archis 's review for:

Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking by Ted Orland, David Bayles

3.0

informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

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TL;DR: Interesting insights on artistic self-doubt, but some ideas felt underdeveloped or outdated.

This book has some very interesting insights, and it definitely manages to give shape to many of the negative thoughts and self-doubt an artist might experience throughout their life.

That said, I couldn’t fully appreciate it, as I felt those ideas deserved more depth. In the second half, the focus shifts to the academic world and the art market of thirty years ago. Reading it today can feel a bit underwhelming, since the dynamics have obviously changed a lot with the rise of the Internet and social media.

Overall, I would still recommend it, as it’s a very short read — just to be taken with a grain of salt.