What do you think?
Rate this book
Dancing with the Gods: Reflections on Life and Art
When Kent Nerburn received a letter from Jennifer, a young woman questioning her calling to spend her life in the arts, the writer and artist was struck by how closely her questions mirrored the doubts and yearnings of his own youth.
Nerburn resolved that he would write his own letter: a letter of welcome and encouragement to all young artists setting out on the same strange and magical journey, sharing the wisdom of a life spent working in the arts.
From struggles with money and the bitterness of rejection, to spiritual questions of inspiration and authenticity, Dancing With the Gods offers insight, solace and courage to help young artists on the winding road to artistic fulfilment. Tender and joyous, it is a celebration of art's power to transform the darkest of human experience and give voice to the grandest of human hopes.
Nerburn resolved that he would write his own letter: a letter of welcome and encouragement to all young artists setting out on the same strange and magical journey, sharing the wisdom of a life spent working in the arts.
From struggles with money and the bitterness of rejection, to spiritual questions of inspiration and authenticity, Dancing With the Gods offers insight, solace and courage to help young artists on the winding road to artistic fulfilment. Tender and joyous, it is a celebration of art's power to transform the darkest of human experience and give voice to the grandest of human hopes.
245 pages, Hardcover
First published June 5, 2018
34 people are currently reading
571 people want to read
About the author
Kent Nerburn
37 books468 followersI'm a child of the 60's, a son of the north, and a lover of dogs.
Grew up in a crackerbox post-war bungalow outside of Minneapolis with my mother and father, two younger sisters, various dogs and cats, and a neighborhood full of rugrat kids playing outside until called in for the night.
Studied American Studies at the University of Minnesota, Religious Studies and Humanities at Stanford University, received a Ph.D. in Religion and Art in a joint program at Graduate Theological Union and the University of California at Berkeley. Lots of learning, lots of awards. Phi Beta Kappa. Summa cum Laude. Lots of stuff that looks good on paper.
But just as important, an antique restorer's shop in Marburg, Germany; the museums of Florence; a sculpture studio in the back alleys of Pietrasanta, Italy; an Indian reservation in the forests of northern Minnesota; and, perhaps above all, the American road.
Always a watcher, always a wanderer, perhaps too empathetic for my own good, more concerned with the "other" than the "self", always more interested in what people believed than in what they thought. A friend of the ordinary and the life of the streets.
Twenty years as a sculptor -- over-life sized images hand-chiseled from large tree trunks -- efforts to embody emotional and spiritual states in wood. Then, still searching, years helping young people collect memories of the tribal elders on the Red Lake Ojibwe reservation in the Minnesota north. Then writing,
always writing, finding a voice and even a calling, helping Native America tell its story.
A marriage, children, a home on a pine-rimmed lake near the Minnesota-Canadian border.
Book after book, seventeen in all, ever seeking the heartbeat of people's belief. Journeys, consolations, the caring observer, always the teacher, always the learner. Ever mindful of the wise counsel of an Ojibwe elder, "Always teach by stories, because stories lodge deep in the heart."
Through grace and good luck, an important trilogy (Neither Wolf nor Dog, The Wolf at Twilight, and The Girl who Sang to the Buffalo), a film, Minnesota Book Awards, South Dakota book of the year, many "community reads," book sales around the world.
In the end, a reluctant promoter, a quiet worker, a seeker of an authentic American spirituality, more concerned with excellence than quantity. Proud to be referred to as "a guerilla theologian" and honored to be called "the one writer who can respectfully bridge the gap between native and non-Native cultures". But more honored still to hear a twelve-year-old girl at one of my readings whisper to her mom, "He's a really nice man."
At heart, just an ordinary person, grateful to be a father and a husband, more impressed by kindness than by power, doing what I can with the skills that I have to pay my rent for my time on earth. And trying, always trying, to live by Sitting Bull's entreaty: "Come let us put our minds together to see what kind of lives we can create for our children."
And petting every dog that I can.
Grew up in a crackerbox post-war bungalow outside of Minneapolis with my mother and father, two younger sisters, various dogs and cats, and a neighborhood full of rugrat kids playing outside until called in for the night.
