From the Bookshelf – Cultivating Creativity

I recently stumbled upon this book by Maria Fabrizio and have to say I love it! I’d otherwise giving up on “how to be more creative in less time books” because they are so rarely aimed at independent studio artists. Books that are aimed at studio work make it look like other people are just fabulous at getting well paid to do important work, on time, in picturesque studios. So many books on making a living as an artist are for newbies. They’re great if you’re just getting going. Not particularly informative at being mid-career (and middle aged hoping to one day retire). A few weeks ago I slammed the browser tab shut on the last article I read on making a living as at artist. The whole…like…article was…like…written by…like…a millennial who…like…just put her work on…like Instagram and …like…people…like…bought it.

Cultivating Creativity a big exception to my other recent experiences. Besides reminding me of my grandparents’ vegetable and rose gardens that I played in as a child, the metaphor of time and love into the soil of one’s creativity really hit home. The ritual suggestions were particularly apt at this point in my professional journey of being ‘creative on demand’ regardless of soil, time, or weather conditions. The suggested practices might even make me make peace with my decades long resistance to blind contour drawings (because they fly in the face of my perfectionism). 

Cultivating Creativity won’t show the magical path (there isn’t one) to getting repped by a blue chip gallery that will make you big bucks (there aren’t any), but it goes a long long way to teaching artistic self care that is practical, elegant, and helpful. It’s packed with Maria Fabrio’s lovely and inspiring illustrations. It also just may help you get going every day when your job is truly creative and anything but conventional.