Book Review
By Lori R. Storm
2010

Art and Fear: Observations On The Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking by David Bayles and Ted Orland.

Fear is an over-arching theme of my younger years. Due to unfortunate circumstances and events in the early part of my life, fear was a clingy housemate in my world for way too long. I have wrestled my way free of the nasty beast (mostly) but I understand and recognize fear very quickly when it dares to show itself in my life these days. I try to not turn away from fear when it appears but invite it in and examine it closely until it loses its power over me.

That’s why I was so delighted to come upon the book, Art and Fear: Observations On The Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking by David Bayles and Ted Orland. Not really focused on the world of writing, Art and Fear looks at the broader range of artists – those who produce art and the fears they face.

This is definitely not just another book on writing. God knows we all have enough of those littered about in our lives – how to build novels and how to break them into their constitute parts, how to find, and then keep, your Muse, your Guide, your Evening Star. No, this book delves into the deeper area of the artist’s psyche, that evil voice that tells us to give it up now, because we will never be able to produce something grand.

But art is about the need to build, to capture and relate those ideas and images rattling about inside our brains. Authors Bayles and Orland manage to bring us along as they talk about working through the fears that all artists experience: is it “good enough”, will the world appreciate it, is it unique/timely/gripping? The authors argue that art needs to be made only because it is what an artist does – make art. Everything else carries little weight.

My copy of the 120-page book is marked in scores of places and annotations are scrawled in the margins. It seems as though nearly every page offers another pithy insight into being an artist and remaining a working one. This book actually started out on my martial arts philosophy bookshelf, read at a time when I was teaching karate and feeling some doubt about my ability to teach the art. It has since moved to the writing section of my library, but it could as easily reside with my fiber art books.

The greatest insight I have gleaned from reading this book is that nearly every aspect of life is art and that we are all artists, creating the world around us every day, making decisions about our lives that hinge on our ability to be creative. I recommend putting this book atop the stack next to your bed. It will add another dimension to the way you view the world and who it is you see in the mirror.

Read Lori R. Storm's biography here. Also, read her guest author essay, The Library here.

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