I read it earlier this year and found it unnervingly accurate. But as insightful as it was, unless you have some sort of epiphany while reading and decide on your own to stop procrastinating, it doesn't actually help you kick off your art. Still for the possibility of that epiphany alone, it's an important book.
It's scary this book described how I feel about art, and some of my struggles. I don't think some people understand why people have "such fear of art", it usually is the people who found such opportunity or confidence early on that can't really relate to it. This book has a few reason that should be insightful but if I'm being honest here there are multiple that sometimes go psychologically beyond what this book had time to explain. However from what I've seen it has helped other people see the core of their problem and fix themselves by showing essentially a mirror of their flaws.
I've read it a couple of times now and, much like Marshall, I had two different experiences with it. I'll probably come back to it, as clearly you can take away different things at different times. Sometimes it's a validating and encouraging experience, while other times it might make you focus on the aspect of fear a little too much. Worth a read for any artist, but if it tastes a little too sour, put it down for a few months and come back later.
I read it like last month and honestly I really liked it. I already knew some of the things that were said in this book, but there was still a lot of new knowledge.
I quit art when I entered the Army during the Vietnam War. I retired after a career as a CPA working in government. I came back to it when all the other life constraints and obligations eased up. I am 74 yo now, and have been back at it for 3 years and only death or severe disability can make me quit again. So.....just to answer your hypothetical question....yes, you can QUIT and then come back to it and start over. Everything you learned in your previous life will return with you. It's a life of art interrupted by another life.
@@Beaver_Rapsmith He was saying: "...I am 74 years old now..." , and not using the slang interjection "yo". He used "yo" to abreviate "years old", though it's usually written as "y/o".
I'm 25 mins in and I just wanna say, these book reviews feel like having a guest on the show, and its gotten to be my favorite sort of series from this podcast.
I agree with a lot of this. When I first read Art and Fear almost 15 years ago now, it was exactly what I needed. It was a book that highlighted what I was feeling about art at the time. I was insecure, I didn’t have a daily routine, I didn’t know how to take it seriously even though I wanted to. So it gave me a perspective about those things that I needed to understand at the time. I read the book in preparation for this podcast, and I felt it took a while to get to the point. It was still made great points, so I still recommend, but I didn’t have the same experience. War of Art I believe presents some steps that really are meant to get an artist more active in their work. Both books present the same problem, but their approaches are different. Art and Fear is meant to help you understand that there is a problem and you’re not alone in it. War of Art is meant to help you recognize the fear and get you beyond it. It gets you doing the work.
Hi Celeste, that's a great summary of both books! Pressfield's War of Art is 1 of my fave art books, & sometimes I just read it if I can't sleep or feel disillusioned or something. For me, Art & Fear was less useful, but I think that's bc I read it as a mid-career professional. I found it to be insightful insofar as it affirmed many of my experiences, but I can't say I found it particularly useful at this point. I do think it may be helpful to younger artists. If you enjoy other books that help with the "getting started" & "doing the work" then I recommend Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way (& all the related books). For me that was life-changing when I was younger & needed to develop artistic habits, & it was also helpful for me a few years ago after a depression that caused a period of low productivity.
This is what a true open discussion between peers looks like. Both parties grappling with the material and being honest that they don't have all the answers.
I agree that this is what most discussions aim to be like, but emotions seems to get in the way of truly trying to see what is said, and instead those seems to interpret what isn't said, which is how we come to have arguments rather than a dialog.
This episode needs to be nominated for some award. The way you guys share your insights made me feel like a kid again lol. Its like we all lowkey knew these were our truths but once its been said out loud, and as beautifully as you guys did, you remind us that its OKAY. You guys encourage us to keep going. We will be part of that paradigm shift. Actually, I believe we all already are.
18:47 this is the very and only reason I overcame the fear of 'you can't draw that good again' after creating a good artwork. I liked the review of War of Art. Love the podcast. Now back to listening.....😁
I think Stan and Marshall are way too positive in the first place that a lot of the things talked about in the book didn't apply to them. Art and Fear is more for those with a negative outlook, always beating themselves up for not being able to do art that matches their high standards, perfectionism, chasing after popular art styles and subject matter because they think their ideas are not good enough and that others do it better. The book tries to motivate the reader emotionally which is why it gets quite abstract. It's a good motivating book for people who are very insecure, maybe depressed even that they need that emotional coddling/support. Someone to say yes, your art sucks and you hate it, but it's not the worse thing in the world so keep going.
This video was the first thing I watched after waking up and I gotta say, Marshall's singing at the beginning put a big smile on my face. What a great way to start the day!
