Description

‘An essential text for anyone who wants to start making art and not stop. One of those rare books – like The Artist’s Way and Writing Down the Bones – to keep close by for courage and company.’
– Tanya Shadrick, author of The Cure for Sleep and creator of The Wild Patience Scrolls: A Mile of Writing

Art & Fear is about 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. Drawing on the authors’ own experiences as two working artists, the book delves into the internal and external challenges to making art in the real world, and shows how they can be overcome every day.

First published in 1994, Art & Fear quickly became an underground classic, and word-of-mouth has placed it among the best-selling books on artmaking and creativity. Written by artists for artists, it offers generous and wise insight into what it feels like to sit down at your easel or keyboard, in your studio or performance space, trying to do the work you need to do. Every artist, whether a beginner or a prizewinner, a student or a teacher, faces the same fears – and this book illuminates the way through them.

Publisher Review

Filled with reminders and insights that every artist and creator needs to hear. — James Clear, author of the #1 bestseller * Atomic Habits * A roadmap for overcoming the everyday obstacles of a creative life * Skillshare * A crucial tool in validating, soothing, and navigating the fear that might otherwise stop an artist from making their work. … A vital companion. — Beth Pickens, author * Make Your Art No Matter What * The greatest comfort this book gave me was to show that I’m not alone. — Christoph Niemann, illustrator, graphic designer and creator of ‘Abstract Sunday’ One of those books you want to tell everyone you know to read * LiveAboutDotCom * One of those rare books – like The Artist’s Way and Writing Down the Bones – to keep close by for courage and company. — Tanya Shadrick, author * The Cure for Sleep * It has earned its reputation for being a useful, underground classic … it’s a pithy, though comforting read, written by artists, and gets straight down to what can hinder our development as artists, and why … refreshingly absent of psycho-babble or opaque art-speak — The London Group A book that artists continue to recommend and connect with … It’s concise, clear, compelling and worth coming back to over and over — Artwork Archive Artists confront their deeper fears daily. It’s inevitable in artmaking. This book is a crucial tool in validating, soothing, and navigating the fear that might otherwise stop an artist from making their work. Fear is unavoidable but it need not dictate the artist’s choices. This book is a vital companion. — Beth Pickens, author * Make Your Art No Matter What * An essential text for anyone who wants to start making art and not stop. One of those rare books – like The Artist’s Way and Writing Down the Bones – to keep close by for courage and company. — Tanya Shadrick, author * The Cure for Sleep * The encouragement every artist needs: stop worrying and just make something!

The ultimate pep talk for artists. Filled with real talk and practical wisdom, Art & Fear is an uplifting manual on how to keep making art in a world that distracts and disappoints, and an invaluable guide for living a creative, collaborative life.

I am so grateful for this book. — Wendy MacNaughton Fear is the foremost barrier to taking chances and making art, and it is often the biggest contributor to doubt, envy, insecurity and self-restraint. Thankfully, David Bayles and Ted Orland have written a book for anyone and everyone who wants to face their fears and get to work. Art & Fear provides the antidote to our creative ailments with clarity, insight, compassion and great empathy. — Debbie Millman, host of ‘Design Matters’ podcast