Goins - Real artists dont starve: timeless strategies for thriving in the new creative age

Praise for Real Artists Dont Starve

Jeff Goins doesnt just show us how to be more creative. He also reveals a path for turning our art into business and our business into art. Every entrepreneur, writer, and artist should read this book and take notes.

D ANIEL H. P INK, AUTHOR OF D RIVE AND T O S ELL I S H UMAN

Jeff Goins is back with his most powerful book yet. Every page offers insight, hope, and practical advice for anyone who wants to make their dent in the universe.

S ETH G ODIN, AUTHOR OF L INCHPIN

Jeff Goins has established himself as a fresh and dynamic voice inspiring us to get out of our own way and produce our best work. Real Artists Dont Starve is the work of angels: a book every aspiring writer, artist, and creative must read.

S TEVEN P RESSFIELD, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF T HE W AR OF A RT

I absolutely love that Jeff makes such a compelling case that being an artist isnt an either/or decision when it comes to money. Its not be a real artist and starve or make money and quit being an artist. Best of all, this book is perfectly timed for a digital world where we all have the opportunity to apply the principles in this book and create real art for real money!

J ON A CUFF, N EW Y ORK T IMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR

Anyone trying to make a living from their creative work will find much to steal here.

A USTIN K LEON, AUTHOR OF S TEAL L IKE AN A RTIST

Jeff puts to rest the myth of the starving artist. Artists not only deserve to be well rewarded, but there are more opportunities than ever for them to make it happen. This book is not only the blueprint, its also Jeffs personal artistic manifesto. And now its mine.

J AMES A LTUCHER, AUTHOR AND ENTREPRENEUR

In a world where work is increasingly commoditized and automated, creativity should command a greater premium than ever before... but it doesnt. Artists of all kinds seldom realize their own unique value, and their careers and creations suffer as a result. Real Artists Dont Starve unleashes the potential of artists and builds upon Jeff Goinss passion for empowering artists that enrich life as we know it.

S COTT B ELSKY, ENTREPRENEUR, INVESTOR, AND AUTHOR OF M AKING I DEAS H APPEN

Its one thing to want to be more creative. Its another to learn the art of doing creative work. In this book, my friend Jeff Goins shows us how to take our creative talents and turn them into a full-time living. Dont miss this!

J EREMY C OWART, PHOTOGRAPHER AND FOUNDER OF T HE P URPOSE H OTEL

Goins dispels the myth that being a creative is some illusive, mysterious dimension reserved for a chosen few. Instead, he reminds us that being an artist is a job that any motivated person can do with a strategic focus on inspiration-gathering, collaboration, risk-taking, discipline, and marketing. A great book for anyone bogged down by old-fashioned ideas about what it takes to be a thriving artist.

L ISA C ONGDON, ARTIST AND AUTHOR OF A RT I NC: T HE E SSENTIAL G UIDE TO B UILDING Y OUR C AREER AS AN A RTIST

Real Artists Dont Starve provides practical, roll-up-your-sleeves approaches to succeeding creatively and financially as an artist. Its a treasure trove. I loved it!

K EVIN G RIFFIN, PLATINUM-SELLING SONGWRITER AND MEMBER OF B ETTER T HAN E ZRA; FOUNDER OF P ILGRIMAGE M USIC F ESTIVAL

Were living in unprecedented times. Entrepreneurs, creatives, and other artists have never had more control over their work than they do today. But that also means the old solutions dont always work as well as they once did. Thankfully, theres Jeff Goinss Real Artists Dont Starve. This handbook for the new creative economy reveals actionable principles to succeed in todays environment.

M ICHAEL H YATT , N EW Y ORK T IMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF P LATFORM : G ET N OTICED IN A N OISY W ORLD

This book is your wake-up call, packed with provocative ideas and compelling stories that light the way.

J ONATHAN F IELDS, AUTHOR OF H OW TO L IVE A G OOD L IFE AND FOUNDER OF G OOD L IFE P ROJECT

The myth of the starving artist not only sabotages opportunities for artists, but also keeps society from receiving the gifts of art. Jeff Goins will show you how to make a healthy living from your creative talents, without losing your muse, soul, or morals. If you are an artist, or love one, get this book.

P AMELA S LIM, AUTHOR OF B ODY OF W ORK

For centuries, the myth of the impoverished artist has led talented people to opt for a more practical profession. Jeff Goins expertly dismantles this sinister lie, and shows why there has never been a better time to thrive both personally and professionallyas an artist. Read this book, then pass it on to an artist you love.

T ODD H ENRY, AUTHOR OF T HE A CCIDENTAL C REATIVE

Finally, a book about art and money that tells it like it is. If youve struggled while trying to make it as an artist, your art isnt the problem your mindset is. My favorite advice in this book: stay up late and embrace strategic stubbornness. Read it at your own risk!

C HRIS G UILLEBEAU, AUTHOR OF T HE $100 S TARTUP AND T HE A RT OF N ON -C ONFORMITY

Too many books talk about how to be creative without much practical application to the real world. But this one is different. Jeff Goins shows you how to use your creativity as the weapon it is to make a living and a life for yourself.

K ABIR S EHGAL , N EW Y ORK T IMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF C OINED ; MULTI G RAMMY A WARD W INNER

The idea that the artistic and the business mind are separate is just a lie told to keep one side from experimenting with the other. The best artists know their business and the best businesses believe what they do is art. Jeff Goins brings both together into one new way of thinking in this important and necessary book.

R YAN H OLIDAY, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF T HE O BSTACLE I S THE W AY AND E GO I S THE E NEMY

2017 by Jeff Goins

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Nelson Books, an imprint of Thomas Nelson. Nelson Books and Thomas Nelson are registered trademarks of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.

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Any Internet addresses, phone numbers, or company or product information printed in this book are offered as a resource and are not intended in any way to be or to imply an endorsement by Thomas Nelson, nor does Thomas Nelson vouch for the existence, content, or services of these sites, phone numbers, companies, or products beyond the life of this book.

Epub Edition April 2017 ISBN 9780718086282

ISBN 978-0-718086268 (HC)

ISBN 978-0718086287 (eBook)

ISBN 978-0718098926 (IE)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017931116

Printed in the United States of America

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The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.