Presents a collection of questions to help readers determine where they are in their life and career, formulate goals, and how to achieve them, along with questions and answers from a variety of writers, musicians, and artists that they were asked on their way to success.

Provides a collection of inspirational ideas and quotations from successful artists to encourage struggling artists to take pride in their efforts and feel confident their works are of value

Assembled from the wisdom of 36 legendary art teachers – all of them artists or critics at the top of their field – Akademie X: Lessons in Art + Life is an ideal curriculum for the aspiring artist. Each of the book’s "tutors" has provided a unique lesson that aims to provoke, inspire and stimulate the aspiring artist. These lessons cover some combination of the following: technical advice (e.g. don’t make a sculpture bigger than your studio door), assignments (some of which will take five minutes to complete, others five years), tips for avoiding creative ruts (including suggestions for mind‐expanding materials to read, watch or listen to), principles of careful looking (demonstrated with images of artworks, photographs, films or even billboard advertisements), advice on the daily practice of art (how to balance time alone in the studio with building an artistic community), career pointers (how to prepare for a studio visit from a curator or gallerist) and personal anecdotes (e.g. stories from the instructor’s own humble beginnings). Taken together, these lessons offer the reader a set of tools for thinking, seeing and living as an artist. Not only is Akademie X: Lessons in Art + Life the first illustrated text book of its kind for artists, but it will also appeal to anyone interested in contemporary art, providing first hand revelations into the philosophies and techniques of some of the world’s best artists and writers.

"This is a book about making art. Ordinary art. Ordinary art means something like: all art not made by Mozart. After all, art is rarely made by Mozart-like people; essentially—statistically speaking—there aren't any people like that. Geniuses get made once-a-century or so, yet good art gets made all the time, so to equate the making of art with the workings of genius removes this intimately human activity to a strangely unreachable and unknowable place. For all practical purposes making art can be examined in great detail without ever getting entangled in the very remote problems of genius." —-from the Introduction Art & Fear explores 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. The book's co-authors, David Bayles and Ted Orland, are themselves both working artists, grappling daily with the problems of making art in the real world. Their insights and observations, drawn from personal experience, provide an incisive view into the world of art as it is expeienced by artmakers themselves. This is not your typical self-help book. This is a book written by artists, for artists -— it's about what it feels like when artists sit down at their easel or keyboard, in their studio or performance space, trying to do the work they need to do. First published in 1994, Art & Fear quickly became an underground classic. Word-of-mouth response alone—now enhanced by internet posting—has placed it among the best-selling books on artmaking and creativity nationally. Art & Fear has attracted a remarkably diverse audience, ranging from beginning to accomplished artists in every medium, and including an exceptional concentration among students and teachers. The original Capra Press edition of Art & Fear sold 80,000 copies. An excerpt: Today, more than it was however many years ago, art is hard because you have to keep after it so consistently. On so many different fronts. For so little external reward. Artists become veteran artists only by making peace not just with themselves, but with a huge range of issues. You have to find your work...

Art and Spiritual Transformation presents a seven-stage journey of transformation from the darkened soul to the light of spiritual illumination, revealing the primal role of art in liberating the soul. Includes a meditation practice to experience the spiritual energy in art.

Describes how the imagination heals itself through the creative process, and suggests therapy methods that involve performance, storytelling, dialog with images, and creative collaboration

Describes a new way of looking at familiar masterpieces, suggesting that the works of art can be useful, relevant--and even therapeutic.

Intending to help those who want to express themselves creatively but think they don't have the time, presents short artistic exercises that can be done on a plane, at the breakfast table, or during a meeting.

Provides artists with ideas and inspiration to help gain more confidence and creativity along with daily projects using watercolor, mixed media, and collage.