chapters on asking and isolation。 The author talks about the importance of asking when you need things and not feeling like you don't have something equal to give to the person in return， and reviewing your skills for what you can offer to others。 The chapter on isolation reminds us that in order to create art you need alone time， but this alone time can stretch into something that becomes unhealthy。 This book would be good for any artist， and also artists who want to make art their career since there are also chapters on art education and marketing。 Thank you to NetGalley， the publisher， and the author for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Alicia Bayer
，