Being an artist can be the most enchanting life imaginable – and the most tormenting. Finding your way to your own creative universe is an extraordinary and infinitely surprising journey. Still, every artist falters at some point. Call it what you will: blocks, obstacles, hitting the wall, tossing your painting into the ocean, or shredding your manuscript – we have all stumbled, we have all shut down. Based on the concept that creativity is unique to each individual, The Art of Becoming an Artist is designed to help artists discover the myriad, astonishing factors – social, educational, political, psychological, and personal history – that both enhance and interfere with our creativity. There is no “right” way to get to one’s art. There is only YOUR way. Finding that way is every artist’s goal. Using safe, gentle, revealing techniques to aid readers’ self-examination, The Art of Becoming an Artist produces epiphany after epiphany as it guides artists into shedding the restraints that are shutting them down. Artists of any stripe will find hope, excitement, and joy in this compassionate but thrilling process.

The Art of Being an Artist is about how an artist learns, thinks and functions. Through fascinating stories, historical and contemporary color illustrations, and step-by-step explanations, this book cuts to the heart of what it takes to be a successful artist. It is about the nitty-gritty thoughts and choices made in the art studio on a daily basis. The ideas discussed go well beyond mere technical decisions. They present concepts that help to establish a personal philosophy and direction in an artist's work.From beginning to professional artists, students and teachers of art, and anyone who has ever had a desire to make art or simply loves art will find useful answers to provocative questions such as:Should you doubt your ability to make art?How can your drawing skills be improved?Do you know how to read a painting?Is creating abstract art different from realistic art?When is your artwork truly finished?Does art criticism help or hinder your success?Finally, this book is about the mystery of creativity and its significance as an essential part of a well-grounded and meaningful life.

Thoroughly updated and expanded, this classic handbook teaches emerging artists all the strategies they need to know for selling artwork on their own or through dealers. The book's new sections target today's vital issues: creating a web site; obtaining copyright/trademark protection on the Internet; coping with censorship of controversial art; and dealing with the new realities of funding sources. Additional chapters tell how to find galleries, arrange exhibitions, apply for grants, land survival jobs doing custom decorative art or teaching, and other relevant topics.

“All it takes to become an artist is to start doing art.” –from On Becoming an Artist On Becoming an Artist is loaded with good news. Backed by her landmark scientific work on mindfulness and artistic nature, bestselling author and Harvard psychologist Ellen J. Langer shows us that creativity is not a rare gift that only some special few are born with, but rather an integral part of everyone’s makeup. All of us can express our creative impulses– authentically and uniquely–and, in the process, enrich our lives. Why then do so many of us merely dream of someday painting, someday writing, someday making music? Why do we think the same old thoughts, harbor the same old prejudices, stay stuck in the same old mud? Who taught us to think “inside the box”? No one is more qualified to answer these questions than Dr. Langer, who has explored their every facet for years. She describes dozens of fascinating experiments–her own and those of her colleagues–that are designed to study mindfulness and its relation to human creativity, and she shares the profound implications of the results–for our well-being, health, and happiness. Langer reveals myriad insights, among them: We think we should already know what only firsthand experience can teach us. . . . In learning the ways that all roses are alike, we risk becoming blind to their differences. . . . If we are mindfully creative, the circumstances of the moment will tell us what to do. . . . Those of us who are less evaluatively inclined experience less guilt, less regret, less blame, and tend to like ourselves more. . . . Uncertainty gives us the freedom to discover meaning. . . . Finally, what we think we’re sure of may not even exist. With the skill of a gifted logician, Langer demonstrates exactly how we undervalue ourselves and undermine our creativity. By example, she persuades us to have faith in our creative works, not because someone else approves of them but because they’re a true expression of ourselves. Her high-spirited, challenging book sparkles with wit and intelligence and inspires in us an infectious enthusiasm for our creations, our world, and ourselves. It can be of lifelong value to everyone who reads it.

The must-have business guide for visual artists, written by the leading specialist in the global art trade

"A fun-filled art activity book that will encourage kids to express themselves while teaching them about key artistic styles and a selection of pioneering artists from history"--

"A book about the art business and how to prepare for success as a fine artist. de Wal offers practical advice on how to make the most of limited time, energy and resources to land that perfect day job--as an artist!"--Back cover.