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61st out of 119 books
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115 voters
My rating:
add to my books
Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking
"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 ...more
Paperback, 122 pages
Published
April 1st 2001
by Image Continuum Press
(first published 1993)
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It starts out strong, very strong, and then falls apart in a semantic entanglement of mixed metaphors and pseudo philosophy that spends a lot of words saying very little. It's a bit frustrating to read, the section on art and science was a disaster, perhaps demonstrating the authors complete lack of understanding of science. The two authors refer to "art" in such a flimsy pretext that they not only fail to define it, they change the implied definition to suit whatever point is being m...more
This book is about the challenges in making, or not making, art. Making art is difficult. Many times artists will stop making art and then feel guilty about not returning. Why? The is what the author says-- "Lack of confidence and self doubt -- I'm not an artist-- I'm a phony; other people are better than I am; I've never had a real exhibit; I'm no good. Or maybe fear about what others say after looking at your work. Basically the only work really worth doing-- the only work you can do conv...more
Feb 10th:
I finished this a couple of days ago, having skipped through most of Part 2, which reads as though the authors dictated it while sipping long drinks and congratulating one another; it reads as though the publisher said, Come on, I can't publish something as slight as this [i.e. Part 1] and call it non-fiction. Please add to it. Which is a pity, because Part 1, apart from some wordiness, is full of lovely observations about art-making (as ranted over below). Part 2 is long-winded a...more
I finished this a couple of days ago, having skipped through most of Part 2, which reads as though the authors dictated it while sipping long drinks and congratulating one another; it reads as though the publisher said, Come on, I can't publish something as slight as this [i.e. Part 1] and call it non-fiction. Please add to it. Which is a pity, because Part 1, apart from some wordiness, is full of lovely observations about art-making (as ranted over below). Part 2 is long-winded a...more
A quick, no-nonsense, part-philosophical-part-practical examination of what it means to make art, no matter the medium, and to continue to do so in spite of its inherent challenges. The authors' basic premise is that you can and will only ever be you, and all the other people in the world will also only ever be themselves. It might seem obvious, but the logical corollary here is that it is a pity to not make art because you are the only person who could ever make the art that you make. A second ...more
Depending upon where you may be in your particular process as an artist, "Art and Fear" can be a light in the dark for anyone desiring to take their work more seriously. Oftentimes, those who write, paint, sculpt or shoot fear discussing this topic with others, even other artists, at the risk of sounding pretentious or dull. To read this book, a slim, unassuming-looking little volume, is to feel freer in admitting: I am an artist, or writer. My work is important to me, even if it is un...more
I could really relate to the first third of this book and found it very motivating as an artist. After that, it got less and less interesting and more and more vague. My favorite quotes/sections from the first part:
pg 3 "Even talent is rarely distinguishable, over the long run, from perseverance and hard work."
pg 5 "The function of the overwhelming majority of your artwork is simply to teach you how to make the small fraction of your work that soars."...more
pg 3 "Even talent is rarely distinguishable, over the long run, from perseverance and hard work."
pg 5 "The function of the overwhelming majority of your artwork is simply to teach you how to make the small fraction of your work that soars."...more
I read this book as requirement for part of my art class; I found it a surprisingly easy read. It talks of the challenges todays artists face, it addresses every negative aspect that comes with being an artists, and makes you relies, whether your an artist or not, that you as an individual are full of self doubt. The author uses plenty of helpful examples to prove his point that people (artists especially) are consistently telling themselves their not good enough, some one else’s art is alw...more
Mostly I thought, this took 10 years to write?
Or, okay, that's not accurate. It was developed over 10 years? It's a very thin pamphlet!
It's one of those self-help (ish) books that's full of a lot of self-evident truths, with here and there an interesting application or thought. I believe it's aimed primarily at fine artists; if you're working just for your own satisfaction, or directly for a client, a lot of the obstacles described in the book aren't going to pertain to ...more
Or, okay, that's not accurate. It was developed over 10 years? It's a very thin pamphlet!
