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Art Before Breakfast: A Zillion Ways to Be More Creative No Matter How Busy You Are by Danny Gregory
gna_again's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
4.75
I rated this book highly because there are many truths here and the author honored my time. He did not mince words and taught me lessons I plan to implement into my daily life. This is a book worth sharing because it can change the life of anyone who reads it.
elenajohansen's review
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.0
The ethos of this book speaks to me: it's possible to make time for anything (in this case, drawing) if you prioritize it and/or break it down into small chunks. The "before breakfast" part is encouraging the reader to put their drawing practice first, and in this case I mean "practice" as daily observance rather than action meant to gain or improve skill.
The idea being that gaining skill will come naturally if you just do the thing.
And I think for a lot of people a lot of the time, that's true, but there's very little practical instruction in this book, it's a week-long course of exercises to get started (which I am doing; I read the whole book in a day but this morning saw me on Day 4 of the first week of early-morning art-making) and then a bunch of inspirational exercises in no real order with no real difficulty curve. A lot of the ideas I like, and quite a few I don't--especially the one telling me to "borrow" someone else's child to draw, since I have none of my own...that's a little weird; and the one telling me to skip a meal and draw instead, or that I'll end up eating less if I'm drawing my meals frequently because they'll get cold. I'm not down with bringing food into a discussion about forming an art habit beyond "hey food is fun to draw," the author shouldn't be telling us not to eat.
Back on the positive side, there's also an explicit permission in the book to do art badly, to suck at it. Which is something that a lot of people need to hear.
But do I think this book has really found its way into the hands of the target audience? That audience feels narrow, because this isn't for Real Artists, it's self-help for "busy" people who want to make art but don't feel like they have time. I already make art frequently, so I don't really "need" this book, though as with many ADHD peeps I go through phases with my hobbies and will probably never devote myself fully to one type of art or craft forever. And it's not going to satisfy anyone looking to get more serious about drawing (or whatever type of "art" they end up doing for their 30 days, if they stick to it) because of the lack of practical instruction.
I grabbed it off a library display about art (with another, very different book I'll review soon) and said, "sure, why not, my art journal's been neglected recently" but since I already have a strong interest in art, I can't really judge how successful this book is at what it sets out to do--get a busy newbie started on an art journey. I don't think it's terrible (beyond those exercises I find questionable) but I'm not sure it's all that great, either.
The idea being that gaining skill will come naturally if you just do the thing.
And I think for a lot of people a lot of the time, that's true, but there's very little practical instruction in this book, it's a week-long course of exercises to get started (which I am doing; I read the whole book in a day but this morning saw me on Day 4 of the first week of early-morning art-making) and then a bunch of inspirational exercises in no real order with no real difficulty curve. A lot of the ideas I like, and quite a few I don't--especially the one telling me to "borrow" someone else's child to draw, since I have none of my own...that's a little weird; and the one telling me to skip a meal and draw instead, or that I'll end up eating less if I'm drawing my meals frequently because they'll get cold. I'm not down with bringing food into a discussion about forming an art habit beyond "hey food is fun to draw," the author shouldn't be telling us not to eat.
Back on the positive side, there's also an explicit permission in the book to do art badly, to suck at it. Which is something that a lot of people need to hear.
But do I think this book has really found its way into the hands of the target audience? That audience feels narrow, because this isn't for Real Artists, it's self-help for "busy" people who want to make art but don't feel like they have time. I already make art frequently, so I don't really "need" this book, though as with many ADHD peeps I go through phases with my hobbies and will probably never devote myself fully to one type of art or craft forever. And it's not going to satisfy anyone looking to get more serious about drawing (or whatever type of "art" they end up doing for their 30 days, if they stick to it) because of the lack of practical instruction.