Studied American Studies at the University of Minnesota, Religious Studies and Humanities at Stanford University, received a Ph.D. in Religion and Art in a joint program at Graduate Theological Union and the University of California at Berkeley. Lots of learning, lots of awards. Phi Beta Kappa. Summa cum Laude. Lots of stuff that looks good on paper.
But just as important, an antique restorer's shop in Marburg, Germany; the museums of Florence; a sculpture studio in the back alleys of Pietrasanta, Italy; an Indian reservation in the forests of northern Minnesota; and, perhaps above all, the American road.
Always a watcher, always a wanderer, perhaps too empathetic for my own good, more concerned with the "other" than the "self", always more interested in what people believed than in what they thought. A friend of the ordinary and the life of the streets.
Twenty years as a sculptor -- over-life sized images hand-chiseled from large tree trunks -- efforts to embody emotional and spiritual states in wood. Then, still searching, years helping young people collect memories of the tribal elders on the Red Lake Ojibwe reservation in the Minnesota north. Then writing,
always writing, finding a voice and even a calling, helping Native America tell its story.
A marriage, children, a home on a pine-rimmed lake near the Minnesota-Canadian border.
Book after book, seventeen in all, ever seeking the heartbeat of people's belief. Journeys, consolations, the caring observer, always the teacher, always the learner. Ever mindful of the wise counsel of an Ojibwe elder, "Always teach by stories, because stories lodge deep in the heart."
Through grace and good luck, an important trilogy (Neither Wolf nor Dog, The Wolf at Twilight, and The Girl who Sang to the Buffalo), a film, Minnesota Book Awards, South Dakota book of the year, many "community reads," book sales around the world.
In the end, a reluctant promoter, a quiet worker, a seeker of an authentic American spirituality, more concerned with excellence than quantity. Proud to be referred to as "a guerilla theologian" and honored to be called "the one writer who can respectfully bridge the gap between native and non-Native cultures". But more honored still to hear a twelve-year-old girl at one of my readings whisper to her mom, "He's a really nice man."
At heart, just an ordinary person, grateful to be a father and a husband, more impressed by kindness than by power, doing what I can with the skills that I have to pay my rent for my time on earth. And trying, always trying, to live by Sitting Bull's entreaty: "Come let us put our minds together to see what kind of lives we can create for our children."
And petting every dog that I can.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
January 21, 2019
Ein fantastisches Buch über das Leben als Künstler. Das Hörbuch machte mich zwar dank dem Schlucken des Sprechers gelegentlich wahnsinnig und manchmal konnten mich die Sprünge innerhalb des Buches nicht ganz überzeugen, aber nichtsdestotrotz ist es ein wirklich wirklich gutes Buch
March 4, 2021
I could not have read this book at a better time.
For anyone struggling with their creative processes, generating new ideas, battling imposter syndrome in arts/academia and so on - this book is a panacea to all. And every line Nerburn writes is a beautiful quote in and itself. Highly recommended to anyone in the pursuit of arts and ideas, in general.
For anyone struggling with their creative processes, generating new ideas, battling imposter syndrome in arts/academia and so on - this book is a panacea to all. And every line Nerburn writes is a beautiful quote in and itself. Highly recommended to anyone in the pursuit of arts and ideas, in general.
April 6, 2025
I’m not entirely sure what lead me to pick this book up, I’m usually not very touchy-feely when it comes to my engagement with artistry. This book shocked me with its articulation of the concepts that make up an artist in both a prose-y and genuinely thoughtful way. Some of it wasn’t for me but even those parts I felt would still have value to others. A solid reminder to analyze all parts of craft and check their perceived value to me against their actual worth.
February 5, 2019
A set of essays about the nature of art and the journey of the artist that rings with lyricism and clarity. Very inspiring. The hardback version is very nicely put together, bound with a cover like a night's sky or the double hellix -- or fishes! -- and it has been a wonderful nightly read for me during my music practice.
This is the type of book that should be read and re-read as an accompaniment to the journey of life. It speaks to the artistic process from the point of view of a writer and sculptor but is written with basic, undying truths that are pertinent to all types of art. It is imbued with both beauty and wisdom. It will provide you with illumination in the dark times and like friendship increase joy by sharing it. If you are an artist, you will find a mirror and a companion. I also found myself jotting quotes in my music notebook as I read.
