Living and Sustaining a Creative Life Author: Sharon Louden | Language: English | ISBN:
B00I5SFN7Y | Format: PDF
Living and Sustaining a Creative Life Description
In this day and age, when art has become more of a commodity and art school graduates are convinced that they can only make a living from their work by attaining gallery representation, it is more important than ever to show the reality of how a professional, contemporary artist sustains a creative practice over time. The 40 essays collected here in Living and Sustaining a Creative Life are written in the artists’ own voices and take the form of narratives, statements and interviews. Each story is different and unique, but the common thread is an ongoing commitment to creativity, inside and outside the studio. Both day-to-day and Big Picture details are revealed, showing how it is possible to sustain a creative practice that contributes to the ongoing dialogue in contemporary art. These stories will inform and inspire any student, young artist and art enthusiast, and will help redefine what ‘success’ means to a professional artist.
- File Size: 9280 KB
- Print Length: 226 pages
- Page Numbers Source ISBN: 178320012X
- Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
- Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
- Language: English
- ASIN: B00I5SFN7Y
- Text-to-Speech: Enabled
X-Ray:
- Lending: Not Enabled
- Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #115,128 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
As a young artist and nonprofit arts professional who graduated with an art degree, I wish I could have read this book when I was in undergrad! It has still been an insightful and timely read for me 10 years after graduating. I thought it would be more of a how to guide and describe specifically how to make money in art, but it is much more. The book is a collection of personal essays from working artists who each describe their personal challenges, practices and approach to work life balance. I have appreciated the sincerity and honesty of the essays.
There are many books about arts marketing and trade publications offering specific advice for specific arts markets and strategies for making a living as an artist. What's different about Living and Sustaining a Creative Life is the personal approach, which is helpful for understanding how working artists have individually designed their careers with work-life balance and economy in mind. The art field is truly unique encompassing such a wide variety of talents, interests, and micro economies. I've enjoyed the variety of perspectives and experiences compiled in this collection. The life of a working artist is as much about lifestyle as it is about breadwinning and I think this title articulates both the challenges and possibilities of earning a living with one's art, while maintaining creative perspective, practice, and having a life.
The essays are concise and well edited, it's a quick read, with a human voice, peppered with a few swear words and humor, while maintaining seriousness, depth and being informative. Most of the essays express struggle at different levels, some overcome and some outstanding, but without a negative or depressing vibe.
As a psychology researcher, Angela Duckworth digs deep into understanding how people use self-control and "grit"--her term for that relentless work ethic of sustained commitment to a long term goal--to achieve success. Duckworth claims that character is at least as important as intellect and that the secret of genius is doggedness rather than innate talent.
Sharon Loudon has offered up another window into how these qualities play out in that notoriously difficult, discouraging and yet deliciously satisfying profession of visual art. Her new book, Living and Sustaining a Creative Life: Essays by 40 Working Artists, shares the very personal stories of artists who have found a way to continue doing their work regardless of the financial, emotional, relational and obligational challenges that come with that profession.
What struck me while reading each of these personal histories was how direct and honest the accounts were. Loudon succeeded in maintaining a consistent point of view that thankfully sidesteps those notorious and irritating proclivities to narcissism (A recent article by Jill Steinhauer on Hyperallergic was titled, "Want to Be an Artist? Try a Little Narcissism." No thanks.) Published by the British press Intellect, Living and Sustaining also stands out for its well designed blending of text, image and white space.
These stories are a heartening reminder that each of us has the option to fashion a career on our own terms. None of the artists included in this collection had success handed to them. They are all hard working and grit-rich.
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