Best Motivational Books For Arts Major

As an art major, it is crucial to keep that creative juice flowing. There would come a time when you will suddenly hit a roadblock wherein your creativity seems to stop. It is a normal occurrence, especially if you are doing the same thing over and over again. 

That is why you need to find ways on how you can get inspiration. One way to do this is by reading a book. Here are some of the best motivational books for an Arts Major.

Taking The Leap: Building A Career As A Visual Artist (The Insider’s Guide to Exhibiting and Selling Your Art) By Cay Lang

Do you want to know how you can build a career as a professional artist? Then this book should be part of your bookshelf. It teaches you the step-by-step process of how you can promote yourself and understand the ins and out of the industry. From maximizing your online followers to learning how galleries work, this book gives you a concrete guide from someone who has years of experience in the business. 

Art & Fear: Observations On The Perils (And Rewards) Of Artmaking By David Bayles and Ted Orland

It is one of the most recommended books by artists. It talks about the emotions artists feel when they are finishing their project or when it is being criticized. It tells about the pressure artists must endure just so their masterpiece can be appreciated. If you feel you are experiencing the same thing, then it is a must that you have this book with you.

Do It: The Compedium By Hans Ulrich Obrist

It is the result of a 20-year project of curator Hans Ulrich Obrist who gathered more than 60 artists to contribute on how to create and exhibit artwork. This book is like a do it your self-instructional guide but done creatively and crazily. And the artists that contributed to it are not your typical fly-by-night artist. They are renowned people from the field, such as Jon Baldessari, Mathew Barney, and Christian Boltanski are some of the few who contributed. 

Catching The Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity By David Lynch

Have you ever thought about how an artist comes up with a creative masterpiece? This book by David Lynch brings you through the process of how you can harness your creativity through meditation. Lynch explains how it helps him create ideas that he then turns into works of art. It talks about how inner peace can help drive your creativity.

Creative Block By Danielle Krysa

Written in a lighthearted and fun tone, this book, as the name suggests, will teach how to get over that creative block that is very common for artists. What is nice about this book is that it is filled with numerous colorful pictures of different artworks that can also serve as your inspiration. It includes tips and strategies from other artists on how they dealt with challenges they encountered.

Living and Sustaining A Creative Life: Essay 40 Working Artists Paperback By Sharon Louden   

This book contains a collection of stories of other artists. Being an artist is not as colorful as other people might expect. It tells about their struggles and what is the life of an artist. This book would give you an insight into what to expect after your graduation. It is not made to discourage up-and-coming artists but rather set their expectations and show them that when they feel down, they are not alone.

The Artist’s Guide: How To Make A Living Doing What You Love By Jackie Battenfield

Jackie Battenfield is an artist herself, and her book talks about the things you need to know to have a successful career as an artist. It teaches you how to create a self-management strategy, promote yourself, develop your portfolio, and more. 

These are based on real-life experience, so you know that these are tried and tested techniques and not just your typical theory-based advice. If this is the career you want to pursue, it would be nice to grab a copy of this book.

Just like everyone else, artists also have their bad days. To become a successful artist in the future, it is not enough that you want to do art. It would be best to prepare yourself, physically, emotionally, and mentally to overcome the challenges of becoming an artist. 

These books can help motivate you and prepare you for your future, and who knows, someday, you can also write a book of your own to contribute your fair share of experiences.