Van Gogh's Second Gift: A Spiritual Path to Deeper Creativity by Cliff Edwards - Book Recommendation

 

"...how many people expend their best efforts on something that isn’t worthy of their best efforts, and treat what they love in a ‘stepmotherly’ fashion instead of giving themselves openly to the irresistible urging of their heart."

If you love reading letters or if you are a fan of the great artist Van Gogh, then reading Van Gogh's Second Gift will bring you pleasure and grant you another perspective on his life.

Van Gogh's Second Gift commentates on a collection of letters the artist wrote to his brother, sister-in-law, and friends. The letters show us Van Gogh's view on literature, his approach to his work, and how his Christian beliefs shaped his artistic priorities.

LIKES
It is always a privilege to read a dead's artists own words, rather than the ones written about him. Van Gogh own letters reveal a lot about him, much more than any commentary or third party opinion ever will. This book delivers a lot on that. We are given a front seat to Van Gogh's words and what he thinks about certain things against the backdrop of what is going on in the world at the time.

His views on money, love, and what manner of life an artist ought to strive for is worth a read.


DISLIKES
None.

SAMPLE PASSAGE

I’m not ashamed of my feelings, I’m not ashamed of being a man, of having principles and faith. But where do I want to drive people, especially myself? To the open sea. And which doctrine do I preach? People, let us surrender our souls to our cause and let us work with our heart and love what we love.
Love what we love, what an unnecessary warning that seems, and yet how great a raison d’être. After all, how many people expend their best efforts on something that isn’t worthy of their best efforts, and treat what they love in a ‘stepmotherly’ fashion instead of giving themselves openly to the irresistible urging of their heart.

Many thanks to Broadleaf Book for review copy.

Dancing With The Gods by Kent Nerburn - Book Recommendation

 

There are many books that reveal the joys and struggles of creating something out of your imagination. Kent Nerburn's Dancing with the Gods: Reflections on Life and Art is one of those. Having said that, Dancing with the Gods is much more. This is a work that opens up the inner life of a creator and what it takes to make peace with its triumphs and disappointments. It is full of valuable advice on what it takes to become a joyful and fulfilled creator. Kent Nerburn covers lots of issues and emotions that face anyone who rely on their imagination to do their work.


THINGS I LOVE
The author is forthright and grandfatherly in his approach. He uses lots of examples from his own life experiences in the arts. He is candid about his failures and missteps. He also touches on one of the most important topics to artists - finance.

This is a book to read more than once as it seems to cover a lot of things most creators would have gone through. It is a work I wish I came across a few years back.

DISLIKES
None.

WHO IS IT FOR
Anyone who wants to enjoy the work they do.

SAMPLE PASSAGE

As a creator, you need to respect, even savour, the magic of accident and care less about what is being lost than what is being born. Remember that any work of art, in its becoming, follows the rules of evolution, not the rules of human construction: every form remakes itself as new information is discovered and internalised...

When I feel myself lost in the midst of a project, I like to remind myself of the separate skills of the architect and the gardener. The architect designs and builds; he knows the desired outcome before he begins. The gardener plants and cultivates, trusting the sun and weather and the vagaries of chance to bring forth a bloom.

As artists, we must learn to be gardeners, not architects. We must seek to cultivate our art, not construct it, giving up our preconceptions and presuppositions to embrace accident and mystery. Let moments of darkness become the seedbed of growth, not occasions of fear.

Many thanks to Canongate Books for review copy.

Avatar: The Last Airbender-The Lost Adventures by Yang, Hicks, Gurihiru - Book Recommendation

Avatar: The Last Airbender-The Lost Adventures and Team Avatar Tales is a compilation of short stories that detail some of Team Avatar's adventures that were not covered during the TV show. Most of the stories here are set during the period before Zuko joins Team Avatar.

In this volume, we witness the Avatar and his team explore the four nations in a bid to stop the Fire nation's tyranny. From Toph teaching Katara to be more assertive to Sokka joining the Fire nation's army, the group bonds grow stronger as they experience danger and fun together.

THINGS I LOVE
Most of the stories are downright funny and fits with the main plotline of the show. The character designs are awesome as usual.

DISLIKES
None.

WHO IS IT FOR
Fans of the franchise will read and reread this volume. It is that good.

Many thanks to Dark Horse Books for review copy.

Tomorrow by Milligan, Hérvas, et al - Book Recommendation

Tomorrow looks at what happens when a pandemic hits, the kind that leaps from computers to humans, killing adults while sparing children. The story revolves around different groups - a music prodigy looking for his sister, a single dad struggling to care for his children while searching for a cure for the virus, and a power-hungry CEO looking to maintain his hold over his ex-employees.

THINGS I LOVE
It is strange to learn that this story was written before the Covid-19 pandemic. The book mirrors what is happening in the world right now. The characters are relatable and the dialogue is believable. The art fits with the theme and the colour palette is one of the best I have ever seen.

DISLIKES
None.

WHO IS IT FOR
Fans of apocalyptic fiction will have fun reading this.

Many thanks to Berger Books for review copy.