-
Art & Fear
- Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 3 hrs and 8 mins
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $13.99
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Wabi Sabi
- Japanese Wisdom for a Perfectly Imperfect Life
- By: Beth Kempton
- Narrated by: Beth Kempton
- Length: 5 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The definitive guide that teaches you how to use the Japanese concept of wabi sabi to reshape every area of your life and find happiness right where you are.
-
-
Amazing and just made me happy!
- By Haley on 01-22-21
By: Beth Kempton
-
The Elements of Eloquence
- Secrets of the Perfect Turn of Phrase
- By: Mark Forsyth
- Narrated by: Don Hagen
- Length: 5 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In his inimitably entertaining and wonderfully witty style, he takes apart famous phrases and shows how you too can write like Shakespeare or quip like Oscar Wilde. Whether you’re aiming to achieve literary immortality or just hoping to deliver the perfect one-liner, The Elements of Eloquence proves that you don’t need to have anything important to say - you simply need to say it well.
-
-
Just enjoy the listen
- By Donald E. Campbell on 06-21-15
By: Mark Forsyth
-
Miracle and Wonder
- Conversations with Paul Simon
- By: Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Headlam
- Narrated by: Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Headlam, Paul Simon
- Length: 5 hrs and 6 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Miracle and Wonder: Conversations with Paul Simon is part memoir, part investigation, and unlike any creative portrait you’ve ever heard before. Recorded over a series of 30 hours of conversation between Simon, Gladwell, and Gladwell’s oldest friend and co-writer, journalist and Broken Record podcast co-host Bruce Headlam, the conversation flows from Simon’s music, to his childhood in Queens, NY, to his frequent collaborators including Art Garfunkel and the nature of creativity itself.
-
-
A lifelong companion who will never know my name
- By scsurfer on 11-16-21
By: Malcolm Gladwell, and others
-
The Genius Zone
- The Breakthrough Process to End Negative Thinking and Live in True Creativity
- By: Gay Hendricks
- Narrated by: Gay Hendricks, Sean Patrick Hopkins
- Length: 3 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dr. Gay Hendricks broke new ground with his best-selling classic, The Big Leap, which has become an essential resource for coaches, entrepreneurs, executives, and health practitioners around the world. Originally published as The Joy of Genius, The Genius Zone has been updated and expanded throughout, making it the essential next step beyond The Big Leap.
-
-
Embrace Curiosity and a Growth Mindset FTW!
- By epakrat on 06-29-21
By: Gay Hendricks
-
Failing Forward
- Turning Mistakes into Stepping Stones for Success
- By: John C. Maxwell
- Narrated by: Henry O. Arnold, John Maxwell
- Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The major difference between achieving people and average people is their perception of and response to failure. John C. Maxwell takes a closer look at failure - and reveals that the secret of moving beyond failure is to use it as a lesson and a stepping-stone. He covers the top reasons people fail and shows how to master fear instead of being mastered by it. Listeners will discover that positive benefits can accompany negative experiences - if you have the right attitude.
-
-
Failing Upward
- By Derrick B. on 03-27-20
By: John C. Maxwell
-
Hero on a Mission
- A Path to a Meaningful Life
- By: Donald Miller
- Narrated by: Donald Miller
- Length: 5 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There are four characters in every story: the victim, the villain, the hero, and the guide. These four characters live inside us. If we play the victim, we’re doomed to fail. If we play the villain, we will not create genuine bonds. But if we play the hero or guide, our lives will flourish. The hard part is being self-aware enough to know which character we are playing. In this book, Donald will use his own experiences to help you recognize if the character you are currently surfacing is helping you experience a life of meaning.
-
-
Better than I expected
- By Edward Grimm on 05-26-22
By: Donald Miller
-
Wabi Sabi
- Japanese Wisdom for a Perfectly Imperfect Life
- By: Beth Kempton
- Narrated by: Beth Kempton
- Length: 5 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The definitive guide that teaches you how to use the Japanese concept of wabi sabi to reshape every area of your life and find happiness right where you are.
-
-
Amazing and just made me happy!
- By Haley on 01-22-21
By: Beth Kempton
-
The Elements of Eloquence
- Secrets of the Perfect Turn of Phrase
- By: Mark Forsyth
- Narrated by: Don Hagen
- Length: 5 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In his inimitably entertaining and wonderfully witty style, he takes apart famous phrases and shows how you too can write like Shakespeare or quip like Oscar Wilde. Whether you’re aiming to achieve literary immortality or just hoping to deliver the perfect one-liner, The Elements of Eloquence proves that you don’t need to have anything important to say - you simply need to say it well.
