How to Avoid Making Art

by Julia Cameron

This hilarious look at creative blockage and blunder is a laugh-out-loud tribute to artist procrastination.

In How to Avoid Making Art, the bestselling author of The Artist's Way delivers a (tongue-in-cheek!) guide to doing anything and everything you possibly can to avoid making art. Anyone who is engaged in a creative pursuit will no doubt identify with these wonderful cartoons by award-winning artist Elizabeth Cameron of creative wannabes doing everything except actually getting down to work.

"For most people creativity is a serious business," says Julia Cameron. "They forget the telling phrase 'the play of ideas' and think that they need to knuckle down and work more. Often, the reverse is true. They need to play." Ultimately, the characters in this book show us how we can turn our procrastination into play and our play into great work. With this delightful volume, Julia Cameron once again hits the nail on the head on the subject of creativity.

Genres: Nonfiction, Art, Writing, Humor, Self Help, Graphic Novels, Creative

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Julia Cameron has been an active artist for more than thirty years, with fifteen books (including bestsellers The Artist's Way, Walking in This World, and The Right to Write) and countless television, film, and theatre scripts to her credit. Writing since the age of 18, Cameron has a long list of screenplay and teleplay credits to her name, including an episode of Miami Vice, and Elvis and the Beauty Queen, which starred Don Johnson. She was a writer on such movies as Taxi Driver, New York, New York, and The Last Waltz. She wrote, produced, and directed the award-winning independent feature film, God's Will, which premiered at the Chicago International Film Festival, and was selected by the London Film Festival, the Munich International Film Festival, and Women in Film Festival, among others. In addition to making film, Cameron has taught film at such diverse places as Chicago Filmmakers, Northwestern University, and Columbia College. Her profound teachings on unlocking creativity and living from the creative center have inspired countless artists to unleash their full potential.

Reviews

[Abbey]

Gently entertaining little book of line drawings that illustrate the point of some interesting, some perceptive, some very sharp one-liners, i.e. "When your boss puts more bricks in your pack, feel crazy that you can't keep up." and "Hire helpless "helpers" who drain you of your creative energy." Wears thin after a bit, though. If I'd read it in dribs and drabs it likely would have seem a lot more fun, but it was due back at the library and I read it in one gulp, admittedly not a large gulp - it's a fairly small, thin paperback. The concepts emphasized are indeed worthy ones (essentally - my versions - "don't worry about what others think, be creative!!" and "You deserve a chance to be happy!!") but repetative. Perhaps that's the point, though...

BOTTOM LINE: Interesting little bon mot of a book, not especially profound nor pretty, but entertaiing and, occasionally, extremely perceptive. Liked it, but wasn't blown away by its insights - nothing much new here, especially if you've read her other books (i.e. ARTISTS WAY etc.) but it has a few things that definitely wannabe creative people *need* to have/hear repeated. Often.

And, yes, that may include you, too - creativity doesn't always mean show business popularity, et al, you know! Creativity in "everyday life" can be a wondrous thing. Get to it...! What makes *you* smile, hey??

[James]

When I grabbed “How To Avoid Making Art (or Anything Else You Enjoy)” off the shelf at the library, I assumed that since it was a short book illustrated with cartoons that it might be good for a chuckle or two. I had no idea how brilliant and on-target the advice in it would prove to be. Anyone involved in the arts should copy down the precepts in this book onto little cards and post them all around his house—on the bathroom mirror, on the refrigerator, on the bedside table—whatever it takes to get the lessons to sink in.

[ياسمين يوسف]

it's amazing. It makes me see all of the procrastination excuses I always use not to making art :)

[Therese Gilardi]

Whenever I'm looking for a way to talk myself back into picking up my pen I leaf through this book. The illustrations make me smile; the text makes me cringe. Brilliant.

[Saiesha]

This book is not afraid to attack and shrug as you bleed out on the floor. 4 stars for the wit, line drawings, and enlightening look into the creative block.

1 star off for length. I wish the text was longer— underneath the art, beside the one liners, maybe some advice would have been beneficial.

[Jana Baeskens]

This book is a must-read for creative people who struggle with procrastination. The drawings are extremely relatable and funny 😄 It only took me 30 minutes to finish - yet another half hour I didn't spend making art 🙃

[Conejo Literario]

Que preciosidad 💖✨

[Haze]

Cute little book with lots of sarcastic advice on how to self-sabotage and not do what you really love. I'm a huge fan of Julia Cameron's work and love both her tough-love attitude and humor. This book gives you both. I really like the illustrations by Elizabeth Cameron too, they inspire me to start drawing more!

[Chava]

A really cute book of illustrations of how to avoid not only making art, but any endeavor by convincing yourself you need big blocks of time or a certain environment to accomplish anything worthwhile. For those of us who come up with excuses not to do things, I would suggest numbering the illustrations and when you catch yourself working at a job you hate, saying "yes" when you mean "no" and the like, just refer to the number of the avoidance technique you are using.

[Kelly]

This was a interesting and entertaining book. It's about so much more than how to avoid making art. This book really touches on how we hold ourselves back. It is definitely chuckle-worthy, but hits home time and time over.

[T. Okerberg]

When I read it, I thought maybe she had followed me around and spoke with friends and family of mine. It was that spot on in so many things she spoke about! The book was clever, witty, and fun. Had me pausing and saying, 'well, she's not wrong!'

[April Wood]

For any procrastinating artist: You’re called out!

(As in, she got me!) It’s nice to know I’m not alone in this, finding the most mundane or ludicrous ways to avoid my own art! Thank you, Julia, for keepin’ it real, as always. And for helping us clear the fog & get straight. ♥️

[Joan]

This book doesn't belong on a shelf but on your nightstand.

You may recognize yourself on each page. Clever, funny and insightful. I can't wait to read it again.
I took away one star because I didn't want it to end. Please write Part I I.

[Robin]

This book is meant to show you self-sabotage patterns, and that’s exactly what it does. Does everything resonate? No. However, it’s extremely helpful to realise and recognise yourself where you’ need to work on yourself more.

Very useful and fun read!

[William Dennett]

This is a neat little satirical book of one-panel comics focused on how NOT to get creative work done. There are 1-2 comics per page with very simple line art with dogs as characters. Some good lessons here if you do the exact opposite of what the book suggests. Funny stuff.

[Meriem]

Reading this book was an amazing funny and mood boosting experience. I shall definitely re-read it....

[Rajashree]

This book will seriously endanger each and every one of your innocent little excuses with so much love and soft humour.

[Vanessa]

My new bible.

[Heather]

Very funny and very accurate!

[Allia]

This book is an awesome read about acknowledging and getting rid of distractions

[Alycia]

This book doesn't just apply to art, but to anything we want or need to do and accomplish. So fun and so true!

[Chu]

It is what it is -a funny illustrations of all the excuses of what’s stopping us from doing our art. Some of them I am actually guilty of.

[Therearenobadbooks]

My new bible.

[Kinsey]

Fast, fun read! Scary now spot on so many of the cartoons are, very eye opening in regards to my own procrastination.

[Anya]

Extremely relatable 🤣

[Chris]

This book is everything

[Mesca Elin]

So brilliant and accurate! This book will give a boost to start creating.

[arjen k.]

so cute! might get one of these tattooed :)
read between my shifts at the libraries

[Prakash Rajendran]

Raw truth, expressed funnily but disrupting!

[Mara]

a cute reminder about doing everything else but creating your art and making the time for it. defintely needed this.