I think the greatest honor as an artist is to have people that want to be your students. So don’t be hard on yourself Stan, you’ve done a hell of a lot for artists, and you will be remembered after you are gone (same with you marshal)
Mozart had great difficulty in writing a group of six quartets that he dedicated to Haydn, and they have the usual crossings out and false starts that we'd all recognise, so if something was important to him, he shared the same knife edge that we all spend our creative lives on
Man I love 'The Art Spirit'! He said what you said at the start, that "time and space cannot separate" artists. We can meet Greco, Plato, Shakespeare, etc they live on. Also, Robert Henri said " Everybody who has any respect for painting feels scared when he starts a new canvas."
im a freshman in college with a school for visual art and another school for science. I never know which I perfer so Im trying both but whenever i listen to yall, stan and marshall, I always think theres hope for me in art
I read this book in 2017. I still have my copy and opening it up I can see I stopped just over halfway through. I recall buying it to help me feel less fearful, but that my experience of it was that it was very negative, very moany and doom and gloom. I've been through a lot of emotional changes since 2017, so I'll give it another go. I'm certain I will see their approach in a different light. The quote at the front of my version is different to yours, it reads: "Writing is easy: all you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until the drops of blood form on your forehead (Gene Fowler)." I love you guys, thanks for sharing your insights!
That is so great that you guys are doing a episode on this book! It is one of my favorites and I recommend it frequently to my students. It is a short, easy, funny and super insightful read. One of my favorite quotes is “vision is ahead of execution”. So much frustration arise precisely because one learn to identify must be improved upon...Typically before it is fully understood ...it is the nature of learning something of a complex nature like drawing and painting:)
It can and does go away at "graduation" - very true in a lot of cases, even my own. I really feel this has a lot to do with how art professors prepare or don't prepare us for life after college. I graduated with a graphic design degree and didn't feel prepared at all to get a job. **** Note: Mozart had a father who forced him to practice and play all over the world. Beethoven was the true genius - the true artist.
All the art I've created has been from a place of fear of failure. My love for designing and fantasy keeps me motivated but when I take a break out of frustration what makes me return is usually a fear of forgetting everything I've learnt and not amounting to anything 😅😩
As an enthusiast for Art history, Something stuck out to me was an issue with the end statements. Regardless of the current accessibility, the issue is still there it just appears in a different way. You have to conform to the “art” of business(which contradicts the point of art) to truly become popular on a large scale, which was exactly how artists either survived in the past or they didn’t. So there may be advantages today but the same issue are still there just in a different way. So the book is still relevant. We can not forget that humanity goes through the same cycles and even with the improvements those cycles don’t stop, they just appear in different ways.
I worked in Ed Tech as a designer, and wohoo, Marshal has a point. It's like every LMS could use a refactoring. I love to learn and teach, but using those softwares apparently is zero fun. Moodle, Canvas, whatever. Which is bad for learning.. (and teaching, and creating assignments) I want to see improvements in interfaces like that. Also what you say about dwelling on the problems is so important! Solution focus. I love you guys. I feel some real connection right now. I've just quit my job in said area and have started to overcome some of the struggles that most aspiring artists seem to have. Thank god for people / teachers like you both.
This video had such good advice. I took some notes and it helped me focus on a drawing while i listened to you two :) Looking forward for next podcast as always!
The discussion about whether or not good art has to make the viewer challenge their beliefs was insightful. It's too easy to be convinced (or to convince yourself) that all art must push the envelope to have value. Even those who want to exclusively make provocative work should be mindful of this message. I wasted half a decade NOT making the art I wanted to because it didn't fulfill this self-imposed requirement. In my experience, making art that forces you to reevaluate your own beliefs consistently results in more genuine and interesting work due to the introspection that goes into making it.
The magic is who you are and you can't use others' magic because it has something to do with who they are. You can copy style and technique but you can't or shouldn't try to be someone else. Just a thought: maybe the magic also depends on the viewer; what is magic to one person, is not to the next person. I believe that art is good when it touches people and when people can connect to it, emotionally The art you make is a way to express yourself. If it's all about technique and mastering technique, well you can become a great copymachine...I guess it kind of depends on what kind of art you are making and what it is for. Interesting as always :-) Cheers!
You guys started at one point to talk about how this book puts down art school and how people like Motsart didn't need "art school"/music school" because of his great talent. But he would not have been able to write the music he heard in his head had he not learned to write music! Technique is important , it's a tool to be able to create your vision.
