{"id":12047,"date":"2019-02-02T20:04:36","date_gmt":"2019-02-03T01:04:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/?p=12047"},"modified":"2019-02-02T20:05:27","modified_gmt":"2019-02-03T01:05:27","slug":"book-review-real-artists-dont-starve","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/?p=12047","title":{"rendered":"Book Review: Real Artists Don’t Starve"},"content":{"rendered":"

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I have enjoyed Jeff Goins<\/a>‘ work for quite some time. This website contains my reviews of three of his previous books: The Art of Work<\/a>,\u00a0The In-Between<\/a>,\u00a0Wrecked<\/a><\/em>. Last week\u00a0I was pleased to see something new of his that I hadn\u2019t read yet when I stumbled on Real Artists Don\u2019t Starve: Timeless Strategies for Thriving in the New Creative Age<\/a><\/i>. \u00a0This book was a quick read, but it was a GREAT resource for me as I have the enormous privilege of leading some really creative thinkers on my team. \u00a0I\u2019m grateful for Goins work to remind me that I can best shepherd these folks when I realize, “If we want to become artists, we are going to have to break some rules. We cannot do just what is expected of us. At some point, we must break away from the status quo and forge a new path. As it turns out, this is how creativity works best.\u201d \u00a0<\/i>His blog and subsequent social media conversations are always enlightening and bring great fresh perspective into situations that might be feeling stale or too predictable.<\/div>\n
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Another great leadership reminder that Goins points to in this book is this\u2026”Art is always found on the fringes, at the edge of our discomfort where true change occurs.\u201d \u00a0Isn\u2019t the same true of leadership? \u00a0Art and leadership both require a lot of beneficial stretching!<\/div>\n
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I highlighted several things while reading this book and have posted those notes below…<\/div>\n
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    The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark. \u2014MICHELANGELO BUONAROTTI Location: 131<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    BEING A STARVING ARTIST IS A CHOICE, NOT A NECESSARY CONDITION OF DOING CREATIVE WORK. Location: 258<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    Sometimes in life, the script we\u2019re given no longer fits the story we want to live. We realize the rules we were following were assigned by someone who did not have our best interests in mind. And now, we must do something about it. Location: 303<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    If we want to become artists, we are going to have to break some rules. We cannot do just what is expected of us. At some point, we must break away from the status quo and forge a new path. As it turns out, this is how creativity works best. Location: 338<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    THERE IS NO GREATER PAIN THAN LIVING A LIE WHEN THE TRUTH IS BURIED DEEP INSIDE YOU. Location: 402<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    The reason many of us never self-actualize is because it\u2019s easier to play a role in life than it is to become our true selves. It\u2019s easier to conform to what people expect than it is to stand out. But this is not the way great art is made, nor is it the way real artists are made. Location: 407<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    Eventually, you have to decide who you are. You have to choose your role and own that identity. We don\u2019t fake it till we make it. We believe it till we become it. Location: 409<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    The first step to doing creative work is just that\u2014a step, not a leap or an epiphany\u2014just one small decision that leads to the next one. Sure, some people may risk it all and end up winning, but those are the exceptions to the rule, and that kind of success is often short-lived. The alternative\u2014doing something so small and gradual that it almost looks like you\u2019re doing nothing\u2014often leads to much more sustainable success. Location: 463<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    You can do extraordinary things when you are patiently persistent. Location: 466<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    We are either becoming more of our true selves or drifting into a false self. Location: 520<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    Art is always found on the fringes, at the edge of our discomfort where true change occurs. Location: 531<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    According to researcher Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, creative work is comprised of five steps: preparation, incubation, insight, evaluation, and elaboration. Location: 561<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    Creativity is not about being original; it\u2019s about learning to rearrange what has already been in a way that brings fresh insight to old material. Location: 567<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    The best artists steal, but they do so elegantly, borrowing ideas from many sources and arranging them in new and interesting ways. You have to know your craft so well that you can build on the work of your predecessors, adding to the body of existing work. Location: 575<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    If we want to create work that will stand the test of time, we must honor the legacies we\u2019ve received. We must become students before we become masters. Location: 656<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    The way you establish your authority in a certain field is by mastering the techniques of those who are already authorities. And what eventually emerges over time is your own style. Location: 671<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    The difference between an artist and a copycat is that the artist builds on the work she has received and the copycat only mimics it. Location: 694<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    SKILL IS NOT ENOUGH TO EARN THE ATTENTION OF AN INFLUENCER\u2014YOU MUST BE TEACHABLE. Location: 836<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    You must be courageous enough to reach out to a master but at the same time hardworking enough not to waste his time. When things don\u2019t go according to plan, do what must be done. And when it doesn\u2019t work out, be persistent. Keep showing up, regardless of the outcome. Opportunities may come and go, but in the end, hard work is all we can measure. Location: 903<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    We are stubborn on vision. We are flexible on details. \u2014JEFF BEZOS Location: 917<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    We are told artists are stubborn, and they certainly can be. But this isn\u2019t always a bad thing. Stubbornness can be an essential ingredient in making a living off your art. When you harness your strategic stubbornness, you give the world a reason to believe in your work. Location: 1,064<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    The question is, are you stubborn enough to succeed? Location: 1,129<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    BEFORE YOU REACH AN AUDIENCE OF MANY, YOU MUST FIRST REACH AN AUDIENCE OF ONE. Location: 1,203<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    Influencers want to help people. They want to invest in others. They just need to know that you\u2019re worth their time, which means your abilities need to be obvious. Your job, then, is to get to work, because the best way to win over a patron is to show them your potential, and the best demonstration of your ability is the work