For centuries, historians believed the great Renaissance master was just another Starving Artist, struggling to make ends meet. Michelangelo himself embraced this image, living frugally and often complaining about money. He once wrote in a poem that his art had left him “poor, old and working as a servant of others.”
But it turns out he wasn’t telling the truth.
For a free guide on growing your blog audience, enter your email address in the form below.
If you know your craft well enough, almost any tool will do. Yes, better tools can lead to better work. But a true master doesn’t need the best tools to create great art. Better writing tools don’t make you a better writer. Better writing does.
I am a big fan of self-publishing. There’s never been a better time for writers to get their words out into the world without waiting for permission from gatekeepers.
But what if you still dream about a traditional book deal with a Big Five publisher?
We all want to matter and make a difference. But what happens when we eventually make that difference? Do we pin our self-worth on that achievement or do we acknowledge the grace and gratitude of every moment of our journey?
Lots of people will tell you to “write that book.” I used to be one of them. Not anymore. I don’t think you should rush to write that book. In fact, I am taking the opposite approach and saying don’t write that book. Here are all the circumstances under which you should absolutely not write that book.
This week, we’re closing registration for my latest course, Write a Bestseller. This is an A-to-Z program on how to research, write, edit, package, publish, and launch a book. Not only that, I’ll teach you how to bake the marketing of your book—whether it’s fiction, nonfiction, memoir, advice, or how-to—right into the book itself so […]
Most people want to write a book, but few actually do, and that’s not a surprise to most of us. Of those who do become authors, very few go on to write books that sell more than a handful of copies. Why is this?
How do you know when you’re done with a creative project? You don’t. Not really. Here’s what you need to do in order to end the process of writing a book well.
Whether you write for a traditional publisher or yourself as a self-publisher, the same rules of doing the work apply. You need to decide on a container for your art. These restraints will give you clarity and guidance. Mostly, they come in the form of genres and word counts.
The slowest part of the process, the beginning of writing a book, is really challenging. You have to decide on a topic, plan an outline, and create a structure. I liken it to riding a bicycle up a hill because you really have to work to gain any momentum at all. Today’s podcast is going to focus on getting started.
I believe David is an underrated writer and thinker. In an age of instant publication, he puts time, effort and great thought into the content and work he shares with the world. Initially, he found success with his first book, Design for Hackers.
Bestselling author and creativity expert Jeff Goins dismantles the myth that being creative is a hindrance to success by revealing how an artistic temperament is, in fact, a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
For centuries, the myth of the starving artist has dominated our culture, seeping into the minds of creative people and stifling their pursuits. But the truth is that the world’s most successful artists did not starve. In fact, they capitalized on the power of their creative strength. In Real Artists Don’t Starve, Jeff Goins debunks the myth of the starving artist by unveiling the ideas that created it and replacing them with fourteen rules for artists to thrive.
