--- product_id: 286328 title: "Art & Fear: Observations On the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking" price: "€ 18.04" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.hr/products/286328-art-and-fear-observations-on-the-perils-and-rewards-artmaking store_origin: HR region: Croatia --- # Art & Fear: Observations On the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking **Price:** € 18.04 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Art & Fear: Observations On the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking - **How much does it cost?** € 18.04 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.hr](https://www.desertcart.hr/products/286328-art-and-fear-observations-on-the-perils-and-rewards-artmaking) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description "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... Review: A kick in the pants - This is the best, clearest, most straightforward guide to "how to get jiggy with your art work" book I've ever read. Thank you! Review: Poetry, Polemics and Aphorisms about Art - The fear to which the authors refer in the title is the fear that an individual may have that will lead him to quit being an artist. The authors believe that artists quit either when they believe their next effort will fail or when they lose the destination for their work. This is a book about the process of making art. This book is a road map, not a survival guide. The authors provide a list of the obstacles that the artist will encounter in making his art, but they do not provide methods for overcoming these obstacles. In fact they seem to say that the artist must expect these obstacles and if he or she wants to make art, keep plowing through them. The book is beautifully written with flowing, majestic language that brooks no questions about the authors' pronouncements about the difficulties the artist faces. As factors that interfere with the ordinary individual's ability to make art, the authors dismiss fear that you are pretending, or that you lack talent or that you must seek perfection. Ordinary people, they say, can learn to make art. Similarly they dismiss the artist's fear of others, whether because the others lack understanding, or acceptance, or approval of the artist's work. The pithy statements that fill the book can certainly provide a ready source of affirmations if that's the way one deals with fears. For example the authors say: "Vision, Uncertainty, and Knowledge of Materials are inevitabilities that all artists must acknowledge and learn from: vision is always ahead of execution, knowledge of materials is your contact with reality, and uncertainty is a virtue." And they say: "Unreal expectations are easy to come by....Unfortunately expectations based on illusion lead almost always to disillusionment." Although the book is brief there are many opportunities for deeper contemplation. For example the authors distinguish between craft and art. Consideration of this distinction may help the artist to realize whether he is really creating art or just doing the same old thing. And yet as the critic Mark Schorer noted, "technique is discovery". Squaring away the distinction is important to an artist. Who should read this book? Not the consumer of art. The authors make it clear that there is no relationship between looking at art and making art. Probably every aspiring artist. It might be that the list of difficulties could lead one to quit before starting. But foreknowledge of the difficulties of making art may help the would-be artist to take those difficulties in his or her stride. Certainly the practicing artist will benefit from reading the book, with its message not to despair when fear occurs, but to keep pushing on if one really wants to make art. ## Features - Used Book in Good Condition ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #9,692 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #1 in Arts & Humanities Teaching Materials #3 in Arts & Photography Criticism #4 in Arts & Photography Study & Teaching | | Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 3,335 Reviews | ## Images ![Art & Fear: Observations On the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61YVr86jusL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A kick in the pants *by D***N on April 7, 2026* This is the best, clearest, most straightforward guide to "how to get jiggy with your art work" book I've ever read. Thank you! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Poetry, Polemics and Aphorisms about Art *by C***N on February 19, 2006* The fear to which the authors refer in the title is the fear that an individual may have that will lead him to quit being an artist. The authors believe that artists quit either when they believe their next effort will fail or when they lose the destination for their work. This is a book about the process of making art. This book is a road map, not a survival guide. The authors provide a list of the obstacles that the artist will encounter in making his art, but they do not provide methods for overcoming these obstacles. In fact they seem to say that the artist must expect these obstacles and if he or she wants to make art, keep plowing through them. The book is beautifully written with flowing, majestic language that brooks no questions about the authors' pronouncements about the difficulties the artist faces. As factors that interfere with the ordinary individual's ability to make art, the authors dismiss fear that you are pretending, or that you lack talent or that you must seek perfection. Ordinary people, they say, can learn to make art. Similarly they dismiss the artist's fear of others, whether because the others lack understanding, or acceptance, or approval of the artist's work. The pithy statements that fill the book can certainly provide a ready source of affirmations if that's the way one deals with fears. For example the authors say: "Vision, Uncertainty, and Knowledge of Materials are inevitabilities that all artists must acknowledge and learn from: vision is always ahead of execution, knowledge of materials is your contact with reality, and uncertainty is a virtue." And they say: "Unreal expectations are easy to come by....Unfortunately expectations based on illusion lead almost always to disillusionment." Although the book is brief there are many opportunities for deeper contemplation. For example the authors distinguish between craft and art. Consideration of this distinction may help the artist to realize whether he is really creating art or just doing the same old thing. And yet as the critic Mark Schorer noted, "technique is discovery". Squaring away the distinction is important to an artist. Who should read this book? Not the consumer of art. The authors make it clear that there is no relationship between looking at art and making art. Probably every aspiring artist. It might be that the list of difficulties could lead one to quit before starting. But foreknowledge of the difficulties of making art may help the would-be artist to take those difficulties in his or her stride. Certainly the practicing artist will benefit from reading the book, with its message not to despair when fear occurs, but to keep pushing on if one really wants to make art. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Great Catalyst for Reflection and Inspiration *by K***N on December 20, 2013* I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It explores the process of making art and everything that comes along with it-- the fears, the successes, the struggles, etc. It provides great insights into why creating art that is truly your own can be extremely difficult because of the expectations of others and the fear you have of being accepted by everyone else. I think this book is a great source of reflection and inspiration because it can help artists like myself recognize why creating genuine art can prove to be such a struggle at times, and that is part of the process of overcoming the struggle. It can provide opportunities to think about what fears you have and address and overcome them through your work. Granted, this book does not provide a checklist of things to do to overcome fear, but it does include various situations where you might come across it so you can recognize it. More than anything, Art & Fear is a novel you can empathize with and ponder over as you consider various obstacles such as the misconception that talent is more successful than developed skills, or being able to be vulnerable by putting your art out there to be critiqued and judged by the world. Art is a very personal process and it comes with a lot of risks and sacrifices. It is scary to give a little piece of yourself to something that may not even be considered art by the rest of the world, but this book will help you face those fears and give you the opportunity to come to terms with them and turn them into strengths. ## Frequently Bought Together - Art & Fear: Observations On the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking - The Creative Act: A Way of Being - Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative (Austin Kleon) --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.hr/products/286328-art-and-fear-observations-on-the-perils-and-rewards-artmaking](https://www.desertcart.hr/products/286328-art-and-fear-observations-on-the-perils-and-rewards-artmaking) --- *Product available on Desertcart Croatia* *Store origin: HR* *Last updated: 2026-05-24*