Art & Fear

The bestselling cult classic that offers a roadmap to overcoming the daily obstacles of a creative life

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'I always keep a copy of Art & Fear on my bookshelf'
JAMES CLEAR, author of the #1 best-seller Atomic Habits

'A book for anyone and everyone who wants to face their fears and get to work'
DEBBIE MILLMAN, author and host of the podcast Design Matters

'A timeless cult classic ... I've stolen tons of inspiration from this book over the years and so will you'
AUSTIN KLEON, NYTimes bestselling author of Steal Like an Artist

'The ultimate pep talk for artists. ... An invaluable guide for living a creative, collaborative life.'
WENDY MACNAUGHTON, illustrator

Art & Fear is about the way art gets made, the reasons it often doesn't get made, and the nature of the difficulties that cause so many artists to give up along the way. Drawing on the authors' own experiences as two working artists, the book delves into the internal and external challenges to making art in the real world, and shows how they can be overcome every day.

First published in 1994, Art & Fear quickly became an underground classic, and word-of-mouth has placed it among the best-selling books on artmaking and creativity. Written by artists for artists, it offers generous and wise insight into what it feels like to sit down at your easel or keyboard, in your studio or performance space, trying to do the work you need to do. Every artist, whether a beginner or a prizewinner, a student or a teacher, faces the same fears - and this book illuminates the way through them.