-
-
Just enjoy the listen
- By Donald E. Campbell on 06-21-15
By: Mark Forsyth
-
Miracle and Wonder
- Conversations with Paul Simon
- By: Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Headlam
- Narrated by: Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Headlam, Paul Simon
- Length: 5 hrs and 6 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Miracle and Wonder: Conversations with Paul Simon is part memoir, part investigation, and unlike any creative portrait you’ve ever heard before. Recorded over a series of 30 hours of conversation between Simon, Gladwell, and Gladwell’s oldest friend and co-writer, journalist and Broken Record podcast co-host Bruce Headlam, the conversation flows from Simon’s music, to his childhood in Queens, NY, to his frequent collaborators including Art Garfunkel and the nature of creativity itself.
-
-
A lifelong companion who will never know my name
- By scsurfer on 11-16-21
By: Malcolm Gladwell, and others
-
The Genius Zone
- The Breakthrough Process to End Negative Thinking and Live in True Creativity
- By: Gay Hendricks
- Narrated by: Gay Hendricks, Sean Patrick Hopkins
- Length: 3 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dr. Gay Hendricks broke new ground with his best-selling classic, The Big Leap, which has become an essential resource for coaches, entrepreneurs, executives, and health practitioners around the world. Originally published as The Joy of Genius, The Genius Zone has been updated and expanded throughout, making it the essential next step beyond The Big Leap.
-
-
Embrace Curiosity and a Growth Mindset FTW!
- By epakrat on 06-29-21
By: Gay Hendricks
-
Failing Forward
- Turning Mistakes into Stepping Stones for Success
- By: John C. Maxwell
- Narrated by: Henry O. Arnold, John Maxwell
- Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The major difference between achieving people and average people is their perception of and response to failure. John C. Maxwell takes a closer look at failure - and reveals that the secret of moving beyond failure is to use it as a lesson and a stepping-stone. He covers the top reasons people fail and shows how to master fear instead of being mastered by it. Listeners will discover that positive benefits can accompany negative experiences - if you have the right attitude.
-
-
Failing Upward
- By Derrick B. on 03-27-20
By: John C. Maxwell
-
Hero on a Mission
- A Path to a Meaningful Life
- By: Donald Miller
- Narrated by: Donald Miller
- Length: 5 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There are four characters in every story: the victim, the villain, the hero, and the guide. These four characters live inside us. If we play the victim, we’re doomed to fail. If we play the villain, we will not create genuine bonds. But if we play the hero or guide, our lives will flourish. The hard part is being self-aware enough to know which character we are playing. In this book, Donald will use his own experiences to help you recognize if the character you are currently surfacing is helping you experience a life of meaning.
-
-
Better than I expected
- By Edward Grimm on 05-26-22
By: Donald Miller
-
Letters from an Astrophysicist
- By: Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Narrated by: Neil deGrasse Tyson, Vikas Adam, Piper Goodeve, and others
- Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson has attracted one of the world’s largest online followings with his fascinating, widely accessible insights into science and our universe. Now, Tyson invites us to go behind the scenes of his public fame by unveiling his candid correspondence with people across the globe who have sought him out in search of answers. In this hand-picked collection of 100 letters, Tyson draws upon cosmic perspectives to address a vast array of questions about science, faith, philosophy, life, and of course, Pluto.
-
-
Dear Neil...
- By Tina G. on 10-14-19
-
The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows
- By: John Koenig
- Narrated by: John Koenig
- Length: 4 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A truly original book in every sense of the word, The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows poetically defines emotions that we all feel but don’t have the words to express - until now. By turns poignant, relatable, and mind-bending, the definitions include whimsical etymologies drawn from languages around the world, interspersed with otherworldly collages and lyrical essays that explore forgotten corners of the human condition - from astrophe, the longing to explore beyond the planet Earth, to zenosyne, the sense that time keeps getting faster.
-
-
this is a new favorite of mine
- By Sarah on 11-29-21
By: John Koenig
-
The Secret History of Food
- Strange but True Stories About the Origins of Everything We Eat
- By: Matt Siegel
- Narrated by: Roger Wayne
- Length: 5 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Is Italian olive oil really Italian, or are we dipping our bread in lamp oil? Why are we masochistically drawn to foods that can hurt us, like hot peppers? Far from being a classic American dish, is apple pie actually...English? Matt Siegel sets out “to uncover the hidden side of everything we put in our mouths”. Siegel also probes subjects ranging from the myths - and realities - of food as aphrodisiac, to how one of the rarest and most exotic spices in all the world (vanilla) became a synonym for uninspired sexual proclivities.