Highly recommended for any person who practices any art, and also for those who enjoy crystal clear writing that rings like a bell.
This is the type of book that should be read and re-read as an accompaniment to the journey of life. It speaks to the artistic process from the point of view of a writer and sculptor but is written with basic, undying truths that are pertinent to all types of art. It is imbued with both beauty and wisdom. It will provide you with illumination in the dark times and like friendship increase joy by sharing it. If you are an artist, you will find a mirror and a companion. I also found myself jotting quotes in my music notebook as I read.
Highly recommended for any person who practices any art, and also for those who enjoy crystal clear writing that rings like a bell.
January 19, 2019
A very affirming read for a creative. I highlighted a lot of passages! Got a little too mystical for me at times.
July 29, 2020
I don’t know where to start with my review of this book. Not only is it a book I will come back to again and again, but it is a book I needed right now.
The description says for young artists, and although I can see where it can help artists just starting out in their art, and I definitely wish I had had this when I first began my journey, there is no way I could have fathomed the jewels in this book if I didn’t have the experience with my work now. This is for anyone thinking about artistic expression, or struggling with their art. And art is many things, including but not limited to painting, drawing, signing, acting, writing, cooking, applying makeup, raising children, or everyday life.
The book is beautiful, insightful, inspiring, well-written, but it also touches upon rejection and even walking away. Many people would call that quitting, or failing, but this book is so deep I can tell the author truly knows his work and what it means to be creative in any form of artistic expression. The beauty and challenges of art, as well as sometimes saying goodbye. I love how he speaks on the differences of success and accomplishment, as well as realizations of creative dimension. He speaks of balancing your artistry with having to make a living with a job that, for many of us, take us away from our art.
I love how this book doesn’t push you or make you feel like you have to keep going, no matter the cost. Quite the opposite, actually. I have been struggling in my own as a writer for some time now, and have had a few aha moments, but this book hit the nail on the head.
The best I’ve read. Highly recommended whether you are an artist who is just starting out, burned out, struggling, or thriving.
The description says for young artists, and although I can see where it can help artists just starting out in their art, and I definitely wish I had had this when I first began my journey, there is no way I could have fathomed the jewels in this book if I didn’t have the experience with my work now. This is for anyone thinking about artistic expression, or struggling with their art. And art is many things, including but not limited to painting, drawing, signing, acting, writing, cooking, applying makeup, raising children, or everyday life.
The book is beautiful, insightful, inspiring, well-written, but it also touches upon rejection and even walking away. Many people would call that quitting, or failing, but this book is so deep I can tell the author truly knows his work and what it means to be creative in any form of artistic expression. The beauty and challenges of art, as well as sometimes saying goodbye. I love how he speaks on the differences of success and accomplishment, as well as realizations of creative dimension. He speaks of balancing your artistry with having to make a living with a job that, for many of us, take us away from our art.
I love how this book doesn’t push you or make you feel like you have to keep going, no matter the cost. Quite the opposite, actually. I have been struggling in my own as a writer for some time now, and have had a few aha moments, but this book hit the nail on the head.
The best I’ve read. Highly recommended whether you are an artist who is just starting out, burned out, struggling, or thriving.
September 5, 2020
I’m throwing literary caution to the wind, and I am just going to emote on this incredible book, Dancing with the Gods. I have loved Nerburn's work ever since I first read Neither Wolf Nor Dog, but this is truly a crowning achievement for those of us who aspire to write (or create any form of art), and have all those nagging self doubts. I feel like I am in conversation with the author, and it seems like I can sit here and think about something that is bothering me, and I open the book to the exact page that I need to read. It has been magical, even mystical. The gems that highlight human behavior are truly amazing as well. Thank you, Mr. Nerburn, for writing this incredible book. It is the masterpiece of my library.
January 13, 2019
I've been an artist all of my adult life and this book came at a time when I really needed it. Nerburn puts the artist's life and struggles into perspective like no other author I have read on this topic. His kind advice and deep understanding of what it means to be an artist can be extraordinarily helpful. It was for me, and I am so glad I read this book. It gave me more badly needed energy. Than you, Kent Nerburn, for an awesome read.
