Archive for ‘Books’
Books worth reading.
Art Photography Now
If you are interested in a career in avant-garde photographic art, then this book is required reading. Susan Bright examines the world of contemporary photographic fine art and divides it into meaningful categories, with detailed discussions about several artists from each group. Continue reading “Art Photography Now” »
Artist Survival Skills
Author Chris Tyrell has been active in the Vancouver arts scene since 1976 when he founded the Presentation House Gallery of Photography in North Vancouver. This book condenses over 35 years of his own experience, plus the collective wisdom of many artists he has spoken with over the years.
Personally, I found his writing style a little dry, but the information in the book is fabulous. Chris has also written Making It!, a collection of case histories of successful lower mainland artists. Continue reading “Artist Survival Skills” »
Creating
This is the sequel to Robert Fritz’s book The Path of Least Resistance. Think of it as an anti-self-help book — Robert believes that the current generation spends far too much time trying to “feel good” and not enough time actually making stuff. Continue reading “Creating” »
It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be
This book is pure chutzpah — lots of inspirational sayings and (very short) stories printed in large type. It’s fun to read, and you’ll probably get some good ideas out of it. I re-read my copy a couple of times a year just to recharge my “go get ‘em!” batteries. Continue reading “It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be” »
Making It!
In this follow-up to his earlier Artist Survival Skills, Chris Tyrell interviews twenty artists to find out what specific and distinctive things they did to launch and build their careers. Continue reading “Making It!” »
The Artists Way
This is the great-grandmother of all artistic inspiration books. First published in 1992, it outlines basic practices that will help you to clear your creative blocks and create a more fulfilling artistic life. Continue reading “The Artists Way” »
The Camera
Ansel Adams was the grand master of technical photography, and this book lays out his knowledge of the camera. A lot of what he writes may not apply to you if you don’t shoot large-format cameras, but it’s worth reading anyway for all of the composition wisdom that sneaks in around the edges.
The Path of Least Resistance
Robert Fritz has taken the creative process and deconstructed it, determining the psychological underpinnings of motivation and creativity. Some people may find this book a little dry for their tastes, but I loved it.
His key point? That our minds hate contradiction. So when we want something, and currently have something else, one of three things will happen. Either we will adjust our desires (“I didn’t really want to win an Oscar”), or we will become delusional about reality (“My performance absolutely deserved that Oscar. I was robbed!”). Or, if we can hold firmly both to what we want and an accurate assessment of what we have, our subconscious will move heaven and earth to bring the two images into alignment (“Holy Crap! I just won an Oscar!”). It may not happen immediately, and the book has lots of tips on how to maintain focus and motivation over the long haul, but you will eventually get there. Continue reading “The Path of Least Resistance” »
The War of Art
If The Artists Way is a gentle, spiritual guide to developing your creative career, The War of Art is boot camp. Steven Pressfield names the enemy and spells out its strengths, its weaknesses, and how to defeat it.
And it’s a whole lot shorter than Julia Cameron’s book, and a lot more fun to read. Continue reading “The War of Art” »
The Zen of Creativity
Some books talk about creativity from a spiritual standpoint, but at the end of the day they are guides to being creative. This book is the opposite — a book about zen and spirituality that draws its examples from the creative process. Unlike most of the other books on this site, this one comes with a caveat: if you aren’t interested in deepening your spiritual practice, this book is not for you. Continue reading “The Zen of Creativity” »