-
-
Really interesting! Little darker than I thought…
- By Not Public on 09-11-21
By: Matt Siegel
-
The Tao of Pooh
- By: Benjamin Hoff
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 2 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Author Benjamin Hoff shows that the philosophy of Winnie-the-Pooh is amazingly consistent with the principles of Taoism and demonstrates how you can use these principles in your daily life. Is there such thing as a Western Taoist? Benjamin Hoff says there is, and this Taoist's favorite food is honey.
-
-
Wonderful
- By Robert on 01-09-14
By: Benjamin Hoff
-
Warrior of the Light
- A Manual
- By: Paulo Coelho
- Narrated by: Greg Wagland
- Length: 2 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In his inimitable style, Paulo Coelho shows listeners how to embark upon the way of the Warrior: the one who appreciates the miracle of being alive, the one who accepts failure, and the one whose quest leads him to become the person he wants to be.
-
-
awsome book really help me clear my head loved it
- By Havik on 04-02-16
By: Paulo Coelho
-
Consider This
- Moments in My Writing Life After Which Everything Was Different
- By: Chuck Palahniuk
- Narrated by: Chuck Palahniuk, Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 5 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this spellbinding blend of memoir and insight, best-selling author Chuck Palahniuk shares stories and generous advice on what makes writing powerful and what makes for powerful writing. With advice grounded in years of careful study and a keenly observed life, Palahniuk combines practical advice and concrete examples from beloved classics, his own books, and a "kitchen-table MFA" culled from an evolving circle of beloved authors and artists, with anecdotes, postcards from the road, and much more.
-
-
Poetic Justice
- By Dave Green on 01-20-20
By: Chuck Palahniuk
-
Get Smart
- How to Think and Act Like the Most Successful and Highest-Paid People in Every Field
- By: Brian Tracy
- Narrated by: Brian Tracy
- Length: 4 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In business and in life, you must be smart to get ahead. As things shift and change quickly, you need to tap in to your brain - learn how to think smartly - in order to make sure that you maximize your opportunities. In Get Smart!, internationally acclaimed business guru, speaker, author, and productivity expert Brian Tracy has laid the groundwork on how to easily reconfigure your negative thinking patterns and habits and reprogram your brain to achieve its maximum potential.
-
-
Checklist for those new to working
- By A. Yoshida on 02-15-18
By: Brian Tracy
-
The War of Art
- By: Steven Pressfield
- Narrated by: Steven Pressfield
- Length: 2 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Think of The War of Art as tough love...for yourself. Since 2002, The War of Art has inspired people around the world to defeat "resistance"; to recognize and knock down dream-blocking barriers and to silence the naysayers within us. Resistance kicks everyone's butt, and the desire to defeat it is equally as universal. The War of Art identifies the enemy that every one of us must face, outlines a battle plan to conquer this internal foe, then pinpoints just how to achieve the greatest success.
-
-
Too much useless information
- By Anonymous User on 11-18-19
-
Make Art Make Money
- Lessons from Jim Henson on Fueling Your Creative Career
- By: Elizabeth Hyde Stevens
- Narrated by: Mary Robinette Kowal
- Length: 12 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In our culture, artistic genius and poverty seem inevitably linked, but does it have to be that way? Jim Henson didn’t think so. An iconic creator and savvy businessman, Henson is a model for artists everywhere: Without sacrificing his creative vision, Henson built an empire of lovable Muppets that continues to educate and inspire - and a business that was worth $150 million at the time of his death. How did he ever pull it off? And how can other creators follow in his path?
-
-
Inspiring, helpful, and to the point
- By Vales Tales on 05-20-15
-
Creativity
- The Psychology of Discovery and Invention
- By: Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 15 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Creativity is about capturing those moments that make life worth living. Legendary psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi reveals what leads to these moments - be it the excitement of the artist at the easel or the scientist in the lab - so that this knowledge can be used to enrich people's lives. Drawing on nearly 100 interviews with exceptional people, from biologists and physicists, to politicians and business leaders, to poets and artists, as well as his 30 years of research, Csikszentmihalyi uses his famous flow theory to explore the creative process.
