Art & Fear: Observations On the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking

This is the best, clearest, most straightforward guide to "how to get jiggy with your art work" book I've ever read. Thank you!

The fear to which the authors refer in the title is the fear that an individual may have that will lead him to quit being an artist. The authors believe that artists quit either when they believe their next effort will fail or when they lose the destination for their work. This is a book about the process of making art. This book is a road map, not a survival guide. The authors provide a list of the obstacles that the artist will encounter in making his art, but they do not provide methods for overcoming these obstacles. In fact they seem to say that the artist must expect these obstacles and if he or she wants to make art, keep plowing through them. The book is beautifully written with flowing, majestic language that brooks no questions about the authors' pronouncements about the difficulties the artist faces. As factors that interfere with the ordinary individual's ability to make art, the authors dismiss fear that you are pretending, or that you lack talent or that you must seek perfection. Ordinary people, they say, can learn to make art. Similarly they dismiss the artist's fear of others, whether because the others lack understanding, or acceptance, or approval of the artist's work. The pithy statements that fill the book can certainly provide a ready source of affirmations if that's the way one deals with fears. For example the authors say: "Vision, Uncertainty, and Knowledge of Materials are inevitabilities that all artists must acknowledge and learn from: vision is always ahead of execution, knowledge of materials is your contact with reality, and uncertainty is a virtue." And they say: "Unreal expectations are easy to come by....Unfortunately expectations based on illusion lead almost always to disillusionment." Although the book is brief there are many opportunities for deeper contemplation. For example the authors distinguish between craft and art. Consideration of this distinction may help the artist to realize whether he is really creating art or just doing the same old thing. And yet as the critic Mark Schorer noted, "technique is discovery". Squaring away the distinction is important to an artist. Who should read this book? Not the consumer of art. The authors make it clear that there is no relationship between looking at art and making art. Probably every aspiring artist. It might be that the list of difficulties could lead one to quit before starting. But foreknowledge of the difficulties of making art may help the would-be artist to take those difficulties in his or her stride. Certainly the practicing artist will benefit from reading the book, with its message not to despair when fear occurs, but to keep pushing on if one really wants to make art.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It explores the process of making art and everything that comes along with it-- the fears, the successes, the struggles, etc. It provides great insights into why creating art that is truly your own can be extremely difficult because of the expectations of others and the fear you have of being accepted by everyone else. I think this book is a great source of reflection and inspiration because it can help artists like myself recognize why creating genuine art can prove to be such a struggle at times, and that is part of the process of overcoming the struggle. It can provide opportunities to think about what fears you have and address and overcome them through your work. Granted, this book does not provide a checklist of things to do to overcome fear, but it does include various situations where you might come across it so you can recognize it. More than anything, Art & Fear is a novel you can empathize with and ponder over as you consider various obstacles such as the misconception that talent is more successful than developed skills, or being able to be vulnerable by putting your art out there to be critiqued and judged by the world. Art is a very personal process and it comes with a lot of risks and sacrifices. It is scary to give a little piece of yourself to something that may not even be considered art by the rest of the world, but this book will help you face those fears and give you the opportunity to come to terms with them and turn them into strengths.

The book is great . I could relate to so much of it.i would recommend it to any artist.

