Reviews - Art Matters: Because Your Imagination Can Change the World

1.12k reviews for:

Art Matters: Because Your Imagination Can Change the World

Neil Gaiman

4.38 AVERAGE

wonder_woman's review against another edition

5.0

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

andreajay's review against another edition

5.0

Highly recommend this for any artist of any kind. It’s a quick little read, with some really good wisdom (I think). I don’t idolize Neil Gaiman as much as some of my friends do, but very much enjoyed this.

margueritestjust's review against another edition

4.5

hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

Quite a short read, but nevertheless a very enjoyable one. There are many moments indeed that I felt were particularly striking, such as the observations of the ever-aching intersection where art and commerce meets, and his decision not to do any work solely for the money, because if you didn't get paid, then you didn't have the money, and you didn't have the work, but if you didn't get paid but you were proud of the work you did, then at least you had the work. Another particularly memorable passage concerned his metaphoric image of the mountain (which stood for his end goals), and how he figured as long as it was taking him towards the mountain, it was worth pursuing, and if it wasn't, then it likely was not.

Decidedly a good collection to read if interested in art as a pursuit for the self. And the illustrations were quite lovely as well, highly complementary to the work and enhancing its messages.

emmishnation's review against another edition

5.0

-read, you use your imagination and can see that the would could be different
-"This is really great. You should enjoy it"
-Make art that is yours
-adventures > work
-failure and mistakes are good and useful because you learn, and unexpected things are what make life interesting "To let go and enjoy the ride, because the ride takes you to some remarkable and unexpected places"
-doing things out of excitement to see them in the world > for money/shoulds makes them meaningful regardless of outcome/reception
-learning the right way to do things, you also learn to limit yourself based on the way things have been done in the past. rather, do things the way you see fit

Life can be an exciting/scary adventure, and unanticipated challenges are an opportunity to engage with an interesting problem, grow, and learn in ways you never could have imagined and trust yourself.

1. not knowing what you're doing can be useful (no limits)
2. just go out and make what you were intended to/want to
3. learn to deal with failure
-not doing stuff that matters/that you wanna do is a much bigger tragedy than failing.
4. mistakes mean you're doing stuff and can be useful
5. make your, good art. it helps you through life
6. secret knowledge can be useful- pretend you're the kind of person who is wise and act as they would