Real Artists Don’t Starve (Book Review): 13 Zen Gems

Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS)

4 years ago

Real Artists Don’t Starve by Jeff Goins is the book all artists must-read. Talking about money is just not polite in many societies. You could wait for the person paying you to talk money and you could end up waiting forever.

But you must be able to support your work or have someone support it. Your day job may be supporting your creative life. Whatever it is, barter won’t work, neither will platitudes. You need real money in the back for your living expense and for supporting family.

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It shouldn’t be a one-off, and it definitely must be worth your work.
But why does the starving artist model made so famous? You definitely should create art for art’s sake. But for that, you need to be able to create from a place of zen. Thats, why you need the money from one or more sources coming in. Jeff Goins, doesn’t mince his words, and he is right.

Botanical Art :Spring garden by Dr.Amrita Basu

When I work as a writer, I expect to be paid in money.
It’s okay if you can agree with someone’s valuation of your work who wants to give you gift vouchers of shopping sites, including their own. That could work for some people, not for all.
You must know what you need to sustain your work as an artist.

Did you know Michelangelo is one of the world’s wealthiest artists?At the time of his demise ,his estate was worth 35 million dollars in recent money
He definitely didn’t believe in starving.
His work ethic helped him thrive and not starve. The author talks about Paul Torrance and how he believed Creativity could exist in all areas of life. It was a way of thinking which could, if leveraged right, bloom flowers in desserts.

13 Zen Gems from Real Artists Don’t Starve :Rules of the New Renaissance-Principles every thriving Artist live by

The practice is crucial for becoming an artist.
You must always be teachable.
But to learn, you will need patience, perseverance, and humility
Thriving Artist makes money to make art
The change starts with mindset.
As Michaelangelo believed, you can live both a creative life and a prosperous one/Definitely works for me too.
When you see the current life script doesn’t match the story you want to say, it’s wise to tweak it.
But Creativity is work, and that must be remembered.
We believe and practice it till we make it. Thats the spirit of the book,
Becoming an artist has a lot to do with looking inside your own self. We are never done becoming who we are, and there is a choice to be creative at every turn.
Grit is a superpower.
The location of the Artist has a role to play.
Sometimes our most apparent gifts are hardest to recognize

Chibi girl listening to music by Anuprita Misra

The thriving Artist understands that the art of making money is as important as making the art itself. Otherwise, it’s unsustainable. The money allows the work to continue. It’s not the reason artists create, but it’s essential. Let no one tell you otherwise.