Advice for Artists that Applies to Writers, Too

Today I'm delighted to be in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where shortly Charles Waters and I will share with students about our book CAN I TOUCH YOUR HAIR?, thanks to amazing educator Kim Doele. I'm excited! But first, let me fill you in on some of my airplane reading:

I've shared before about The Artists Magazine, which I currently subscribe to -- even though I am not really a painter. I'm more of an art appreciator who dabbles occasionally in one medium or another. The most recent issue has some great quotes from the magazine's contest winners -- and they completely apply to writers!

"Let go of fear, and be persistent. Listen to your soul and paint with true emotion. Find a subject that makes your heart sing so that your enthusiasm will shine through in your work." - Dale Marie Muller

"My advice to artists is to fail frequently. This is so very important in painting. I've learned more from failure in every aspect of life than success." - Ron Stocke

Family Grace (Pray) by Norman Rockwell

Also, in an article providing prompts for paintings, I found this one that sounds like a poem waiting to happen:

"The kitchen is the center of the home; the table is its gathering place. Create a kitchen or table scene that includes family or friends. Give attention to lighting viewing angle and gestures."

Finally, in the "What the last great book about art you've read?" section, I found this:

"Two books I reread recently were Letters to a Young Poet, by Rainer Maria Rilke, and My Life in Art, by Konstantin Stanislavsky.  Rile speaks to the artist's need of isolation, and Stanislavsky speaks of the artist's need for community." - Costa Vavagiakis, artist