Love this book. Every artist should read it

"Art and Fear," can be taken as a premise and a hypothesis to whatever aims one wants to go with it, to conquer fear is mine alone, to overcome anxiety is mine too, knowing that I am not the only one is comforting enough, we share a common sense of this interplay of art and fear, this books goes on to present these observations with a much to do about why doing is so important yet common to artists, but does not present: "a how to way" as to overcome a common stumbling block to creativity that many artists face; unfortunately, one critic of this book says that it presents the why and not the how of doing art when faced with fear, in what is its worth, it is a what observation; but when a what observation is taken as a premise and we readers take it upon ourselves to make and take away from this book what we find applicable to us alone and personally, we have come up with our how to approach and overcome this stumbling to our creativity and procrastination until something of a pleasurable emotion or mood hits us is wrongly taught us in mythic proportions assumed to be true. I am saying this because this is me and not is represented in this book. It is a sequel to the premises set forth here to come. "Art and Fear," is a message that I wanted and needed to hear, because I had had fits of starting out painting and drawing at many times then quitting then wanting and coming back to it again...repeatedly asking myself: "why do it?" if it was such a frustrating activity for myself only, i.e. why cause such unneeded frustrations to failure? The answer I gleaned indirectly after reading this book was, it is a "thankless...job to..." for me personally to get under what is seemingly the surface of appearance into the deeper unseen stuff of reality. I am now with a purpose, because I am highly creative and love to express it, I do art with fear, but afterwards, I give it away as an expression of love for the presentation may not be perfect, it is anyhow, a better thing to give more personal and not something that can be purchased with a price from a store commercially so. It is thus a part of me produced incapsulating a moment of emotional wish fulfillment. The work is thus a proof of thoughtfulness and mindfulness. It is after many tries at entry that one finds a way into the creation of a piece of art. It goes beyond a proof that I exist, then it is a proof that what I thought of is not something subjective, that which only exists in the mind for one moment and then can disappeared, because I gave it a life to live on its own structure and form, it can live outside of me as an objective thing materialistically realistic. To give something a form and structure to the known that one fears is highly liberating and empowering to put a name to an unknown disease appeases the mind and gives it a sense of relief and release like a sneeze. Just to know that it is ordinary people who commonly faced fear daily and to be able to find a way to express it creatively, i.e. to find that one is an anger and to put such anger into a passionate form that is creatively is useful of one's pent up emotions instead of doing something destructive one can do something because it is a highly personal choice do something else that is more within one's interest and therapeutic too, constructive and thus leave the criticisms to others, I don't have control over what made you say what you did that hurts me nor what you did that I cannot comprehend, but I have some control over what I see and hear and that which can be expressed without words in a piece of art be it in any form whatsoever I have produced. I help shaped my destiny and thus am independent of what you have done to me says a lot about our own free will in response to tragedy. Personally, I am battling with Cancer, and Art done be it of any form not perfect is the perfect way to respond to my fate with my time limited to me. I do what I can do...which is to preserve a piece of me personally to people of whom I presented this gift of me to hopefully outlast me, it is not mean to be exhibited in any fashion. To those who know me, this presentation is what is meant to convey in its expression a part of me eternally from my innermost being to be cherished for I know that I may live longer than what is imposed on me. Therefore, when faced with fear and anger, what is one to do? One can do art that gives form and function as much as structure if not to tame the fears and inner self realization of terminal illness to give what is really who one is to people of the world in some objective way one's own sense of tragedy transformed into something inspirational to another person. Carry on, I say, with whatever vision that may never be fully realizable now, but to be comprehensive enough for otherrs to carry on with one's wishes. It is liken to ordinary people writing a will, it is then a message on the ocean of life. The above observation is not what is given as the purpose in this book for why people do what they can call art. But it is what I can add to this purpose among many of why people do what they did. I got the most out of this book when I took off where I had left off in the first place when I was highly creative in the past and now wished to revisited that inspirational time and to create something that was that good and great, but I came to a realization that I had bestilled a higher purpose in the application of this inner desire to do something that I had no training to do, but raw inner desire that many people share for art, forget geniuses, I am surly not one of these Mozarts. From one hand to another, I hoped to convey hope for anyone who says that this book does not show you how someone is going to overcome an artistic block and just to do it...simply is the stumbling block, I hoped that from the sole purpose of knowing another why one does it and if it is only a giving away thing, it needs not be perfection given away, one can do it to give something highly personal, such as here, a condition that one is going through in life that has not a name or a form apart from calling it fear that is overwhelming such as Cancer, to find in this activity a solace to grapple with it conceptually so to put a good grip on a reality and then turn it into something productive to say something positive about why one lived and continues to live is important enough to communicate to someone else why one is here in the first place, that one has value and these are the values that sustained my creativity for its own rewards is saying I am valued because I exist. The object may be an object of affection only to me in regards to it, it is cherished for its imperfections than its closeness to being perfect. It is simply an interplay of work with the pleasure of lovingly spending the time doing something that gives hope to anyone looking for any in their time of despair to overcome their challenges. Not to be discouraged, but to go ahead, from my hands and mind, and heart to yours, I encourage you to try something new, go ahead, no one needs to know and it is with this private playful practice that we become a professional, you and I know we have to start somewhere where there is at times only us on the innermost of our being have the seeded desire to begin an adventure into the unknown with fear are we procrastinating to begin shaping our future as to avoid painful emotional hurts from criticisms. I say to you, I have learned and this is not found in this book, I have no control over what you say nor do, but I have total control over my view and my work, be it artistic or something of such nature that has healed me of my hurts or fear of the unknown which may be called anxiety. I have solved my problem within me through art. If art can do this for me, just think of what it holds for you, try and if you don t succeed forget about saying I try...I'll try...,I'll try...until you finally realized with paradoxical conclusion, why not try it anyway now, because yesterday's tomorrow is today!

