Art and Fear

Are you one of those artists who are constantly struggling to get to the business of making art? Have you found yourself asking the same lame questions over and over again? Questions like: why should I continue to make art? Who cares about my art? Or maybe other questions like these: where can I find the time to make my art? There are so many other more important things of life taking up my time, why should I take the time to do art? Today I was reminded of a book I read a couple years ago. Actually when I read it a couple years ago, that was the third time I read it. There are very few books that I read over, but this one, I believe, the Lord put in my hands to encourage me. I often get into creative slumps and need a boost; some encouragement, and when I do I read this book. I have been in one of those slumps lately. Perhaps it's time to pick it up again. The book is called Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking by David Bayles and Ted Orland

Here are couple of quotes that I have underlined in my copy:
"Artists quit when they convince themselves that their next effort is already doomed to fail. And artists quit when they lose the destination for their work- for the place their work belongs."

"Artists don't get down to work until the pain of working is exceeded by the pain of not working." Stephen DeStaebler

"Making art provides uncomfortably accurate feedback about the gap that inevitably exists between what you intended to do, and what you did."

The Bible exhorts us to get wisdom. There is a lot of wisdom in this book for artists of all walks of life. I highly recommend it.