The first part of this book was rather too abstract for me though there were some thought provoking passages that I highlighted. I preferred the latter part that had more practical advice.

Live an Artful Life, by Thomas Neel, is such a powerful book! It has a very nurturing feel, as Neel builds his case that everyone can be creative. He acts as a cheerleader as well as a coach while presenting his arguments. I have highlighted much of what he says, and particularly agree with his thinking that one must actually DO something towards his or her art, not just think about it. We get caught up in the idea of perfection, and don't enjoy what is right in front of us! I recommend this book for anyone who is creative, who would like to be creative, or wants to support creative endeavors. Many thanks to Netgalley who provided this ebook in exchange for an honest review!

I really loved this book. Thomas Neel unveils how to find art in all aspects of you life. We are all artists and each day is an opportunity to make our life a work of art

Ok this book was a ride! 61 highlighted sections... possibly a record for me?

Firstly I would like to state that I am a creative person. Not only do I enjoy making art as a hobby among other creative outlets but I studied art and creativity for 2 years. So I jumped at the chance to read this book and see how I could lead and even more artful life.

Straight of the bat I hated this book. Yes hate is a strong word but right from the get go it rubbed me the wrong way. It was written by a wealthy, white guy and it read like it was too. I had got through the introduction and chapter 1 and was just so disappointed with what I was reading but it had me hooked in because I was so annoyed at it.

I continued on in the book and things started to ease up. I even started to find alot I could agree with and relate to. Midway through the book I really started to find some gems and great pieces of advice and motivation.

So after I finished this book I looked back over my notes and highlighted sections to help gather my thoughts on a review. As a whole the book was good and gave alot of insight and guidance. Was some of it poorly written? Most definitely. The question I always ask myself is would i buy this? Surprisingly yes! Those few bits that stood out to me really stuck with me and I'd like to have the physical copy to look back on and to share with my creative friends.

I wanted to like this book - the intriguing description of living an artful life is exactly the sort of book I relish.

Personally, I did not find it to be a great (... or even good...) book and I think if you are looking for a book on living "artfully" or living with creativity (what the gist of the book is really about), you are better served by checking out *The Artist's Way* by Julia Cameron, *The Creativity Book* by Eric Maisel, or *The Creative Habit* by Twyla Tharp.

First, the good things about the book. The author is clearly passionate about living in an artful or creative way. He presents stories from his own life in such a way as to try to inspire the reader to live in a more carefree way.

The book can pretty much be distilled down to a few tips: Marie Kondo (my words, not his) your life and surround yourself with a style that makes you happy; immerse yourself in art; be curious and carefree. And although there are a few sentences throughout that resonate and are inspiring, the vast majority of the book needs much, much better editing. Clunky writing gets in the way of a clear persuasive narrative, and misspelled words and incorrect punctuation don't help. Because so much of the book is anecdotal (not bad, and perhaps even expected in such a genre) it reads like a freshman writing paper, which is too bad -- if it could be cleaned up (since it's self-published, it probably won't get a second edition) there could be some useful wisdom here. As it is, I can't recommend it, especially not to students (it is NOT a good model of writing). I do see other very positive reviews for the book on both Net Galley and Goodreads, so I'm glad that some people are uplifted by its message.

1.5 stars, rounded up to 2. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

From the title I expected this to be a bit more engaging, maybe less of a self-help and more of an art book.
If you're looking for a self-help book on artfulness and mindfulness, this might be what you want.
The author writes personally, and well. In my opinion it was a bit dry and dragged at times.
I think it would benefit from illustrations and more dynamic stories.
I read an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This is a great book with lots of amazing lessons to be learnt & applied. I could have finished it faster, but I had to take it one bite a time to make sure I'll absorb it all.

I was hesitant at first I thought I won't be able to relate because I was never into art. But after the author pointed out, being carefree should never be looked at as being irresponsible, I honestly took a deep sigh. Let's just say I've lived a dull life and I wish I've done things differently in the past. I also like when he said, “Don't let the last day be the day you figure life out.” At some point I needed those words to hit me in the face. I've been reading a lot of self-help books especially when I'm emotionally down and I have to say I need to start doing those things mentioned on the last chapter. This is a must read book especially when you feel like Life seems idle, hard or meaningless. But regardless of your current situation and circumstances this book reminds you that anyone can live an artful life. It's a choice to treat this journey you’re on as an adventure in which you write your own story.

This book was received as an ARC from Live An Artful Life, Inc in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

The pictures displayed in this book are amazingly breathtaking and the fact that is has words of wisdom to go along with it makes this book more desirable in our collection. Self-Help books are a need in our collection but we are also looking for more books on the artistic side since a lot of people have more of a creative mindset rather than an analytical mindset and it was very refreshing to experience.

We will consider adding this title to our Non-Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

This is an enjoyable easy read on being creative. It is a little bit biographical and is very personal to the author. My favourite chapter was on doodling, but I enjoyed reading the authors general advice too. Basically it is what has worked for him and it might work for you too. It will inspire you and help you think about your artistic goals and life. It is well written and will definitely have you reaching for your brushes and paper (or whatever way you choose to be creative).

I really enjoyed this book. It is very insightful and gives various ways to help enjoy life more by embracing and utilizing art and creativity to help inspire us in daily living. I love the concept the accomplishments are 70% visualization and 30% making the visualization a reality. The author uses several examples rom athletes to his own commissioned art as examples, I also agree with his suggestions to problem solve and destress by doodling it’s wonderful way to unwind and just be creative. I highly recommend this book it is a fun nd enjoyable read. I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review
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If you read no other chapter in this book you must read chapter 10. Learn and Practice by Doodling.
So many people would love to be creative but do nothing because they ‘can’t draw’. Doodling is the answer. You need no drawing ability, it’s relaxing and good for your mental health and you will be amazed at what you can produce easily and quickly. Google it now!
This is a great book full of encouraging advice. My only criticism is the lack of any visual stimulation. That is, there are no illustrations in this book which is strange for a book encouraging you to be creative. I will qualify that by saying that my digital copy is pre publication from Net Galley.
It was good to see the author recommending using an ipad and art apps. These are a great way to get over that initial ‘I can’t draw’ and the fear of a blank sheet of paper. Also you don’t need to invest in expensive materials and paper only to discover it’s not for you.
The style is light and friendly. If it had some illustrations to break up the text (it does have some quotes picked out form the body of the text) I would give it five stars.

If you are not sure you’re creative, or how to be creative, you might appreciate this book. It starts at the very beginning and has good snippets of advice throughout. I found it rather disjointed at times and would have preferred more examples and teaching stories to illustrate the author’s philosophy about how to add more creativity to one’s life.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.