The book may be great for students who are nearing their senior year in college and starting to feel the pressure of surviving in the art world. It helps them deal with some very real fears and anxieties connected to the uncertainty that is natural to the career they chose. In that regard, the book serves a purpose. However, the writers of this book have a very naive and unrealistic approach to the art world, and their advice can be summed up to a pat on the back and a voice that tells you it will all be all right. It doesn't inspire, it doesn't delve deep into the questions and subjects it raises, and it doesn't provide real, tangible answers that may be more soothing to an anxious mind than the clichéd "it's all part of the process." I would also be wary of the way the book assumes a lot of truths. It will take a stance on a subject and talk about it as if it was self evident. A lot of the claims the authors make are not supported by anything other than a "because I say so". They fail to take into considerations the many different types of lives the readers may have, and result in a book that feels like reading a journal that meditates on the problems of the authors rather than the problems of the art world in general. Overall a very basic book, not recommended to advanced artists or anyone who is looking for real advice.

Great book. I entered the art world after retirement from nursing. These authors must have been living in my head listening to all my insecurities.

Et ça fait du bien de savoir qu'on est pas seuls à se poser ce genre de questions, existentielles ou non. Un très bon livre qui fait du bien au moral, et qui peut aussi être très instructif. Pour tout ceux qui se posent beaucoup de question et qui se demande s'ils sont vraiment des artistes ou s'il sont fait pour ça. Comme on dit souvent : si vous avez déjà pensé à tout laisser tomber, rassurez vous ... vous êtes bien un artiste ! Ne lâchez rien ! :)

I read that this was a cult, underground book and got the impression it would somehow discuss alternative or abstract concepts. It turns out, on the contrary, to be a ‘wow’ concrete, down-to-earth piece of art about facing the difficulties every artist faces but few overcome. Worthwhile knowledge for life, not just for making art.

Excellent read, eye opener, I definitely can see my strength and weakness, I got a good tuneup and a good beating. It nailed my surrounding influences and did it without no holding back. That said, YES I highly recommend this book as an artist, songwriter or whatever thing is your thing. I used a highliner to mark things that hit the mark and I need to keep in mind as well as revisit.

No tuve la oportunidad de asistir a una escuela de artes para educarme. Lo hice gracias a maestros particulares y autodidactica. Todo lo que hubiera querido escuchar de algún maestro o escuela de artes que no se te dice , está en este libro. Muchismas gracias

This is the first art book I have read that can only be classed as a great comfort. Creating any kind of art full or part time is hard on so many levels that only artists ( like the authors themselves ) know how draining and frustrating it can be. Opening this book up to the first page I felt a sense of relief that I was not the only one out there with these secret unarticulatable thoughts. This pocket size guide is basically a map of sorts to the very difficult life that being an artist is. With this map come very funny, intelligent, observant and warming advice and insights aimed at showing you yourself through the eyes of others. These authors clearly care about other artists as their very clear compressed observations are straight to the point and very filling food for thought. Because art just gets harder after leaving art college/school ( 98 percent quit eventually they say ) it is great to know why this is. Having less or no fellow artists to relate to or confide in after leaving school is a large part of it so having a book like this is a warming comfort and a joy to read. It is like having two very helpful and caring tutors you can turn to when you want to throw in the towel...unlike many real tutors who just make you want to plain quit. This book is a keeper and not very expensive. I recommend this to all artist / musicians / writers etc of all mediums. You won't let it go if you buy it. If you like sensible helpful advice you can relate to that is well above average quality this book is for you.