I grabbed it off a library display about art (with another, very different book I'll review soon) and said, "sure, why not, my art journal's been neglected recently" but since I already have a strong interest in art, I can't really judge how successful this book is at what it sets out to do--get a busy newbie started on an art journey. I don't think it's terrible (beyond those exercises I find questionable) but I'm not sure it's all that great, either.
ovenbird_reads's review
4.0
I was looking for something with more concrete technical instruction and while this book didn't have that it was still quite lovely. I would recommend it for people who have never had an art practise and for those, like me, who are getting back to art after a long hiatus.
toniclark's review
2.0
I heard Danny Gregory on a podcast and was really impressed. However the book was under whelming. I did not think the suggestions were interesting or helpful. I could think these up myself.
Also, some parts of the book are hand-printed, rather than a conventional typeface. Or perhaps it is some fanciful font that is supposed to look like it was printed by hand. This, at least on the Kindle, was hard to read and irritating. (Though, for the record, I I am visually impaired, so it might be partly my vision.) I ended up skipping these sections.
Felt that I got very little from the book. It just made me grumpy.
Also, some parts of the book are hand-printed, rather than a conventional typeface. Or perhaps it is some fanciful font that is supposed to look like it was printed by hand. This, at least on the Kindle, was hard to read and irritating. (Though, for the record, I I am visually impaired, so it might be partly my vision.) I ended up skipping these sections.
Felt that I got very little from the book. It just made me grumpy.
dizzybell06's review
3.0
I enjoyed this book and it was quick to get through. I would give it 3.5 stars. The book started off really nicely with seven tips on how to develop a creative habit, but after that it was kind of just ideas of things to draw. I really liked the illustrations and the emphasis on not being a perfectionist, but I did not find the book to have many inspiring tidbits. His ideas were very short and did not really tell me anything I don't already know. Maybe I would have liked this book more if I hadn't read other books previously by other authors that I found to be insightful and inspiring.
mom2triplets04's review
4.0
Picked this book up from the library. Trying to add more drawing and creativity to my life. Great prompts on how to do that. Loved looking at Danny’s drawings. Happy drawing.
helpfulsnowman's review
3.0
Can I tell you something I hate? I hate that Malcolm Gladwell 10,000 hours theory.
For anyone who's avoided it somehow, the way it works is that Gladwell, who we'll get to, poses the theory that 10,000 hours of concentrated, limits-pushing practice is what separates the successful from the amateur, the pro from the bro.
First of all, no shit. If I just picked a huge, giant number, and if you worked on something that long, there's almost no way you're gonna be worse. 10,000 hours, that's over a year of 24/7 practice. If you were going 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, if you did this as a full time gig, you'd practice just a hair under 5 years. Hell, go ahead and take the day off on holidays, you're looking at 5 years.
Yeah, I would HOPE you'd be significantly better at something within that timeframe.
Now, it's obviously a very flawed theory. Do people tend to go towards things they're good at naturally, and therefore they only end up practicing things they are already pretty good at? To ask that a different way, would anyone be likely to stick with something they suck at for 10,000 hours? And obviously, most glaring, there are other factors at work here. Genetics. What kind of shape you're in to begin with. Whether you've perhaps engaged in parallel experiences that would inform your primary goal. Let's face it, there's no amount of practice that will make certain people good at certain stuff. And there's also a lot of stuff most people have done 10,000 hours and still suck at. Drive around Santa Fe. I'm sure most of the old folks down there have driven somewhere in the neighborhood of 10,000 hours in a lifetime, and they're terrible at it.
The theory is also so untestable. Who is going to pick up a basketball today, clock that 10,000, and then shove it in Malcolm Gladwell's face? Which is why it's the perfect theory to put in a book. It's pretty tough to debate. Which, to me, makes it a bad theory.
Okay, it's a bad theory, this 10,000 hours thing. But that's not really my problem with it.
My problem with it is that I think it serves as an excuse for people to not do shit. Because, basically, it's going to take a decade before they're truly any good. And even that is a gamble. A big, long term gamble.
Not having 10,000 hours is a great excise to never do anything. I'm never going to get in 10,000 hours of swimming, so why bother? I'll never be able to put in 10,000 hours of plumbing, so why even try?
Which brings us to what I like about this book.
Art Before Breakfast gives the two things you need to get started on something new. It gives you concrete tasks to perform that take less than 10 minutes apiece, and it gives you permission to suck. Not just at first, but maybe forever.
