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Product Description
Book Description
"This is a book about making art. Ordinary art. Ordinary art means something like: all art not made by Mozart. After all, art is rarely made by Mozart-like people; essentially—statistically speaking—there aren't any people like that. Geniuses get made once-a-century or so, yet good art gets made all the time, so to equate the making of art with the workings of genius removes this intimately human activity to a strangely unreachable and unknowable place. For all practical purposes making art can be examined in great detail without ever getting entangled in the very remote problems of genius."
—-from the Introduction
Art & Fear explores the way art gets made, the reasons it often doesn't get made, and the nature of the difficulties that cause so many artists to give up along the way. The book's co-authors, David Bayles and Ted Orland, are themselves both working artists, grappling daily with the problems of making art in the real world. Their insights and observations, drawn from personal experience, provide an incisive view into the world of art as it is expeienced by artmakers themselves.
This is not your typical self-help book. This is a book written by artists, for artists -— it's about what it feels like when artists sit down at their easel or keyboard, in their studio or performance space, trying to do the work they need to do. First published in 1994, Art & Fear quickly became an underground classic. Word-of-mouth response alone—now enhanced by internet posting—has placed it among the best-selling books on artmaking and creativity nationally.
Art & Fear has attracted a remarkably diverse audience, ranging from beginning to accomplished artists in every medium, and including an exceptional concentration among students and teachers. The original Capra Press edition of Art & Fear sold 80,000 copies.
An excerpt:
Today, more than it was however many years ago, art is hard because you have to keep after it so consistently. On so many different fronts. For so little external reward. Artists become veteran artists only by making peace not just with themselves, but with a huge range of issues. You have to find your work...
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Most helpful customer reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Must Read for "non-artists," too,
By
This review is from: Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking (Paperback)
I do not describe myself as a practicing artist. I have practiced Emergency Medicine in large urban teaching hospitals for 25 years. Until a year ago, I hadn't played a 'cello or bass viol for 35 years, and hadn't written a poem in almost as many. I started writing letters to a friend making a difficult passage 8 months ago, to suport the process, and began to recall the letters and poetry I used to write. I wrote 50 letters in 6 months, then "hit a wall." After reading this book, I began rediscovering my "art," outside of my professional and personal life. Art may not be my life, but my Life is more Artful after reading this book. It will not get the "disappointed and afraids" a good job after art school, but it may help anyone began to reconnect to that Fearlessness that permeates early childhood, and from that, a richer expression of themselves. I will not write the great american novel, and probably nothing publishable, but the authors have made a genuine contribution to the quality of my life today. Try it.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
not just for artists,
By Jon Norris (Oregon, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking (Paperback)
I picked up this book when I was moving into a greater acceptance of the artistic part of my nature. I was considering sharing my art with the world, and the reviews seemed to suggest that this was a good book to help explore the ambiguous feeling involved in such a venture.I was amazed. This book packs valuable, practical wisdom into every single page. I can't remember a book with more information density than this. Perhaps I was just ready for the knowledge here, but it seems to be the distilled essence of a thoughtful, deep analysis of a great deal of experience. While it is primarily about making art and the issues inherent in that pursuit, it is also very much about life itself. In fact, one could consider one's life to be a work of art, and it makes that analogy an easy reach. The things one will learn here about life in general are pertinent and as valid as the best pop psychology or self help book around, while considerably more readable than most of those. For example, it deals with topics like fear, uncertainty, acceptance, vision, imagination, talent, perfection, expectations, understanding, approval, competition, habits, creativity, and much more. All of these are issues we face every day of our lives, regardless of our field of endeavor. This books speaks to those who would have an understanding of such things. I have given this book as a gift to people I care about, and encourage everyone to read it. It is uplifting without being unrealistic, and honest without being cynical. A very good read.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
ART & FEAR is a book you will wish you'd known about before.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking (Paperback)
I read ART & FEAR in one sitting; I could not resist the gentle wisdom contained on almost every page. (My trusty highlighter was nearly emptied as I found much text that I wanted to reread and remember.)To any artist "stuck" in creative quicksand (whether it be fear, self-doubt, perfectionism -- whatever), the writers reach out a long and sturdy tree limb for you to grasp to pull yourself free and back onto solid ground. They don't just leave you standing there either, but provide you with the tools you'll need to find your own way home. One of the many quotes from ART & FEAR that I like is: "To make art is to sing with the human voice. To do this you must first learn that the only voice you need is the voice you already have." Other things I will say about ART & FEAR is that it is VERY thought provoking, thorough, insightful, and challenging with a few flourishes of humor. The information presented will apply to artists of all persuasions. I will very likely read ART & FEAR again and again and will probably find new gems with each read (either previously overlooked or not yet understood). Once read, you will want to lend ART & FEAR to your artist friends. I suggest you keep your copy and either recommend that they get their own, or, order one for them as a gift they will appreciate many times over. Finally, because I feel that I have received much from reading ART & FEAR, I send a heartfelt "thank you" to the authors, David Bayles & Ted Orland. I very much appreciate the authors' wish to share what they have learned (and especially for bringing their wish to fruition) with anyone that is interested and that they managed to provide me, someone quite unknown to them, with a real sense of being seen and understood (without ever feeling condescended to). Quite a gift! ART & FEAR is a book you will wish you'd known about before but you will be glad you managed to discover now. "When the student is ready the teacher will come."
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