Carry a Paintbrush: How to Be the Artistic Director of Your Own Career [Paperback]

Susanne Goldstein (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 6, 2011

What if your career were yours to paint? What if, by simply carrying an imaginary Bucket of Paint and a Paintbrush, you could paint yourself into any professional situation?

The Paintbrush, according to respected Career Artist Susanne Goldstein, is the only tool you ll need to Paint Doorways into the career and job you ve always wanted.

Even in the most challenging and impenetrable job markets, Goldstein s Paintbrush methodology works because it shifts the focus away from going after jobs, and places it on harnessing good luck, developing relationships with in people, and knowing how to convert opportunity into reality.

Goldstein uses stories (including how she broke into Hollywood in six weeks), frameworks, techniques and exercises that urge readers to upend the way they think about their working lives.

Carrying a Paintbrush will help readers:

* Identify the sweet spot where their passions, interest and skills intersect
* Learn to create opportunities where others see challenges
* Meet and get support from influencers already in the field
* Develop a unique and compelling personal story
* Get unstuck

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In this charming book, Susanne Goldstein argues compellingly that the opportunities of a lifetime are not given, but created — and, with an artist’s eye, sketches out helpful ways to create them. Susanne writes with warmth and imagination, sharing insight from a life fully lived." -- David Gergen, Adviser to four US presidents and professor of leadership at Harvard Kennedy School

“Once you begin Carry A Paintbrush you won’t want to put it, or your Paintbrush down. Both open possibilities to the life you may have always imagined for yourself, but may not have known how to achieve. Susanne Goldstein can teach it because she has lived it. At a time when the future and how we fit in it seems more confusing than ever, along comes this very practical volume that combines personal wisdom and professional experience to paint an irresistibly inviting portrait of the career success that awaits you.” -- Billy Shore, Author and Founder & Executive Director, Share Our Strength

“Colleges prepare students for everything academic and very little that is practical. Students graduate having very little idea about what they want to do in life and even less of an idea about how to go about getting what they want. Where do they turn for practical wisdom on what to do next and how to do it? Susanne Goldstein’s book is meant to help these lost souls. She has prepared a set of well written pieces of advice about how to find out who you are and what you want and how to go about getting it. This book should be part of every new college graduate's library.” -- Roger Schank, John Evans Professor Emeritus in computer science, education and psychology at Northwestern University

"Susanne Goldstein's brilliant manifesto is a MUST READ for anyone who has either painted their career into a corner, or is just starting out. In this book are all the tools you’ll need to get unstuck and create a career of your own design." -- Stephen M. Shapiro, Author, Goal-Free Living and Personality Poker

“Forget career development – how about career inspiration? If you are going to buy only one book on how to get the most out of your work life, this is the one you want to get and actually read.” -- David L. Norris, CEO, BlueCava and expert on entrepreneurship

"Anything but paint by numbers! Susanne Goldstein’s book “Carry a Paintbrush” is a wonderfully inspiring read. The question isn’t whether the advice is solid, it’s whether you have the courage to follow your dreams. Goldstein gives you confidence to do just that. You’ll never forgive yourself if you don’t." -- Marc Cosentino. Author Case in Point, CEO CaseQuestions.com --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

About the Author

Susanne Goldstein is an engineer-filmmaker-consultant-web designer-business strategist-career coach who has spent the past 25 years successfully inventing and reinventing herself. She has helped clients of every color and stripe be whatever they ve wanted to be.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Arvida Press (April 6, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0615449263
• ISBN-13: 978-0615449265
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #395,855 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #11 in Books > Business & Investing > Job Hunting & Careers > Job Markets & Advice

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Carry a Paintbrush:: An easy read--creative, positive and inspiring April 23, 2011

By Freelancer

Format:Paperback

I enjoyed reading Susanne Goldstein's Carry a Paintbrush: How to be the Artistic Director of Your Own Career. It's an easy read--creative, positive and inspiring. I am impressed that the motivation for this book was the urging of Goldstein's many satisfied and successful clients, whom she has helped in her work as career coach. The narrative puts the job seeker in control, but never loses touch with real-life situations. Her examples are many, drawing from her vast professional and personal experience.

But more than that, Carry a Paintbrush is uplifting, at a time when job applicants have too ofteh known rejection. Even not getting a job is interpreted positively: as a "dress rehearsal" for the right one.

I highly recommend Goldstein's book to those of any age seeking to find, advance or change a career.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the ultimate take-control-of-your career book... April 15, 2011

By Reader of History

Format:Paperback

At first blush, I was skeptical. Let's face it, the shelves at bookstores are full of career coaching books. It seems like anyone who has found some small measure of success wants to preach to others about their secrets for standing out, making money, finding fame, etc.

This book is different. For starters, it is engaging from the outset. You feel like the author is sitting in the room, sharing her story with you and explaining what it meant to her and what it might mean for you to think differently about your career. Another aspect of the book that differentiates it from the others is how it weaves macro-advice about how to think about the larger issues about your career, your goals in life, etc., with very specific suggestions that can immediately be incorporated into how you communicate with your current or potential employer through email.

What I found especially useful, was that the author drew not just on her own personal experiences, which might have limited applicability to those of us who are not pursuing careers in the theater or Hollywood or social media, but also on the people who have come to her for advice over the years. She gives just enough background on each of these "case studies" for you to feel that you understand and maybe even identify with their predicaments. And then she shares with the readers how she went about facilitating that person's turn-around. In my mind, this gives the book more credibility than if she just told us what could be done. Instead, these insights are field-tested.

One of the hidden jewels of this book is the questions that she asks the people who come to her. Indeed, I found it helpful to ask myself those very questions about what I want to get out of my career.

Overall, an excellent book. Highly recommend.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars eh May 23, 2012

By Silly Fellow

Format:Paperback

fairly cookie-cutter advice. not really all that different from similar career/self-help books. Here's what you need to know: network, research companies/industries you are interested in, and don't make any typographical errors in your materials.