Living and Sustaining a Creative Life: Essays by 40 Working Artists

As a professional artist, I was very taken with this refreshing book of essays about the practical side of making a living as a visual artist. My path of making a living as an artist has been as unique and unexpected as many of the stories represented in Louden's book, and I found myself feeling validated and supported. As in my experience, the book shows how serendipity, hard work, luck, talent, and building relationships play a part in developing the careers of artists. There are quite a few essays included, and each path and perspective shared was interesting in its own way. The editor, Sharon Louden, presented the pieces in a straightforward manner, forgoing too much opinionated commentary that can take away from the clarity of the material. In fact, my favorite thing about the book was how each author stuck to the topic (making a continuous living as a visual artist) without intellectual discourse. The mystery of creativity is a powerful and wonderful part of being an artist, but the day to day workings and the meanderings of a career are a thing of fascination, too. This book celebrated the functional side of art, presented by professionals who can instruct by honest experience rather than didacticism. It was at times funny, surprising, and triumphant. I recommend it to artists at the dawn of their possible careers or artists who've been at it for a lifetime.

There are many wonderful things about this book. Each artists chapter reveals the layers of what it means to balance life as an artist. The term working artist can mean many, many things. Defining what is a "working artist" is indeed one of the great intangibles of learning what it is to be an artist. The bottom line is we all figure it out and define it in different ways. Sharon's book illuminates the various ways artists define what it is to be and do and function as a working artist. The essays, most narrative in form, peel back the layers of daily life and work. They reveal the sometimes precarious balance that artists walk with their daily practice, their business and their personal lives. I wish I'd had this book when I was at NYU. It would have demystified the artistic world I so desperately wanted to be a part of. Now many years later I have figured out the daily ins and outs of what it means to move through life as an artist. But back in school this book would have been an invaluable tool in putting a creative life together bit by bit as it works for the individual. I say it should be required reading for art students of all disciplines. It's filled with insight that one only gets from experience. Its a rare gift to get an inside view of the path to come. I loved every page. Wonderful book.

Though I felt like some of the essays were pretty dry, there are some very frank and honest real-life honest stories about making this art life work, even if it doesn't always generate the revenue. There are all sorts of artists from all different backgrounds... the possibilities are endless.

As a psychology researcher, Angela Duckworth digs deep into understanding how people use self-control and "grit"--her term for that relentless work ethic of sustained commitment to a long term goal--to achieve success. Duckworth claims that character is at least as important as intellect and that the secret of genius is doggedness rather than innate talent.Sharon Loudon has offered up another window into how these qualities play out in that notoriously difficult, discouraging and yet deliciously satisfying profession of visual art. Her new book, Living and Sustaining a Creative Life: Essays by 40 Working Artists, shares the very personal stories of artists who have found a way to continue doing their work regardless of the financial, emotional, relational and obligational challenges that come with that profession.What struck me while reading each of these personal histories was how direct and honest the accounts were. Loudon succeeded in maintaining a consistent point of view that thankfully sidesteps those notorious and irritating proclivities to narcissism (A recent article by Jill Steinhauer on Hyperallergic was titled, "Want to Be an Artist? Try a Little Narcissism." No thanks.) Published by the British press Intellect, Living and Sustaining also stands out for its well designed blending of text, image and white space.These stories are a heartening reminder that each of us has the option to fashion a career on our own terms. None of the artists included in this collection had success handed to them. They are all hard working and grit-rich.Those qualities, very similar to Duckworth's research, are captured in this heartening quote from Carter Foster, Curator of the Whitney Museum, which Loudon wisely placed at the beginning of the collection:"For me, artists are driven to do what they do no matter what. It's a very powerful ambition and they pursue it in whatever way works best for them. Artists have a practice and pursuing and developing it is always the motivating factor, not whether or not they will sell something or even find a venue in which it can be seen. In my experience, artists are among the most self-motivated, organized, the most disciplined and the hardest working people I know. Sure, some artists are lucky enough that they can make a living doing it while other artists work day jobs or supplement their practice by teaching or other means. But I don't think the distinction is important. It's the seriousness of purpose that I admire the most."(This review first appeared on Slow Muse, a blog by Deborah Barlow)

Actually i think the book was ok, not really boring but it didn't hold my attention. I will try and re-read it and review it again and give it a second chance. Great topic!

As a non-practicing artist, only at the moment, this book has inspired me to dust off my talents and polish them a little. A fantastic read but it does not stop there. These artist actually exist, they are not dead yet, they are still practicing artists. You can look them up on the internet and contact them. Just reading about them and researching their work encouraged me enough. It has caused me to pull out one of my husband's books on business planning and now I'm on my way. Keeping in contact with other artists I studied with, and others I've met over the years are also a great encouragement and of the utmost importance. This book invoked again that passion that started it all in the beginning. The best book for artists who want to make a living out of their passion for the creative things in life. Highly recommended. The only book of its kind so far.

There is nothing more honest, myth busting, uplifting, then these essays. Helps one to recommit to self-belief, hard work, sacrifice and the fact that we all have self-doubt, are often frustrated, but, basically, wouldn't want to do anything else. Grayson Perry describes artists as ‘committed’ and as ‘doers’, he says that when you finally get to say ‘I’m an artist’, it’s a noble thing: “You are a pilgrim on the way to meaning.” Somehow this book makes you feel all of this.

None of the artists featured in this book create art objects or concern themselves with aesthetics. They all seem very proud of their art degrees and their involvement with the art establishment. Yet none of them seem to care about the people who would be buying their art. Perhaps they are above such things....I'll just be the bad man here and say most of them have trouble making ends meet with art sales because they are the products of the academic system. They are philosophers and social activists looking to make a visual translation of their thesis. This lot is about as far as one could get from real art and art that human beings can relate to. All the 'art' these folks create is for other artists, curators, critics, or those involved with that scene...which when compared to the art buying public at large, is an EXTREMELY tiny segment of the art buying public. Artists who cater to this narrow segment are all competing over crumbs and this is why it's so difficult for them to make a living off art sales...no one wants it.The art establishment, which consists of the educational institutions, galleries, critics, media, publications, government and affiliated institutions who support this bizarre monstrosity, is basically irrelevant to the rest of the world. And in fact, as a financially viable segment of the market it's shrinking rapidly. There is a crisis in the art establishment and these 'artists' featured in this book reflect that. The true creation and practice of art has little to nothing in common with what these people speak about. When aesthetics are abandoned we don't have art anymore...and no amount of intellectualizing can change that. What these folks are doing is just plain ugly and irrelevant to the great history of art.For an illuminating and inspiring read, check out 'rodin on art and artists'.

As a working artist, I was eager to discover first hand, real life accounts from others who are farther down the path. The stories are wonderful. The writing of the artists, however, is mostly clumsy and sophomoric. Many have MFAs from very good schools. One wonders how these people actually earned bachelor's degrees without learning how to write well. Bravo to Sharon for the project. Editing would have helped!

Interesting to a point, but really needs editing down as it becomes quite repetitive as the same points are returned to again with similar answers. Good to read real world examples of how to survive and prosper, but the message is the same throughout - sell your work - sure, but you will rely on another source of income like teaching, curating etc etc.

Brilliant insightful book about being a contemporary artist. Maybe the deomgraphic is a little narrow but so many fab artists to read about!