-
-
Waste of time
- By Todd Evans on 08-18-21
-
Big Magic
- Creative Living Beyond Fear
- By: Elizabeth Gilbert
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Gilbert
- Length: 5 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
People of all ages and walks of life have drawn inspiration and empowerment from Elizabeth Gilbert’s books for years. Now this beloved author digs deep into her own generative process to share her wisdom and unique perspective about creativity. With profound empathy and radiant generosity, she offers potent insights into the mysterious nature of inspiration. She asks us to embrace our curiosity and let go of needless suffering. She shows us how to tackle what we most love, and how to face down what we most fear.
-
-
Bright flashes of the blindingly obvious
- By bouldercomom on 07-25-16
-
Mastery
- By: Robert Greene
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 16 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Mastery, Robert Greene's fifth book, he mines the biographies of great historical figures for clues about gaining control over our own lives and destinies. Picking up where The 48 Laws of Power left off, Greene culls years of research and original interviews to blend historical anecdote and psychological insight, distilling the universal ingredients of the world's masters.
-
-
Yikes
- By deadbutalive on 10-19-13
By: Robert Greene
Publisher's Summary
What is your art really about? Where is it going? What stands in the way of getting it there? These are questions that matter, questions that recur at each stage of artistic development - and they are the source for this volume of wonderfully incisive commentary.
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. This is a book about what it feels like to sit in your studio or classroom, at your wheel or keyboard, easel or camera, trying to do the work you need to do. It is about committing your future to your own hands, placing free will above predestination, choice above chance. It is about finding your own work.
Featured Article: Get Your Creative Juices Flowing with These Inspiring Audiobooks
Do you consider yourself to be a creative or artistic person? Or is it still an aspiration? Listening to these innovative audiobooks will encourage you to let your creativity flourish. Especially inspiring is hearing more about the creative processes of others when they make art or explore their own creativity—the first step is opening your mind and ears to stories that can unleash that same spirit in you. This curated list is sure to jumpstart your creative flow.
More from the same
What listeners say about Art & Fear
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- zozobraswife
- 05-10-12
Amazing!
Where does Art & Fear rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
This book is one that I will return to again and again like a mantra. I'm so happy that it is available in audio now. I can listen to it driving back and forth to the day job - the job that allows me to buy any art supplies I need but keeps me too busy to remember where my studio is and too tire to go there when I do remember.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Art & Fear?
"The hardest part of artmaking is living your life in such a way that your work gets done, over and over..."
Have you listened to any of Arthur Morey’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No. This performance would be my first for him.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
"It is easier to paint in the angel's feet to another's master-work than to discover where the angels live within yourself."
Any additional comments?
I've read Art & Fear two or three times over the last several years. My paperback copy is worn and underlined. It's a book I go back to when I get stuck in my art. Yesterday, I was looking for my copy, couldn't find it and turned to Audible. I was thrilled to find it here! The prose is sometimes beautiful and sometimes sarcastic. The writers don't take themselves too seriously. That being said, they never fail offer the encouragement I need when I start doubting my artistic integrity.
48 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Adeliese Baumann
- 10-25-13
For every creative soul
"How does art get done? Why, often, does it not get done? And what is the nature of the difficulties that stop so many who start?"
These are the questions the authors ask, and more importantly, answer, in this concise, brilliant book. By turns philosophical and pragmatic, insightful and witty, ART AND FEAR is a gift for the creative soul.
It's valuable to working artists, artists who have given up, and artists who have yet to begin.
And if you remove the charged word "artist," one might say it's valuable to anyone who struggles to create anything.
You need not be writing a symphony or a novel, dancing a principal role, or attempting to release a sculpture from a hulking block of marble. Maybe you're designing a dress, creating a new dish, keeping an illustrated journal, or teaching yourself to play a ukulele. What creative thing you do isn't the point. Continuing to do it is:
"What separates artists from ex-artists is that those who challenge their fears, continue; those who don't quit."
This is at the heart of the authors' message. They've written it to help us figure out how to stay in that first group. To stay in it, you must be able to combat fear, which includes facing any issues, preconceptions, misunderstandings, or even delusions about yourself or anyone else that may be holding you back from doing your work. What is involved will be as individual as your work. There are no easy answers or magic formulae. But it can be done, and is, every day you refuse to give up.