12:18 Scott McCloud (author of _Understanding Comics_ and _Making Comics_ ) has mused that any act whose main purpose is not based on survival (i.e. mating, eating, or avoiding death) is art, or at least has an artistic foundation. Anytime we are doing something that is not intrinsic to our survival, it is a manifestation of creativity; in those moments we create something to express ourselves, whether it be a movement, a scribble, a tune, or whatever else. In his view, anything under that description is art. There's always room for discussion, but I think there's definitely some value in that opinion.
I listened to this book last year and agree it needs to be read again. But I did find it motivating on the first read, as it kept saying "just keep going and expect challenges". This gave me the feeling of I can do this! Will listen to it again now.
"Lo que diferencia a los artistas de los ex artistas es que los que se enfrentan a sus miedos continúan y los que no lo hacen lo dejan. En cada paso del proceso de creación artística, nuestros miedos nos ponen a prueba una y otra vez". Pág. 21
I really liked this episode. To add to the topic, fear is nothing anyone should be ashame of or try to push away. Fear is the way our bodies try to keep us safe. Being afraid of heights,dog or bees is due to not wanting to feel pain from the fall,bite or sting. Being afraid of speaking in public, show your artwork or take a chance on something if due to fear of being made fun off or to know that we are not good enough. It is reasonable to be afraid but once we let fear make our choices for us is when we have to take action. We need to sit down and contemplate what we are afraid of, can we do something about it and what would I really lose if I do face my fears.
I think that part of developing a fearlessness or high tolerance to art - or anything unpredictable - is developing a massive ego about your work, skills, and position in life. Many of the artists I've met that are successful (across many disciplines) have no self awareness about what's going on outside of their studio, office, writer's desk, etc. They are immensely secure in their skills, abilities, and output, and draw other people to them because of their confidence. They also have no problem saying when something is terrible or needs to be re-worked as long as the basis is "When I re-work this piece of art, it will be awesome." I think sometimes this comes across as artists being arrogant or condescending. However, I think it's the attitude that must eventually prevail.
@@herrweiss2580 I don't think they have "blinders" on in the way we would talk about it. I think the self-confidence likely comes from years of having no confidence that a natural scar tissue is formed. Michael Jordan was an example of this: massive ego but still practiced his tail off even when he didn't need to and was hard on himself at other times when people around him were joyful. This is an extreme case but I think someone with all the skill in any discipline will never achieve their best output if they don't have an indomitable will to match.
@@mikepelosi9877 You wrote in plain English that the successful artists you met have "no self-awareness about what's going on outside of their studio..." Then you answer talking about "confidence"?? Apples and Oranges.
@@herrweiss2580 It takes confidence to practice that level of self-awareness (or lack thereof). I also mentioned that said artists are hyper critical of themselves and know when they are producing "bad" work to their standard, whatever that may be. You can not be aware (or care) about what's going on outside of your head as an artists and still be reflective of your own work. This is why I said that such a mind state can be misconceived as arrogance, lack of empathy, etc. You interpreted my comments as a "walking around with blinders on." I would disagree with that assertion on the premise that having a large ego is actually earned (hard work + experience), as is the "right" or "justification" to not care what's going beyond the canvas. Every artist leaves the studio eventually and hears, experiences, and deals with new things. It's that when it comes to their craft, they own it without apology.
Really loving this one so far. This book is genuinely reminding me of Failing Forward by John C Maxwell. When it comes to fear and your art, one of the best methods of getting over yourself is to just put it down and put it out in to the world. GET THAT CANVAS DIRTY PEOPLE.
If looking for "today's Mozart" I think Jacob Collier is right there at the top of the list. His deep connection and enjoyment of every single aspect of musical language has lead him to a creative exploration that has broadened the horizons of music in the XXI century. Chris Thiele is also an outstanding performer and composer worth checking out. Also, all the greats from the XVIII and XIX centuries did push conceptual and creative boundries of their time, and lead younger generations to re evaluate their ideas and worldview. A beautiful example is the influence that Mozart's ingenious and creative use of chromaticism had on Haydn's work. Haydn was 20 years older than mozart and lived 20 years after mozart died. So Haydn eventually made his mark in the history of academic music, but had about 40 more years to work on it!
After seeing videos of him talking about how he makes music, he keeps popping into my mind when I hear Mozart or a discussion about the big classic composers and their experimentings. He definitely feels like a prodigy who'll do (even more) great things!
I think the importance of the ability of performer/composers to switch from the act and moment of creation, combined with their ability to analyze the moment and react to the moment cannot be underestimated.
