About
Art & Fear is about the way art gets made, the reasons it often doesn't get made, and the nature of the difficulties that cause so many creatives to give up along the way. Written by artists, for artists, the book delves into the internal and external challenges to making creative work, and shows how they can be overcome every day.
First published in 1994, Art & Fear quickly became an underground classic, and word-of-mouth has placed it among the best-selling books on artmaking and creativity. It offers generous and wise insight into what pushes us to sit down at an easel or desk, go to a studio or performance space, and try to create new work to put into the world. Every creative and artist, whether a beginner or a prizewinner, a student or a teacher, faces the same fears - and this book illuminates the way through them.
"A book that examines the challenges artists face in creating and sustaining work, from self-doubt to cultural pressure. The reality of artistic labour connects to the Romantic era’s concern with the inner struggle between vision and execution." - Madison Willing, Sendb00ks Artist October 2025
Details
Author: David Bayles, Ted Orland
Format: Paperback / softback 144 pages
ISBN: 9781800815988
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