How to Avoid Making Art (or Anything Else You Enjoy)

September 15, 2005
Elizabeth Cameron's delightful line drawings of dogs in human attire serve as illustrations for creativity guru Julia Cameron's aphorisms about the things we do for the love of art. Cameron homes in on how our fear of creating art is rooted in the contrast between our pleasure in the process and dread of failure. And talk about creativity: Julia reminds us how creative we can be at finding reasons not to create. "Get your main sense of self-worth helping others instead of facing the blank page." "Tell yourself you can't afford art supplies, and buy five expensive cappuccinos while you discuss this with friends." And that all-time favorite: "Talk about it so you don't have to do it." Humor make points that would be less palatable if approached in a serious tone, and humor is the perfect vehicle for the no-nonsense stance of the writer best known for her groundbreaking " The Artist's Way" (1992). These captioned cartoons may become the next " Far Side" calendar for the artistic crowd.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)