itself. This doesn\u2019t mean you must be suddenly amazing\u2014most artists in need of a patron are not. But it does mean that you should be working and, more importantly, be willing to learn. Location: 1,268<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    If you want to be creative, go where your questions lead you. \u2014LOUIS L\u2019AMOUR Location: 1,354<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    GREAT WORK DOES NOT COME ABOUT THROUGH A SINGLE STROKE OF GENIUS, BUT BY THE CONTINUAL EFFORT OF A COMMUNITY. Location: 1,451<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    Whether that means moving across the room or around the globe, a willingness to step out of our comfort zone is the first step toward finding the place and the people who will help our work thrive. Location: 1,593<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    THE STARVING ARTIST WORKS ALONE. THE THRIVING ARTIST COLLABORATES WITH OTHERS. Most any significant creative endeavor . . . calls for accomplices. \u2014PHILIPPE PETIT Location: 1,612<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    As Lewis himself once wrote, \u201cThe next best thing to being wise oneself is to live in a circle of those who are.\u201d The same, it seems, can be said for being creative. We don\u2019t do our best work alone; we do it by collaborating with others. Location: 1,645<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    Creativity is not a solitary invention but a collaborative creation. Community offers opportunities for creative work to thrive, and that is a kind of magic we can all create. Location: 1,685<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    Community made possible what was otherwise impossible for the individual. Location: 1,733<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    If you want to do world-changing creative work, you must reconcile the fact that you likely won\u2019t be able to do it alone. You need help. Find your band of misfits, use the accountability of that group, and let your sense of competition drive you to create better work. Diana Glyer\u2019s personal theory is that 92 percent of The Lord of the Rings was written on Wednesday nights, because J. R. R. Tolkien knew on Thursdays he\u2019d have to face his friend C. S. Lewis and account for his work. Lewis and the rest of the Inklings would ask where Tolkien was in the story he\u2019d been telling them. \u201cWhat did you write?\u201d they would ask. Location: 1,804<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    THE STARVING ARTIST DOESN\u2019T SHARE HIS WORK. THE THRIVING ARTIST PRACTICES IN PUBLIC. Play always as if in the presence of a master. \u2014ROBERT SCHUMANN Location: 1,815<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    The novelist George Sand once wrote that it is the duty of all artists \u201cto find an adequate expression to convey [their art] to as many souls as possible.\u201d Or to put it more succinctly: art needs an audience. Location: 1,860<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    There is no better way to improve than to put your work out there\u2014sharing it for the whole world to see\u2014no other way to get discovered than to risk rejection. You have to practice in public. Location: 1,936<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    TO DO THE WORK OF A PROFESSIONAL, YOU HAVE TO STOP WAITING TO BE SEEN AND START SHARING YOUR WORK NOW. Location: 1,963<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    THE STARVING ARTIST WORKS FOR FREE. THE THRIVING ARTIST ALWAYS WORKS FOR SOMETHING. When bankers get together for dinner, they discuss Art. When artists get together for dinner, they discuss Money. \u2014OSCAR WILDE Location: 2,019<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    Our best work comes from the tension of trying to serve our craft and meet the demands of the market. Location: 2,171<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    THE STARVING ARTIST SELLS OUT TO AN EARLY BIDDER. THE THRIVING ARTIST OWNS HIS WORK. No price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. \u2014NIETZSCHE Location: 2,198<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    THE CHIEF GOAL OF EVERY ARTIST IS TO MAKE THE WORK GREAT. Location: 2,313<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    IN THE END, BEING AN ARTIST IS ABOUT CREATING GREAT WORK, AND OWNERSHIP IS THE WAY WE GET TO ENSURE THAT GREATNESS. Location: 2,425<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    THE STARVING ARTIST MASTERS ONE CRAFT. THE THRIVING ARTIST MASTERS MANY. And this I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected. \u2014JOHN STEINBECK Location: 2,433<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    Would you rather hire a writer who is only good at crafting prose, or one who also understands marketing? Would you prefer to work for a boss who only knows how to get things done or one who also has emotional intelligence? When we develop a diverse portfolio, we do better and more interesting work. Location: 2,476<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    Creative people tend to live in the world of ideas and possibilities. Because of this, we may struggle with a lack of focus, but this is not always a bad thing. A wandering mind can be an asset if you learn how to use it. Location: 2,500<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    A leaky mental filter is the ability to hold multiple conflicting ideas in tension with each other in a way that they can build upon each other. \u201cPeople with leaky attention might be able to notice things that others don\u2019t notice or see connections between things,\u201d she told me, \u201cwhich might lead to a creative idea or creative thought.\u201d Location: 2,504<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    Starving Artists try to master one skill. Thriving Artists acquire whatever skills necessary to get the job done. One is about short-term rewards; the other is about creating for a lifetime. If you don\u2019t believe the myth that mastery is just doing one thing, then you, too, can create a body of work that will endure. Location: 2,540<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    Against the ruin of the world, there is only one defense\u2014the creative act. \u2014KENNETH REXROTH Location: 2,791<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    The point is not to make a fortune or become famous, but to do the work. We are all looking for a way to share our gift with the world without worrying about making a living. That means more than getting paid once for our creations. It means building a life that allows us to keep creating. Location: 2,864<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    I have enjoyed Jeff Goins‘ work for quite some time. This website contains my reviews of three of his previous books: The Art of Work,\u00a0The In-Between,\u00a0Wrecked. Last week\u00a0I was pleased to see something new of his that I hadn\u2019t read yet when I stumbled on Real Artists Don\u2019t Starve: Timeless Strategies for Thriving in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,35,25,37,12,16,23,28,17,18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12047","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book-review","category-creative","category-education","category-eli","category-emma","category-family","category-generosity","category-integrity","category-leadership","category-north-cobb-christian"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12047","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12047"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12047\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12047"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12047"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12047"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}