This was a really good discussion. I haven't read the book, but I plan to. Despite the age of the book, many artists today still struggle with fear, and it inhibits them. I would just recommend to all that when you read or listen to anything, try to step back and consider what they are saying. Consider why they said it, and if it makes you feel positive or negative. One of the most important things you can do when you read a book or listen to a podcast is be considerate about the information inside, try to make sense of it, and use the things that you think will be helpful. The point of what I am trying to get across is that you should allow yourself to disagree with the author, but first consider why they said what they said, understand it, and then choose to keep it or let it go.
Loved art an fear. On point for me! I wonder if I wouldnt like it so much if I was successful and well known… perhaps it’s a book that is loved by those that need it? downloaded the other book… love this podcast ❤❤
I find that with my work it's always better than how I imagine it's going to be. But that's because I always feel like my art is going to suck lol. In a way my fear of art actually helps me once it's complete, because then it's like "oh, I can do it, I did some cool art today!". But the fear of sucking does prevent me from doing a lot more.
Same. That's why I felt like isn't the point to actually develop your art further than what was in your mind and to explore? Like a writer explores ideas on a pad? I think sometimes we think of ideas but they seem terrible when we put it down on paper because they aren't grounded enough.
This's the cain of discussion I need it a while ago..Now I understand even more the relationship between my art and me. Thank you so much for the podcast. I'm going to listen it one more time. My attention was divided between my watercolors chart and your point of view.
I have read it earlier this year. I think it wants you to be authentic with yourself. You can only be authentic after transcending ego. Fear comes from ego.
Has anyone felt, "so miserable not creating that you can't stand it anymore" ? If so, what does that feel like? Why is it so important to be 'creative'? What does creating mean to who you are? Is this fear of being judged a modern phenomenon? Did artists feel it in the 1800's? The 1700's? Did paralysis plague the Impressionists? Finally, does your creation have to be totally original? Or does making a copy of another piece qualify?
43:18 "If talent is *not* real, get to work. And *if* talent *is* real, get to work. They summed up the talent thing by saying, 'let's move on to the responsibility of the artist,' which is to get to work." 😅😉
I'd consider Jacob Collier the modern day version of Mozart. He's so far ahead of the curve with the way he conceptualizes music and melody. It would be totally warranted to call him Mozart of his time.
@Vinesh I just want to thank you for mentioning Jacob Collier. First time ever hearing about him and after listening to his music, i just couldnt stop listening to it
mozart of harmony. not melody. he's really not something there. plus i feel he's going for more recognition rather than more exploring as he started out.
Commenting on the portion of the video where you guys talk about a new renaissance: Have you guys ever considered talking about the art world being over saturated and/or the influx of too much new art to the point where it devalues the art making process itself?
Aspiring Artists, "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell (2008) is the book you're looking for. It speaks about Mozart "genius factor" with conclusive evidence (ie: he had his 10.000 hours of training), and many other very interesting facts that will either give you hopes or abandon the idea as a whole. There's even the same example of the pottery, but with pictures, funnily enough, with the exact same results. Mind you: Giving up on art is like giving up on speaking, reading, selling or writing. It's just impossible. We all do and need them and have the chance to hone those skills. That's the difference between a spokesperson and Tony Robbins. That's the difference between an award speech and Neil Gaiman. That's the difference between a door salesman and Todd McFarlane. That's the difference between a blogger and Alan Moore. Clock those 10.000 hours, and then see how far you've gone. Spoiler alert: you might be surprised... *Draftsmen: have Todd McFarlane, please* Also, Aspiring Artists: watch the video called "Spider-Man to Spawn, How Todd McFarlane Became the Biggest Comic Book Artist Ever | Blueprint". You'll thank me later. Great episode.
Hi I kind of agree with Gladwell but as Stan and Marshall said the difference is that Mozart learnt how to work his practice for him. I believe that it’s all well and good to practice for 10,000 but I don’t think it’s going to get you as far actually targeting what you need to learn within the 10,000 hours. No?
@@simonaustin5659 To me the greatest difference was that he was pushed to work by his father (like what happened to Luis Miguel, who was forced to live like a professional singer since age 9, cocaine and all). He wasn't born with genius-like talent, and like Gladwell suggests, all of his most memorable and more elaborate pieces are found beyond the 10.000 hour threshold. Pretty much like Luis Miguel too. in any case Mozart is dead, as are many other creators that were considered geniuses. What do we do then, is the only question. Hence why I suggested Gladwell's Book AND McFarlane's documentary. Bottom line: anyone wishing to be an artist must acknowledge s/he has to want to clock those 10.000 hours before anything else. There are simply no excuses and, if there were any, then it means that being a professional artist is not an absolute priority in that person's life, and good or bad, that's the way it is.
