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  • How to Be an Artist

  • The New York Times bestseller
  • By: Jerry Saltz
  • Narrated by: Jerry Saltz
  • Length: 2 hrs and 20 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (288 ratings)
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How to Be an Artist

By: Jerry Saltz
Narrated by: Jerry Saltz
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Summary

Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic Jerry Saltz is here to explain to you how to bring art and creativity into your life, with irreverent, inspiring and priceless pieces of advice on getting on in art.

As the witty and passionate chief art critic for New York magazine, Jerry Saltz is often approached by artists, both amateur and professional, asking him for advice: How do I get started? How do I get better? Is what I'm doing even art at all? They want to know, in short, how to be an artist.

Now, expanding on his viral cover story for New York magazine - and drawing on his decades of immersion in the art world - Saltz has the answers. How to Be an Artist is an indispensable book of practical inspiration for creative people of all kinds. Brimming with dozens of brand new rules, prompts, exercises and tips designed to break through creative blocks, ignite motivation and conquer bad habits, this book is designed to help artists of all kinds - painters, photographers, writers, performers - realise their dreams. 

Includes such advice as:

  • Make art for now, not the future
  • No, you don't need graduate school
  • Recognise convention, and resist constraint
  • Get lost
  • Listen to the wildest voices in your head
  • Know what you hate (it's probably you)
  • Finish the damn thing!
  • How to recover from critical injuries
©2020 Jerry Saltz (P)2020 Octopus Publishing Group

Critic reviews

"I wish I had read these rules 40 years ago and carried them around like a bible. By chance or design I've followed most of them at some point but it took me a lifetime as an artist to find what worked. They are the generous, loving, enthusiastic, bullshit-free advice of a master communicator, just reading them makes me want to charge back into the studio." (Grayson Perry) 

"Being an artist is a lonely pursuit - 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for the rest of your life. Most of the time it hurts. This book will help the pain." (Tracey Emin) 

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A lifetime 'keeper'.

I avoided this book for years, put off by what struck me as a tacky title.

Then out of curiousity, I got this audio-version in a sale. P started it, and couldn't stop listening until it was finished in one 'sitting'. Then I played it again.

Then I went and got the hard copy version of the book, which is my daily companion.

Don't be put off by that title. This book is pure gold for any creative person. And one of the beauties of the audio book is that (unlike too many authors reading their own work), the writers passion comes across.

Highly recommended.

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6 people found this helpful

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A world of experience

Having read books and articles before about being an artist, and what that entails, I did approach this book with caution. I need not have worried, as Jerry Saltz is a mine of great advice and information.

‘How to be an artist’ is very insightful on what being an artist is all about, strategies we can adopt and advice we can choose to take. As well as being an artist, my ‘day job’ is in visual art, so I have a good idea of the veracity of Jerry’s thoughts. I knew this book was for me when I heard Jerry’s description of what art is in the introduction. There were a couple of minor points I didn’t agree with, but I’d say his advice and knowledge suit me 98%!

I will be listening again and I will probably buy the book too.

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4 people found this helpful

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Opinion masquerading as fact

There's some lovely, positive ideas. Some great motivational drivers from a very informed author. However, very complicated ideas are simplified and presented in a very reductive manner that doesn't do development of a solid knowledge base any favours.

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3 people found this helpful

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Loved it! Actually made me work!

Brilliant no-nonsense pep-talk style nuggets of wisdom in manageable snippets that motivate and inspire. Excellent! 😍

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Dissapointing

Lacks interest for me, the narrative was quite uninspiring not very memorable. Just a list of every type of art to try without real direction. Glad u finished the read but won't look back on it.

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1 person found this helpful

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To the point - a quick jump-starter!

Loved the book for its simplicity and to the point suggestions, food for thought, exercises and overall structure. If you are someone who doesn't like to over think and needs or wants to get down to action then this is a great book.Whether you want to start making art or are already an artist.

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Jerry Saltz reads his book ! What a great listen !

Loved this book when I read it and loved it even more listening to Jerry Saltz reading it !

Saltz is a passionate art writer and this was 2 hours I will happily repeat.

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I'm a fucken genius

yep that was good. definitely helped me with my perspective on things. Nice one mate.

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Every single chapter dances

I'm a writer, and How to Be an Artist spoke louder than any writing book to me.

I love the gravelled narration and the juiced up advice.

Yes. Get to work.

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Affirmation and Desperation in equal measure

Tough love from a wonderfully experienced and beautifully articulate , wise and energizing voice from the art world that is Jerry Saltz. Listened to it in its entirety on a return train journey . Superb inspiration for early career artists, but for someone like myself - a woman artist well beyond mid career for whom all of the opportunities and visibility which had given me a successful career in the past seem to have waned (and which Jerry acknowledged is unfairly overlooked )- it just gave more cause for despair. Am I to start from the beginning, schmoozing and networking in galleries , building up a new team of 12 career building individuals ( Jerry lists collectors, gallerists, curators among them )to get established again? What do you say to someone like me Jerry?

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