I’ve listened to this book twice now, and simply want to tattoo its entirety onto my soul for future reference.
I never knew how much fear related to art until I started reading lots of books on art and how to overcome your fear.
I realise now that all those times I waited for the perfect photograph to paint, it was out of fear. Fear of not producing something good. Fear of not knowing how it would turn out. Fear of wasting money practicing.
These things meant that for many years I would paint a small handful of paintings. I would yearn to be a better photographer so that I could use my own wonderful photos and copy them diligently. That way there was no risk they were rubbish.
I’d already seen how they would look.
Interestingly, this book highlights that it’s not actually art unless fear is there, gnawing at your stomach and making you wonder how it might turn out.
Fear and risk are what inject excitement into art. Being bold, being brave.
Sometimes I wonder if all this risk is too much for me to bear. I finish the work, and then wait for comment, salesman’s validation. Sometimes it never comes.
They say the fear never goes away, you just have to keep making the work with the fear as a constant companion.
I wonder, do other jobs rely on this to the same extent?
This book is about creating art. If you’re wanting to do that, it’s definitely a must.