What is so GOOD about the book Art and Fear?

[Eternal Apprentice]

I heard lots of people here say that is is a good book but WHY?

http://www.amazon.com/Art-Fear-Obser...s=art+and+fear

[Kamber Parrk]

Because it deals very succinctly with a common problem-- perfectionism based procrastination.

[kikindaface]

because it gives you a big kick in the butt by reading it, and put all your fears down, make you more confident about making mistakes, and such stuff like that ! But since i'm not an english native speaker, i found it quite hard to read and understand, though my english level is not bad ! anyway, it's a must read ! and really cheap on amazon !

[Eternal Apprentice]

Is there something that stood out to you while reading the book. Anything profound or useful that you have remembered to this day?

Thank you both for your responses.

[Arshes Nei]

http://painting.about.com/od/product...t_and_Fear.htm

[nocozo]

Art & Fear is really straight forward.

The words I got the most out of from the book were: "Fear often disguises its self as laziness."
The realization that fear, might actually just be laziness and not an inherent disposition to procrastinate that I always succumbed to, really resonated with me.

Art & Fear makes makes you acknowledge your deficiencies, and gives reason to why your excuses for not "making it" are 100% pure bona-fide bullshit.

[dpaint]

I heard lots of people here say that is is a good book but WHY?

http://www.amazon.com/Art-Fear-Obser...s=art+and+fear

Because Noah Bradley recommends it.

[velderia]

Just don't buy it used though. Unless the seller explicitly states that there aren't any markings or highlighting.

[manlybrian]

I heard lots of people here say that is is a good book but WHY?

http://www.amazon.com/Art-Fear-Obser...s=art+and+fear

Read it and find out. Unless you're afraid...

[TinyBird]

Just don't buy it used though. Unless the seller explicitly states that there aren't any markings or highlighting.

Hey, that just means someone already did the work for you! Though if the highlighting doesn't make the text illegible then I don't personally see any real problem with highlights in books, though it's definitely irritating if the seller didn't note about them beforehand.

[Shahan]

oh well I'm about to buy and read this book.

[velderia]

Hey, that just means someone already did the work for you! Though if the highlighting doesn't make the text illegible then I don't personally see any real problem with highlights in books, though it's definitely irritating if the seller didn't note about them beforehand.

But it could be haunted...

[Eternal Apprentice]

I'll get this when I get to the US of A. Thank you all for your replies. I love this community

[TinyBird]

But it could be haunted...

Oh yeaaaaaah... Um.. free entertainment for the same price?

[Izi]

I didn't like it. It all just came off like a big fat platitude or some kind of "You can do it" attitude....certainly not any kind of deep philosophy or significant breakthroughs and insights into an artist's psyche. I picked it up because I enjoy self-help books - not because I need any kind of specific help as an artist - I mean we all can use encouragement. This book just came off as cheap and short. Maybe it makes all kinds of differences in people's lives but it is certainly not for everyone that is for sure.

[Velocity Kendall]

Sometimes fear wins.

dont be next kids.

[Star Eater]

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain

[Velocity Kendall]

[Merlyn, responsible for raising the boy who is destined to become the king of England, is an unusual teacher. Here, he tries to help young Wart/Arthur cope with frustration and sadness.]

"The best thing for being sad," replied Merlyn, beginning to puff and blow, "is to learn something. That is the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then--to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the thing for you. Look at what a lot of things there are to learn--pure science, the only purity there is. You can learn astronomy in a lifetime, natural history in three, literature in six. And then, after you have exhausted a milliard lifetimes in biology and medicine and theocriticism and geography and history and economics--why, you can start to make a cartwheel out of the appropriate wood, or spend fifty years learning to begin to learn to beat your adversary at fencing. After that you can start again on mathematics, until is it is time to learn to plough."

Merlyn, advising the young King Arthur in T. H. White's The Once and Future King, Berkeley Medallion Edition, July, 1966, page 183.

[JeffX99]

[Merlyn, responsible for raising the boy who is destined to become the king of England, is an unusual teacher. Here, he tries to help young Wart/Arthur cope with frustration and sadness.]

"The best thing for being sad," replied Merlyn, beginning to puff and blow, "is to learn something. That is the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, you may find yourself living in a shotgun shack, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then--to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the thing for you. Look at what a lot of things there are to learn--pure science, the only purity there is. You can learn astronomy in a lifetime, natural history in three, literature in six. And then, after you have exhausted a milliard lifetimes in biology and medicine and theocriticism and geography and history and economics--why, you can start to make a cartwheel out of the appropriate wood, or spend fifty years learning to begin to learn to beat your adversary at fencing. After that you can start again on mathematics, until is it is time to learn to plough."

Merlyn, advising the young King Arthur in T. H. White's The Once and Future King, Berkeley Medallion Edition, July, 1966, page 183.

You left that part out.

[Velocity Kendall]

I shouldnt mind waking up in my beautiful house, in my beautiful wife.

To Do:
Learn how to get there. Then forget. Then sing.