Real Artists Don’t Starve: Timeless Strategies for Thriving in the New Creative Age
By: Jeff Goins
Thomas Nelson; Reprint edition (May 29, 2018)
240 pages
Real Artists Don’t Starve is a great book for any aspiring creative. Goins generously takes the time to dispell the myth of the poor and lonely “starving artist.” Want to really become a starving artist? Work alone, don’t practice in public, have no network, concentrate on your big-break, and worry about money. Want to be an artist that thrives? Do the opposite of these. Read this book and learn to thrive.
Two of my favorite quotes:
“Sometimes, when we see a creative person succeed, we dismiss his breakthrough as luck or the result of pure talent, but neither explanation is accurate. What often allows great work to get the attention it deserves is not a matter of only talent or luck but a matter of the will. Can you stick around long enough to see your work succeed? Do you have enough grit to take a few critical hits and keep going? Or will you get discouraged at the first sign of failure?”
“Walt Disney said, “I don’t make pictures just to make money. I make money to make more pictures.” This is what most of us want: not to get rich off our creations but to have enough time and freedom to create what we want. We want to have the means to focus on what matters to us.”