November 20, 2018
Nerburn writes eloquently and captures both the life of the artist as well as our issues and desires. No matter what we create, we are all connected in the act of creation, and in every issue that befalls the artistic path. A brilliant book, I highly recommend it.
January 8, 2019
I found this book to be very informative on a nice way to live an artist's life without the fluff that comes along with usual self help books. Very insightful.
December 20, 2019
Connected so much w this book. Love when that happens!
February 29, 2020
A great quick read about why our pursuit of the arts matters in a world that makes it hard to art. As a music teacher, this is the book I needed.
March 24, 2020
The way he describes the feeling of creating art is the most accurate I have encountered! Cool read. Inspiring for sure... fuck this corporate cog life! I'm gonna be an artist mom!!!
December 29, 2024
(A review in which I use the word "somtimes" way too often.)
Okay, this book had some wonderful insights and perspectives on the path of being an artist.
Often I nodded my head in vigorous agreement, but sometimes I felt like a perspective given as an overarching truth that didn't sit as solid in my perspective. In other words: This book expresses a lot of truisms that at times ignore a wider range of experiences.
My own experiences as an artist and art teacher sometimes fell in this range. Sometimes the writing made it feel like the author assumed everyone experiences the INNER ART PATH in a very similar way to him, but then other passages of the book would counter this by sharing a knowledge of a wide range of experiences and perspectives.
Sometimes when the author chose to write "you" while poetically describing a kind of experience,
I wanted to yell "you don't know me!" (though I am sure I have done this kind of thing countless times when giving advice or sharing my experiences!)
Having said that, I could imagine sitting down with the author and having a passionate conversation about art and artists, full of cheering as well as some productive arguing.
This book would be a good starting point for some great art discussions.
Overall, I enjoyed the read and glad this book exists.
Side note: I found it in a little library on a side street on a day when I needed to find a book like this. It was a magic moment for sure.
Okay, this book had some wonderful insights and perspectives on the path of being an artist.
Often I nodded my head in vigorous agreement, but sometimes I felt like a perspective given as an overarching truth that didn't sit as solid in my perspective. In other words: This book expresses a lot of truisms that at times ignore a wider range of experiences.
My own experiences as an artist and art teacher sometimes fell in this range. Sometimes the writing made it feel like the author assumed everyone experiences the INNER ART PATH in a very similar way to him, but then other passages of the book would counter this by sharing a knowledge of a wide range of experiences and perspectives.
Sometimes when the author chose to write "you" while poetically describing a kind of experience,
I wanted to yell "you don't know me!" (though I am sure I have done this kind of thing countless times when giving advice or sharing my experiences!)
Having said that, I could imagine sitting down with the author and having a passionate conversation about art and artists, full of cheering as well as some productive arguing.
This book would be a good starting point for some great art discussions.
Overall, I enjoyed the read and glad this book exists.
Side note: I found it in a little library on a side street on a day when I needed to find a book like this. It was a magic moment for sure.
September 11, 2024
I read Dancing With The Gods at a time when crushing disappointment over my art was upon me. Lost in confusion and regret, Mr. Nerburn’s words acknowledged my fears yet challenged them by affirming my own experience as an aspiring, hesitant creative.
It is a book that speaks from a place of truth and also tenderness.
“You will live in a world of uncertainty, never knowing if your creations are good enough, always fearing financial cataclysm, unsure if your dreams are more than self-delusion….But you will also live in a world of joy, with its magical moments when the act of creation lifts you and propels you with a power that seems to come from beyond yourself. …. And know the miraculous experience of having intimate conversations with people long dead and far away through your personal dialogue with their art. You will know what it is to work with love.”
Beyond words, this work redeemed my spirit as it pushed me forward, onward in my art. I highly recommend it as a reading constant to all of us who, on a daily basis, wrestle with fear and doubt about our work and passions, yet experience subtle, genuine moments of grace and providence in our pursuits.
It is a book that speaks from a place of truth and also tenderness.