Horus SC I agree but 10,000 hours of blind practice doesn’t work as well as targeting on what you need to understand, gain knowledge and get experience to create good judgement - as you know an artist, doctor/surgeon, musician etc has a practise coz we/them are constantly learning, reflecting and evolving. Sometimes it’ll take some people longer or shorter due to personal circumstances but it is basically targeting what we need to improve on and the willingness to reflect upon ones own practice. I personally don’t think to be a professional artist (whatever that may mean) somebody has to do 10,000 hours. I think to be a good artist is to realise that they/us/me has to realise it take beyond and more than 10,000 hours of hard work and self sacrifice to make good sincere work. For example, Euan Uglow was constantly learning and reflecting on his own practice.
Funny that right after they mentioned that the book is outdated they went into a conversation that is already outdated due to AI art. Things are changing fast!
I literally just read the book art and fear and i had the same feeling. I don't want to blame anyone but when Stan said he felt a sense of dread i was like aha! that's exactly how i felt while reading it, even the first 20 pages. don't get me wrong there are a few lines which are great but i didn't enjoy it as much as i thought i would. it might sound too critical i think you guys were being super nice about it but i don't want to read it again and i probably never will. I just don't think art should be the cause of so much pain when merely everything around you is already art. We don't need to worry so much about who cares about what, when as beginners we cannot even comprehend the world around us accurately. Art should not be a matter of "oh are you brave enough to stick through it all" as much as it is about are you brave enough to fail until you don't. And actually it isn't even about bravery. Again, who cares about what is brave? Just do what you like y'know. Because at some point you don't just keep failing. Its a learned skill. You can be Mozart. If you put in that time. Worrying about the fact that you aren't is what orchestrates that gap. And its important to see it that way at first to make progress. P.S: This is just something i wanted to say out loud to Stan, teachers are the building blocks of society yes there are some teachers who don't do their job but you are so far from it that i cannot even begin to explain it. While the university education drained my creativity out a bit, your education has only ever continued to lift me up and made me believe that which can be done and that it can be done by me. Thank you for being one of those few artists who wanted to share their knowledge with the world. You have changed my life and I'm grateful. I'm sure there's a ton of people who feel the same way.
I've heard people compare Aphex Twin to Mozart as far as modern music goes. I think it would be interesting to see who is elevated to that god like mythological status 50 or a hundred years from now- when nobody alive ever met them.
Have you ever red "the Artist's Way?" By Julia Cameron? It's a very interesting and insightful book about creativity and artistic struggle. I wonder what you guys think of it? Have you heard about it before?
Great episode. The quality vs quantity student project was my favorite part in the book; it's actually the only thing I remember lol. I'll have to reread Art and Fear.
2:17 i love the way Marshall just kept going when Stan did burp lol, like if it was a response to his argument...and he said..Yeah! Hahaha could not stop laughing, was a WTF moment for me I just wanted to share it, God bless Stan and Marshall you are very nice guys always enjoy your podcasts, I which you could interview Stephen Silver, Bobby Chiu, Karla Ortiz or other successful artist, there are so much out there jeje, ok thank you bye bye :)
I always imagine when I see that there bookshelf behind marchel that it's packed with dungeons and dragons books and full of different warhammer 40k codex.
I read this book this year as I struggled with my art. My teacher recommended it. I don't know it was much helpful since most of the things in it was.... obvious. We all know these things but it bothers us anyway.
Pressfield's War of Art is a significantly better book, in my opinion. Art & Fear isn't awful, but while I found it to be insightful & affirmative of most of my experiences, I can't say I got much out of it. I wonder if it's more helpful to a young artist rather than an adult like me
~28:50 up to ~34:40 you were saying how people cannot usually hold much in their heads and that they should work on it with materials. Plus those who are spontaneous make more exciting, bold work. I did not realize that people don't figure things out in their heads first - at least for specific pieces. When I want to work on a specific piece, I create ALL of it in my head first without reference photos. I check and recheck how certain materials will and will not work, the lighting, the composition, the colours, reference pics and materials, etc. When I figure it out, then I create it. I love playing with lines and colours and shapes and subjects and especially materials and I get some interesting pieces that way. I also get in trouble in the art group that I am in because I am so unconventional and try so many ways of doing things. Both my spontaneous work and my plotted work look good - and different. I guess I have been watching artists create finished pieces without seeing them trying bits that I assumed that is the regular way. Maybe it is because I am female and females have a tendency to think differently. Maybe you can address this aspect sometime. I liked the episodes with Knight and Jennifer.