When my brother gave me this book, I didn't hold out much hope, but I kept my reservations to myself. After all, I'd read a sea of books about creativity, many of which turned out to be filled with useless pop psych clichés and other nonsense. But this one is different. It provides something deep and true, something everyone who creates can use.
Or as another artist friend said, "This is the straight stuff, straight up."
Indeed it is, and it just might change your creative life.
29 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ashe
- 11-05-12
Powerfuly helpful!
What made the experience of listening to Art & Fear the most enjoyable?
The content of the book is perfect! I whish I was a writer so I could adequately express how this book has impacted my life. I have been bound by fear and many other issues that the author writes about, that I was frozen. I could not work, paint, sing, play my cello. After the first chapter I was cleaning off my work table and got back to work! Thank you so much!
This book has truly changed my life!
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Every moment.
Any additional comments?
Thank you, Thank you!!
18 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jes
- 08-14-13
An essential book for anyone interested in art
If you could sum up Art & Fear in three words, what would they be?
Essential for artists. I don't mean artists who are professional only; this is valid for hobbyists; for craftsman; for artisans. It says in voice and print what every artist should hear: make art, make a lot of it, and don't be afraid to make mistakes because error is human. I'm on my second listen and in times where I feel not at my best when it comes to making work, this will be playing to get me through those times along with the dry spells.
What other book might you compare Art & Fear to and why?
I have yet to compare it to anything.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I did, but not laughing or crying; it gave me a sense of enlightenment and encouragement to stop keeping my creativity and my willingness to try new things in a stranglehold and to let go of my fear with my work. While I won't say this is an overnight change, it's helping me a lot.
13 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anna
- 12-12-12
The voice of reason when you want to give up
Would you consider the audio edition of Art & Fear to be better than the print version?
Yes, I can listen to this inspirational self portrait any time I need it, and spend the time painting that I would be reading!
What did you like best about this story?
It spoke to thoughts that I have often.
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Janelle
- 01-01-13
Really,really good.Very helpful
I teach art and this book consolidates what i have been trying to say for years
That is -- just get in and do it
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- bella donna
- 07-08-15
My first audible book
Would you consider the audio edition of Art & Fear to be better than the print version?
I haven't read the print version
What did you like best about this story?
It was reassuring and although it didn't go deep into how to get out of a block or overcome many creative difficulties, it did have a few solutions and ideas. The strength in this book for me was that it describes many of the things i have experienced as a growing artist, and the narrator is so casually (in a good way) reassuring about them. The authors are both artists and they are simply expressing that many difficulties of being creative in most fields, are either an intrinsic part of the process, or more importantly, your process. They emphasise that not all art can be Mozart, or Picasso, that actually most art is good art, but how can we make good art, or even great art if we get lost in the process and quit. The authors talk about how quitting is forever, but starting and stopping is an important part of it all. It's cyclical and you must learn to start again, because when you don't that's quitting, and its forever...
What does Arthur Morey bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
A gentle reassuring tone, that still manages to stay matter-of-fact. I wasn't distracted so i could listen to the book attentively as if i were reading it myself.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
The part about quitting. The way i understood it was in that its never quitting if you start again. They say that quitting is forever, but actually, you can always start again. The work is so important but until you're well on your way to technical mastery, its easy to forget along the way, when you're largely working with talent, that this thing that you love and have a passion for, is work. It's dedication, discipline, perseverance, patience, and a host of other things.
Any additional comments?
I had to leave a review because i tried a few others and it was looking bleak until this book surpassed my expectations. I seemed to have lost my bibliophilia when this block settled in, and i'm trying audiobooks as an alternative. I keep falling asleep before the end, but thats not a bad thing, and after this book i'm more interested and committed to this audio thing.
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kelly
- 03-10-13
Some books are just meant to be read
Any additional comments?
I read this book a few years ago and thought I would get a refresher by listening to the audiobook. Although I love the information it is one of those books you have to read. If you are an artist or want to be, I highly suggest this book. But read it, because it will give you more time to let what they are telling you really sink in.
12 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Francesca
- 11-09-12
Down-to-earth book about being an artist
I was assigned this book in art class. I was a little turned off because the title isn't very inspiring, but I ended up really liking it because it describes an artist's daily life so well. It reminds me about what's important about being an artist--the simple, humble task of going into your studio day after day--rather than inflating the artist's life into some grandiose thing that it's not. It also reminds me that there are other artists out there. It's pretty inspiring after all.
