Last spring, Ted Orland mailed me a copy of Art & Fear, his insightful little book about art and artists and the fine and messy realities of both.
He sent it to me because I admitted in public that about 35 people had recommended the book to me and I had never read it.
I guess he was trying to save me from myself.
Well, suffice it to say that he kind of did.
Art & Fear names so many of the things that go bump in the night and stop us from doing our own good work.
Honestly, it’s better than a flashlight.
I like it so much that I’ve read excerpts from it to my class this semester, and it’s going to be a required text in my two classes in the spring. Seems to me that we might as well meet the monsters head on. ‘Specially when the monster is, well… um… us. Y’know?
Here, just to give you the idea, are a few tidbits…
On perfectionism:
"To require perfection is to invite paralysis… you find reasons to procrastinate since to not work is to not make mistakes."
On jealousy of other artists:
"Whatever they have is something needed to do their work — it wouldn’t help you in your work even if you had it."
On expectations:
"Ask your work what it needs, not what you need."
See what I mean?
I think I need to read this book.
WoW! he’s like a mind-reader
That’s amazing — all 3 of them
Now, I have to get the book! =)
Oh, those are fabulous. I see exactly what you mean.
That last one gets me.
I love that you’re making it a required text. Because the things in it are…well, required.
I love the bit on perfectionism. SO true. It feels easier to NOT try at all sometimes because we’re afraid of doing badly.
TadMack says: 🙂
Ooh, Liz. This also reminds me very much of something else I read — about self doubt. This sounds like something I’d like to also put off reading for a long time. 😉
I think I need that book.
That author read my mind. I LOVE to procrastinate.
~ Amy Hanek
http://www.houseonthegladehill.blogspot.com