It's one of those self-help (ish) books that's full of a lot of self-evident truths, with here and there an interesting application or thought. I believe it's aimed primarily at fine artists; if you're working just for your own satisfaction, or directly for a client, a lot of the obstacles described in the book aren't going to pertain to ...more
It seems to me this book could have been called Life and Fear; many of its valid points could be understood and profitably applied with little change by anyone as he pursues his journey through life. Many are artists who don't create lasting music, paintings, sculpture, etc (let's call that fine art). Doctors, lawyers, even accountants can elevate their crafts to art, and human relations is unquestionably an art form. Fine art, though, seems to be a particularly self-absorbing exercise, g...more
this is a fantastic read for any artist. I feel like all this stuff is common sense but its really nice that they wrote it down for you and then you can say, 'Its OK I feel this way, they said so and they have a good argument for it'. This is now my handbook and will be within reach anytime I feel high and dry and out in a desert.
Art and Fear is a book about artists and the fears that often prevent them from reaching their full potential. It’s about making art, and most especially, about not quitting.
The book truly resonated with me, and I found myself highlighting quotes on almost every page. For example, “The function of the overwhelming majority of your artwork is simply to teach you how to make the small fraction of your artwork that soars... even the failed pieces are essential.” To me, the single mos...more
The book truly resonated with me, and I found myself highlighting quotes on almost every page. For example, “The function of the overwhelming majority of your artwork is simply to teach you how to make the small fraction of your artwork that soars... even the failed pieces are essential.” To me, the single mos...more
Scott Berkun, whom I really enjoy reading, indicated that this was a much better version of Pressfields's "The War of Art" (TWoA). However, I found just the opposite.
To me, I was able to extrapolate the content of TWoA out to my life. With "Art & Fear" (A&F) it really seemed almost solely applicable to writers, with some random mentions of painters, photographers, and musicians thrown in to justify the title.
Additionally, TWoA was more than anything...more
To me, I was able to extrapolate the content of TWoA out to my life. With "Art & Fear" (A&F) it really seemed almost solely applicable to writers, with some random mentions of painters, photographers, and musicians thrown in to justify the title.
Additionally, TWoA was more than anything...more
Artmaking Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking
by David Bayles
Teton County Library Call No: 701.15 BAYLES
Suzanne's Rating: 5 Stars
Art & Fear is a great read if you fancy artmaking on any level. It explores the process, the stumbling blocks and insights related to making art. It discusses and acknowledges the challenges artists encounter with juggling this desire/need to make stuff with other aspects of life. It also acknowledges...more
by David Bayles
Teton County Library Call No: 701.15 BAYLES
Suzanne's Rating: 5 Stars
Art & Fear is a great read if you fancy artmaking on any level. It explores the process, the stumbling blocks and insights related to making art. It discusses and acknowledges the challenges artists encounter with juggling this desire/need to make stuff with other aspects of life. It also acknowledges...more
Eh, I didn't really like it... I feel like I couldn't relate to it.. It seems like it's written for people who don't do art but want to... I'm someone who does art because it's what I -do- and it's what I've always done... no amount of deterrent is going to make me stop doing it... but I thought maybe it would address a little bit about how to get into the world of being a successful artist... instead it spends more time telling you all the ways that won't make you successful. I felt like it was...more
Small book, big ideas and questions to ponder: What drives us to do what we love? What gives us the confidence to keep going and what keeps us from starting at all? First printed in 1993, one might expect some of the concepts raised in this book to be slightly out of date, but in the two and a half hours it took me to finish it, I never once felt like I was reading a sixteen-year-old observation, nor did I feel any of it crossed the line into preachy self-help nonsense.
(Full review a...more
(Full review a...more
it was 'fun the first time' so i am re-reading to try to reinvigorate my sucky self.
It's hard to find a book that talks about your troubles without trying to cure you. Artists have trouble making art - surely this is interesting as, you know, a topic, not only as a pathology. So thank goodness this isn't a self-help book. There are enough self-help books. It's just what it says: observations. Helpful? Probably. I know it got me thinking about a lot of things. I'm just glad I didn't get pathologized. If you're interesting in what it's like being an artist, whether you're an arti...more
Wendy
rated it
Recommends it for:
Anyone who ever felt like a chicken shit
Recommended to Wendy by:
Class
This book reminded my of Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way, but without all the parts that totally pissed me off like typos, the expression of stupid ideas about artists (although in fairness she was pointing out the stupidness) and lame exercises.
This is about why we fear creativity and by understanding our fears, we can conquer them, as we all know.
I don't have a lot of fear about making art but many of the fears described in this book, such as pleasing others, being a...more
This is about why we fear creativity and by understanding our fears, we can conquer them, as we all know.
