A helpful and inspiring book for artists in which Beth Pickens gives practical and motivational advice for developing a. artistic proces. Life’s knows many obstacles and distractions, but if you are an artist, you need to make your art!

This is a helpful, uplifting book for artists of all types. Pickens has spent years helping artists meet their creative goals and she gives great advice, but it's her underlying supportive tone that I appreciated the most. Most of her experience is with artists who are POC, LGBTQ and other communities that are frequently marginalized. She speaks to this often as she busts myths and acknowledges the real differences that artists create under. For instance, she talks about the fact that many of her clients felt like failures because their peers were able to buy their own homes at a young age until they realized that most of those peers had help from family or other assistance that made it possible. She talks about the fact that you don't have to be able to fully support yourself with your art in order to be an artist (or a successful one) and gently walks you through topics like money, marketing, depression, isolation, education, community and so much more. It's all great advice and has me energized to get back to my poetry and other artistic pursuits.

Our family recently bought a 120 year old church a block from our house to turn into a community arts center (lest that sound too extravagant, it was the price of a used car and currently has no running water and minimal heat). We've been filling it with musical instruments, art and crafting supplies, music and poetry books, costumes, props, and other supplies for the day when covid is over and we can open it for the community (you can peek here https://www.instagram.com/p/CHA7ZaRB9wv/ and here https://www.instagram.com/p/CIQ0ZHjBaIc/ if you want to see) for music, dance, improv, crafts and community for all ages. This is a book I'd like to stock at the church once we open it, and one I recommend for artists of all types.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.

Both inspiring and informative, this is a great look into what it means to be an artist. There's a lot of roadblocks along the way to becoming great and most are self-created.

You have to overcome yourself if you want to achieve great things, and this book should help the reader face their fears and be prepared to overcome anything in their way.

Great read and resource. The cover art is simple but attractive and would be a great coffee book or display piece.