Real Artists Don't Starve

Timeless Strategies for Thriving in the New Creative Age

By: Jeff Goins

Narrated by: Stu Gray

Best-selling author and creativity expert Jeff Goins dismantles the myth that being creative is a hindrance to success by revealing how an artistic temperament is in fact a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

For centuries the myth of the starving artist has dominated our culture, seeping into the minds of creative people and stifling their pursuits. But the truth is that the world's most successful artists did not starve. In fact they capitalized on the power of their creative strength. In Real Artists Don't Starve, Jeff Goins debunks the myth of the starving artist by unveiling the ideas that created it and replacing them with 14 rules for artists to thrive, including:

• Steal from your influences (don't wait for inspiration)
• Collaborate with others (working alone is a surefire way to starve)
• Take strategic risks (instead of reckless ones)
• Make money in order to make more art (it's not selling out)
• Apprentice under a master (a "lone genius" can never reach full potential)

Through inspiring anecdotes of successful creatives both past and present, Goins shows that living by these rules is not only doable but it's also a fulfilling way to thrive.

From graphic designers and writers to artists and business professionals, creatives already know that no one is born an artist. Goins' revolutionary rules celebrate the process of becoming an artist, a person who utilizes the imagination in fundamental ways. He reminds creatives that business and art are not mutually exclusive pursuits. In fact success in business and in life flow from a healthy exercise of creativity.

Expanding upon the groundbreaking work in his previous best-seller, The Art of Work, Goins explores the tension every creative person and organization faces in an effort to blend the inspired life with a practical path to success. Being creative isn't a disadvantage for success; rather, it is a powerful tool to be harnessed.

©2017 Jeff Goins (P)2017 Thomas Nelson

Life-Changing

This book is great for anyone suffering internal conflict due to a desire to pursue an artistic endeavor and not necessarily a ‘practical career.’

This uses the stories of thriving artists to help paint a practical way to be an artist
and not have to make some leap of faith into a more likely poverty & existential suffering.

A solid approach to adopting a better life as an artist

As an artist who has had a fair share of struggle (and as this book illustrates, some of it quite needlessly) I found this book to be an inspiring tool. A lot of the concepts were already things I've known, but Goins crystallized some of them in ways I hadn't done on my own. I'll definitely be tackling my future endeavors in ways mentioned in this book. Great stuff.

a compelling read for aspiring and veteran artists

this short, but wonderful read echoed a lot of what my professors had told me in art school. Goins goes through this meandering path through history debunking myths about being a self-supporting artist. he offers divergent paths to success and reminds us that we all need to take ourselves seriously for the market and culture around artists to change.

if you're on the fence about picking this one up, go ahead and do it. the storytelling alone is worth the price of entry. the only complaint I have is that the narration of it is a bit stiff and monotone.

Made me rethink my creative business.

This book gave me a new insight on how I look at my creative works. I loved how there were so many details of artists from the past.

It really helped me see that I can do anything with my creativity and get paid in the process. And I feel like it nailed the inner conflicts of many creators. It validated my feeling and inner conflicts while helping me see I’m no different than some of the greatest creators.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to pursue a creative career, whether it’s art, music, writing, or anything else remotely related to creativity.

Inspiring

Thank you for starting to change the way people think about us artists and to encourage support

Awesome!

awesome!! this will be a book no read over and over again !! Read it!!

A great resource for keeping artist's thriving.

Another hit from Audible everything about this book was and is first class. great job.

Relaxing, motivating and provides a new outlook

It definitely provides an alternative outlook on art and its relationship to everyday life, especially in relation to money and work. It's refreshing and inspirational, however, I've noticed that (perhaps too) many of the examples provided in the book, which do provide with a certain narrative element and add to its appeal, are basically "stolen" from other authors. Though this goes perfectly with the ideas Goins touches upon in the book, most importantly the one that there is no such thing as pure originality and that every artist "steals" from other artists to a certain extent. Regardless, the book is relaxing to read (and listen to) and can give you that extra boost you might need...I know it did this for me. Just the right book at just the right time in my case.

Instant Classic!

I fully recommend this book for any artist who is serious about taking their art to a professional level. Now is the time and this is the book that will give you the ideas and strategies to get there.
This book is food for thought for any starving artist.

Exactly What I Needed

My elders and parents taught me for years to skip the path of being an artist professionally but had little reason why. This book explained that old school thinking and why it's not true. It's important to be creative and thrive! This was inspirational with solid grounding I can believe. Thank you for opening a big door!