I don't have a lot of fear about making art but many of the fears described in this book, such as pleasing others, being a...more
Megankellie
rated it
Well, I have been waiting to read this book since 2005. Or rather, putting off when my whole life would change because I read this book this one time. But then I was ready, and bought this on a lunch break from a temp job. My expectations were high and I was mainly embarrassed to read it on the train and then resented being embarrassed and then felt guilty. So I shall reread one day in the distant future (maybe). I liked a lot of it and guiltily/embarrassedly/resentfully dogeared a lot of pages....more
Years before Malcolm Gladwell built a wonderfully compelling case for the critical importance of practice and opportunity in "Outliers: The Story of Success," David Bayles and Ted Orland spent seven years producing their thin, lean, and absolutely inspiring work on how we can develop our own creative artistry through faith and perseverance. "You make good work by (among other things) making lots of work that isn't very good, and gradually weeding out the parts that aren’t good, th...more
3 stars on my personal reaction, but 4 stars on the potential this bk has to generate no-nonsense discussion with art/writing students; a few really great insights here, and I’ve shared some below this review, but it’s mostly plainly written advice on how to sustain an artist’s life given the unlikelihood of your work really mattering much to anyone besides yourself; the advice is obviously based on the authors’ experience, and I appreciate their honesty. Helpful and a little provocative on MFA...more
This book is a must read for anyone interested in observing art of all mediums and in making art. If you're interested in neither, you should be a little more cultured before picking this one up. However, I don't know anyone who isn't at least on some small level interested in observing art. This book give simple, clear, and profound insight to the internal life of the artist and the fearful struggle therein. Perhaps the greatest observation, and well supported, that the authors make is that any...more
I haven't quite finished this but it's already high on my list. Two artists explore how art (which I feel like throughout the book can be a metaphor for life) is made, and the internal processes of the artist. Fear of rejection, of inability, of the limiting effect of each brushstroke which eliminates the ability to put a different brushstroke down, all come into play--they untangle and examine all kinds of mental messes that really happen for each of us, in art-making but also in life.
A very brief book that is highly practical--it treats artists as ordinary persons, not as geniuses. It attempts to show that art is a human endeavor, one fundamental to the experience of human life, but one that is also quite noble in that it is worth the doing. A self-help book of sorts, but one that is very down-to-earth and practical. You can complete it easily in one or two sittings, but you may want to take your time on it as it is divided into many bite-size portions.
This was such an enjoyable book to read. I would just call it "Observations on the Perils and Rewards of Artmaking". I highly recommend this as a comfort and companion for the irrepressible artmakers.
In sort, the book says, and I agree, that the best place to learn about your art, the only real way to move your art forward is to make your art. Heehehee! I found it ironic to read a book telling me to make my art--because I should be making art instead of reading, no? :D ...more
In sort, the book says, and I agree, that the best place to learn about your art, the only real way to move your art forward is to make your art. Heehehee! I found it ironic to read a book telling me to make my art--because I should be making art instead of reading, no? :D ...more
Ashiedu
added it
Very good book. Relevant to all forms of art. The author definitely understands the mind of an artist. I just wish more of the books I found in the library treated the artist as a human and not a visionary or demigod. In fact, I could only find books dealing with the psychology of observing art and what it means or books dealing with how art is the highest form of what makes us human. Those points of view are what make many artist and writers elitists.
I need to keep this one on hand ...more
I need to keep this one on hand ...more
They had a specific audience in mind - people who consider themselves artists - and the goal of providing them practical ideals to help them produce art. We had trouble with this book in our book club because we kept wanting to analyze what they thought about big questions like, "What is art?" and "What is the difference between art and craft?" and they didn't do a particularly good job (we felt) of answering those questions.
I reread this after the recent, glorious Fort Point Art Walk, where I was struck by the high quality of the work and wondered what that owed to the area being a (relatively) long-term artists’ community. I am greedily interested in what conditions enable artists to get their work done. That issue is at the heart of this slim book, and I suspect it is always worth thinking about, since the conditions of life itself are always in flux.
A book that talks about why creative people quit their art. Fear is the prime factor of course. Fear of no one liking the work, or it not being good enough. The authors suggest creating for yourself and for the joy of creating. Society doesn't encourage art and that is one of the themes that pervades the book. An excellent read for the young and/or discouraged artist. In art there are artists and former artists.
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“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.”
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3 people liked it
“To the artist, all problems of art appear uniquely personal. Well, that's understandable enough, given that not many other activities routinely call one's basic self-worth into question.”
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2 people liked it
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