Make Your Art No Matter What: Moving Beyond Creative Hurdles by Beth Pickens

 

This was an interesting read. Written by a licensed counselor who has found a niche field with artists and creatives, this book explores things that may hold back an artist - and it has nothing to do with the actual motion of picking up a paintbrush or a pen.

She lists topics that she says every artist struggles with, and they are the names of the a different chapter in the book: Time; Work; Asking; Money; Fear; Grief; Other People; Education; Thinking + Feeling; Isolation; Marketing; and Death + God. Examples from different artists help illustrate different situations and topics, as well as the author's own thoughts and experiences.

At first look, I was expecting this book to tackle things that may physically obstruct an artist from doing their work - like a better organized work space. This book instead tackles the mental and emotional barriers or roadblocks that artists face. From the Thinking + Feeling chapter:

When artists take better care of themselves and stabilize mental health issues, it becomes easier for them to maintain a regular practice and their output grows exponentially. We are robbed of an artist's life and gifts when that person gives up on creating art, becomes immobilized, or dies by suicide or overdose. We must take care of ourselves and each other.

An immensely useful book for anyone who creates for a living. Mental health awareness is a very important topic that some prefer to gloss over.

Book Info

 

 

• Amazon link: Make Your Art No Matter What: Moving Beyond Creative Hurdles by Beth Pickens
• The Book Depository link: Make Your Art No Matter What: Moving Beyond Creative Hurdles by Beth Pickens
• Chronicle; 2021.
• ISBN13: 9781452182957 
• Paperback, 208 pages.
  

Enjoy,

Renee Shelton
Succotash Reviews
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