15 Artsy Books for Artsy People

By Nicole Gencarelli

If you are in the business of art, you know you live a different life than the average person. You know about the different and very specific challenges and rewards that come with living a creative life. Today I want to share with all of you a list of my favorite artsy books for artsy people, books that will inspire you, make you think, and help you to understand the insane, wonderful, chaotic and exhilarating path of an artist.

These books cover a wide range of topics, from very general discussions about art and theory to art books with large images for references. Some are more scholarly, while others are much more casual. This list is also intended as a beginning, I truly believe that artists and creative people should be very well informed about visual culture, artists, and art theory. But also, these books should be fun and exciting to read! Happy reading and discovering.

1. Art and Fear

(By David Bayles and Ted Orland)

2. Leaving Art: Writings on Performance, Politics, and Publics

(By Suzanne Lacy)

3. Women, Art and Society

(By Whitney Chadwick)

4. Failure (Whitechapel: Documents of Contemporary Art)

(By Lisa Le Feuvre)

5. Look Both Ways: Essays on the Intersection of Life and Design

(By Debbie Millman)

“If you imagine less, less will be what you undoubtedly deserve. Do what you love, and don’t stop until you get what you love. Work as hard as you can, imagine immensities, don’t compromise, and don’t waste time. Start now. Not 20 years from now, not two weeks from now. Now.”

6. Creativity: The Psychology of Discovery and Invention

(By Mihaly Csikszentmihal)