David Bayles

Art & Fear

1. IDEA 1

   Fear stops people making art

   Bayles and Orland, both working artists, argue that most people who stop making art do so because of fear, not lack of talent. They examine the doubts that block ordinary artists.

2. IDEA 2

   Art is made by ordinary people

   The authors argue that most art is made by ordinary people, not geniuses. Struggles are normal. In their view, believing that artists are a different kind of person makes beginners feel unfit, when in fact the record shows ordinary people who kept working.

3. IDEA 3

   Quantity builds quality

   The authors describe a pottery class where students graded on quantity produced better pots than those graded on quality. Practice beat theorising. In their account, the group making many pots learned from each one, while the others only theorised.

All 8 ideas from Art & Fear →