Not having time for art or artistic pursuits is an excuse. I'm sorry, but it is. If you're not happy with your life, if your work is unfulfilling and your relationships suck, I'd give art a try. Seriously.
Because like this book says, it's not just about putting ink on paper.
When I ran a lot, I had these experiences that were really good and really healthy that went far outside actually running. I felt really in touch with the seasons, which is a hippy stupid thing to say, but if you spend an hour+ outside every day, you really are in touch with what's happening outside. When you go down the same roads at a speed way slower than driving, you start to notice stuff like when the creek is really high or when a field is mowed. This isn't important shit, but there's something healthy, to me, about paying attention that way.
This book is like the anti-Gladwell solution. It's not about being great at drawing or watercolors or whatever. It's about just getting started and doing it.
The author makes this great point about art that never got made being similar to art that was made and then burned. Art that was never made because someone chose not to make it, that's art that will never benefit anyone.
Quit burning all that art and get to work, damn it.
For anyone who's avoided it somehow, the way it works is that Gladwell, who we'll get to, poses the theory that 10,000 hours of concentrated, limits-pushing practice is what separates the successful from the amateur, the pro from the bro.
First of all, no shit. If I just picked a huge, giant number, and if you worked on something that long, there's almost no way you're gonna be worse. 10,000 hours, that's over a year of 24/7 practice. If you were going 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, if you did this as a full time gig, you'd practice just a hair under 5 years. Hell, go ahead and take the day off on holidays, you're looking at 5 years.
Yeah, I would HOPE you'd be significantly better at something within that timeframe.
Now, it's obviously a very flawed theory. Do people tend to go towards things they're good at naturally, and therefore they only end up practicing things they are already pretty good at? To ask that a different way, would anyone be likely to stick with something they suck at for 10,000 hours? And obviously, most glaring, there are other factors at work here. Genetics. What kind of shape you're in to begin with. Whether you've perhaps engaged in parallel experiences that would inform your primary goal. Let's face it, there's no amount of practice that will make certain people good at certain stuff. And there's also a lot of stuff most people have done 10,000 hours and still suck at. Drive around Santa Fe. I'm sure most of the old folks down there have driven somewhere in the neighborhood of 10,000 hours in a lifetime, and they're terrible at it.
The theory is also so untestable. Who is going to pick up a basketball today, clock that 10,000, and then shove it in Malcolm Gladwell's face? Which is why it's the perfect theory to put in a book. It's pretty tough to debate. Which, to me, makes it a bad theory.
Okay, it's a bad theory, this 10,000 hours thing. But that's not really my problem with it.
My problem with it is that I think it serves as an excuse for people to not do shit. Because, basically, it's going to take a decade before they're truly any good. And even that is a gamble. A big, long term gamble.
Not having 10,000 hours is a great excise to never do anything. I'm never going to get in 10,000 hours of swimming, so why bother? I'll never be able to put in 10,000 hours of plumbing, so why even try?
Which brings us to what I like about this book.
Art Before Breakfast gives the two things you need to get started on something new. It gives you concrete tasks to perform that take less than 10 minutes apiece, and it gives you permission to suck. Not just at first, but maybe forever.
Not having time for art or artistic pursuits is an excuse. I'm sorry, but it is. If you're not happy with your life, if your work is unfulfilling and your relationships suck, I'd give art a try. Seriously.
Because like this book says, it's not just about putting ink on paper.
When I ran a lot, I had these experiences that were really good and really healthy that went far outside actually running. I felt really in touch with the seasons, which is a hippy stupid thing to say, but if you spend an hour+ outside every day, you really are in touch with what's happening outside. When you go down the same roads at a speed way slower than driving, you start to notice stuff like when the creek is really high or when a field is mowed. This isn't important shit, but there's something healthy, to me, about paying attention that way.
This book is like the anti-Gladwell solution. It's not about being great at drawing or watercolors or whatever. It's about just getting started and doing it.
The author makes this great point about art that never got made being similar to art that was made and then burned. Art that was never made because someone chose not to make it, that's art that will never benefit anyone.
Quit burning all that art and get to work, damn it.