Customer Reviews

The Artist in the Office: How to Creatively Survive and Thrive Seven Days a Week

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm not an artist, but the book is an inspiration and reminder to be creative and passionate about everything you do. We all need that inspirational injection sometimes and this book gives you that plus a helpful guide to translating that inspiration into action. Plus, I love the author's fantastic illustrations. The books would be more than worth it just have the illustrations!

I just received my copy of this book after hearing an interview with the author on NPR. I am already feeling my body relax from the normal artist/day job grind after reading only thirty pages. The inner conflict of being an artist and having to make money on the side as something other can put a lot of strain on one in many ways. This book gets that and understands that and does not shy away from that. I am SO happy that this book exists and recommend it to any and every artist and layman who wants to find more meaning and understanding.

And I'm not even an artist..
But this book is the bible for getting inspired, either by hitting you over the head with a 'how to' approach or subtly and subconsciously injecting its fun loving images to brighten your mood.
This is a great book to spawn your creativity. For me,
Idea 1: I'll share the happiness with my family, even the more belligerent members.
Idea 2: I think I'll cut out and frame all the drawings to sell for a small fortune.
Idea 3: After this one sells out, I hope the author writes even more books.

I love this book! I am a seasoned professional (nearing 60 years old) who has been stuck in jobs for the paycheck for a number of years. The perspective of the author to see things differently is liberating and inspiring! I love the graphics and the message that anyone (artist or not) could benefit from! It's a fun little interactive book.

I've thoroughly enjoyed reading The Artist in the Office. The individual articles within it are concise and manageable, with numerous references to the author's own experience. Further, this book has given me a new perspective on my position as both artist and office-type person.

I feel like I'm not quite ready to review The Artist in the Office - like it needs about a dozen more reads, as I want it's awesomeness to really rub off and sink in and lead me to being a better coach. And yet, I don't wanna drag my feet in introducing it to all of you. It would be nothing but downright mean of me.

When I bought The Artist in the Office, I knew it was not a transportation book. By that I mean it wasn't a book I wanted to read passively on the subway, getting interrupted and having to pay attention to where I am and having a Start and Stop point that's dependent on how far I'm traveling. Instead, I wanted to delve into it on my terms, when I had the time and the space and the ability to get lost.

And get lost I did.

To put it simply, I wish I wrote this book. It's the type of book that I aspire to write and produce one day. It's encouraging, it's inspiring, it's fun, it's beautiful, it's quirky, it's workbook-ish, and it literally is written for every single person who's pursuing their creative passion. Summer gets your head on straight by allowing you to own your artsy-ness and make sure it's not left behind just because you're in a non-artsy environment. While she has a few disclaimers that these exercises shouldn't be done at the expense of your professionalism (or job!), she offers so many amazeballs ideas on how to make your workday creative no matter what you're doing, whether it's Commuting Bingo, utilizing the copier for all it's worth, or breaking into spontaneous dances with co-workers, she really opened my eyes to how creative a corporate environment could be! That I wish I had this book this time last year, when I was still Executive Assisting it up, goes without saying.

Summer's the friend who's ballsy enough to say, "Maybe it's your attitude that needs a change?" while telling you all that's going right in your life and that she's so proud of you. She'll work you through the "starving" part of "starving artist" and make you feel that there's abundance, and offer you ideas to get un-stuck when the office gig has sucked the creativity from your veins and you're wondering, "What am I doing with my life?!"

This little book - which I read in about an hour or so, I think - offers so very much. I think Summer, um, sums it up herself on the blog post I found about starting The Artist in the Office, which she did as a `zine in 2006. She wrote:

"I feel there is this duality we live as artists with day jobs. We don't want our day jobs, but I do believe there is something in us that just LAYS OUR LIVES DOWN, that just says, "OH, WELL." I don't want to say OH WELL anymore."

If she's talking about you, then revolution! my friends. Pick up what Summer's puttin' down & get yourself The Artist in the Office.

If you're an artist who still needs to earn a living, this is the book for you! I was going through a really tough time at my office job. It seemed to suck the life out of me, leaving me no energy to work on my writing when I got home. This book inspired me to take control of my artistic life and not blame my job for my lack of effort. Plus, it's a really fun read!

I loved this book; brief and to-the-point encouragement. I showed it to my 20-something daughter who also loved it enough to borrow it!

Confined to a cubicle after many years in classrooms, and now 40+ and exploring my blossoming creative side, I found Summer's book a delight to read (and an easy read, at that). She reminds the reader that being creative is completely okay and even suggests ways to integrate one's creative side and otherwise daytime gig (that may be a tad less creative)... resulting in piece of mind (not to mention a colorful world!).

Fun content in an equally appealing (youthful) format.

p.s. ~ I'm ditching the cubicle very soon for a corner table at Starbucks! :)

You can read this warm, encouraging, and understanding book in under 2 hours. This short amount of time is significant, since Pierre write a lot about time issues and how we can get so caught in in our artist's blocks and creative angst that we don't ever actually get around to making art. If you've read any books by Julia Cameron and thought, "Well, this is great advice, but I don't have time to do my art in the first place. How am I going to spend all this time WRITING about my artistic hangups?," then try this.

Although I wouldn't advise using office supplies for to make art, Pierre's insights on real-life creating are right on the mark. You may start to feel like it's a very good thing NOT to be working as a full-time artist.