16 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Bill
- 06-22-12
Great meditation on the making of Art
I really enjoyed this meditation on what it means to be an artist and to make art. The authors try not to have it be specific to one type of art and are generally successful. While I found the section on art school interesting it was not particularly useful to me for the making of art. The book is a good encouragement to create the art you have the desire to make.
The performance was excellent. A very good and engaging reader. This book could have come across as dry or tedious but Arthur Morely brings the book to life.
If you create any kind of art I recommend this book.
15 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Jane
- 06-07-16
Valuable insight from experienced artists
For me this book featured many new, valuable and thought provoking ideas about the process of art-making. Along with Steven Pressfield's 'War of Art' and Juliet Aristides' books on classical art methods, it is the most inspiring writing I've encountered so far. It takes you to the heart of your fears, and then points out the choices you have to make if you choose to make art. Given the focus on the fears inherent in art-making, I found it somewhat depressing in places, but ultimately uplifting. The authors aren't offering any quick fixes or guarantees - just telling it like it is. I agreed with 90% of their propositions, but I found one or two of their underlying assumptions questionable. Overall, this deserves a five star rating for the amount of thinking and questioning it made me do - a great book.
10 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Rob Fisher
- 09-05-16
Every artist should read this for their own sanity
A great self help book for the struggling artist. Will help you to take value in your mistakes and see art as a journey. Very enjoyable and enlightening !
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Andy55496
- 03-26-19
An astonishing, essential book for any artist
I'd heard this book mentioned many times, but had always assumed that it was just one more among the many titles that claim to reveal the secret of making good art. It turns out there is no secret, except to make (and persist in making) art that interests you. Having heard the audio version, I can say it really spoke volumes to me - albeit that the narration sounded slightly 'robotic' at times - and I'll be purchasing a paper version to study and meditate on in greater depth.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Roscoe Rules
- 07-21-16
Big huge smiley face
For anyone, even the most amateur, attempting to create something they love, this is so perfect. Also 5 stars for the deadpan delivery. Love it.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- FEAA
- 07-29-17
An encouraging book for artists
An interesting read and well narrated. It said everything I felt about being an artist and why I have to make Art for myself rather than for others.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Thomasson
- 10-09-19
brilliant. penetrating stuff.
my second, listen and it's even more pertinent.
insights that are non-prescriptive, other than keep on keeping on!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Laura
- 09-19-19
Inspiring and to-the-point.
A great book that doesn't mince words, gets straight to the point and leaves me inspired every time I read it. It may be 25 or so years old, and focuses on various types of art, but I think so many artists can gain valuable insights into themselves and their work. Some feat for such short book.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amazon Customer
- 06-12-19
simply amazing!
it's a great tool for the contemporary struggling artist! it gives you strength and courage! great book!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- An amazon customer
- 06-12-19
Art &Fear
Excellent wish there were more audio books on this subject. Its amazing how many books are written on artists and yet most don’t cover what inspires them together with their approach to their subject.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance

- Arty
- 03-26-19
must heat
wonderful. wish it never ended. very accurate. almost haunting how relatable it is despite being written before I was born.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Nicolette
- 05-05-20
A must for every artist!!
Recommend to me by Alyssa Monks, this book clearly states what I can never seem to express!
Life and soul affirming!! Thank you!!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amazon Customer
- 07-08-22
Art & Fear
My average ratings is subjective. I know ratings always are but this is a well written book with a lot of truth but I found it so dry – partly in the narrating. Regardless it could use a little more humour. It certainly didn’t make me want to write more songs and pick my paint brush again and keep putting work out despite my putting out a good looking selfie that took a second getting far more attention than something I worked on for days or months or years; and keep working against the twin foes of indifference and internal and perceived external criticism until periods of eventual paralysis. It did however explain all this fear and dissatisfaction very well - why I and so many others are still paying off an education that made us lose all interest in creating Art, associating it with poverty and disrespect and to be associated with a post modernist paradigm you might have no interest in encouraging.
May I direct listeners to Steven Pressfield’s – The War of Art – either as a companion or an alternative if you picked up Art & Fear for the same reasons I did, or just keep chipping away till you find your voice again.
-
Overall

- Anonymous User
- 03-30-22
Understanding and Doubt
This book is a true awakening for any artist. A recognition of why we would stop making what we want to make, and logic to drive us to continue making it.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Helena
- 01-28-20
loved it but too short
the book was interesting but too short for the subject he was talking about,the book goes on to talk about the struggles of being an artist