“You will live in a world of uncertainty, never knowing if your creations are good enough, always fearing financial cataclysm, unsure if your dreams are more than self-delusion….But you will also live in a world of joy, with its magical moments when the act of creation lifts you and propels you with a power that seems to come from beyond yourself. …. And know the miraculous experience of having intimate conversations with people long dead and far away through your personal dialogue with their art. You will know what it is to work with love.”
Beyond words, this work redeemed my spirit as it pushed me forward, onward in my art. I highly recommend it as a reading constant to all of us who, on a daily basis, wrestle with fear and doubt about our work and passions, yet experience subtle, genuine moments of grace and providence in our pursuits.
November 12, 2020
There are many books that reveal the joys and struggles of creating something out of your imagination. Kent Nerburn's Dancing with the Gods: Reflections on Life and Art is one of those. Having said that, Dancing with the Gods is much more. This is a work that opens up the inner life of a creator and what it takes to make peace with its triumphs and disappointments. It is full of valuable advice on what it takes to become a joyful and fulfilled creator. Kent Nerburn covers lots of issues and emotions that face anyone who rely on their imagination to do their work.
THINGS I LOVE
The author is forthright and grandfatherly in his approach. He uses lots of examples from his own life experiences in the arts. He is candid about his failures and missteps. He also touches on one of the most important topics to artists - finance.
This is a book to read more than once as it seems to cover a lot of things most creators would have gone through. It is a work I wished I came across a few years back.
DISLIKES
None.
WHO IS IT FOR
Anyone who wants to enjoy the work they do.
THINGS I LOVE
The author is forthright and grandfatherly in his approach. He uses lots of examples from his own life experiences in the arts. He is candid about his failures and missteps. He also touches on one of the most important topics to artists - finance.
This is a book to read more than once as it seems to cover a lot of things most creators would have gone through. It is a work I wished I came across a few years back.
DISLIKES
None.
WHO IS IT FOR
Anyone who wants to enjoy the work they do.
February 4, 2022
Read this at the same as reading the Artist Way by Julia Cameron, which proved a nice balance between practicality and philosophy. Kent has a beautiful way of crafting sentences, though at times I felt he blabbed on for too long about the same thing. But it is still a very artful and interesting read. His view on the artist as a kind of magician or sage was at times a bit too far fetched, in my opinion. And the differentiation made between art and the ordinary at times too extreme. I believe we are all (at least at times) artists, and I also believe that we all have a lot to gain by reading this book. He writes on topics like uncertainty, trust and freedom that every artist battles with. His words are very compassionate.
January 4, 2022
This was one of the most inspiring books I’ve read in a very long time. I absolutely recommend it to anyone who is considering entering into (or in my case struggling to maintain) a creative life. Nerburn speaks to you as if he were sitting with you talking over coffee, or chatting while doing a puzzle. It is an intimate and thought out conversation, and speaks to so many dreams and worries I have as an artist. Highly recommend! Will read again and again!
May 18, 2019
This is a book for creators who question their creating. This is a book for creators, who wonder why they create despite the chaos in the world today. There are great chapters in here and there are "meh" chapters in here. If you are an artist/writer/musician wondering how it fits into the world, this is a worthwhile book.
December 7, 2021
This book jumped out to me as my eyes scanned the shelves of my local library and I couldn't have needed it more. It spoke to me in a way that moved me to tears, reassured me and made me face the questions I've been battling against. To any artist feeling as though they are wandering through the dark alone let this book be a moment, a spark that helps bring a light to guide the way.
August 1, 2023
Should be required reading for art students, though I found during my art education that professors had not even heard of this book. 🙄 so many topics covered that are vital to working and living as an artist. Speaks about making money from your art, decisions on what paintings you should leave behind, engaging your audience. This is just a really fantastic book!
July 28, 2024
Could have used more anecdotes, the reason I picked it up was because I flipped to a chapter about his time as a cab driver. Stories get the point across much better than instructions. An entire chapter dedicated to a single point with no stories is like, no shit, I know that already. That being said, there are some stories, I got some good quotes out of it, 3 out of 5.
May 14, 2020
Read for book group. Written for much younger audience, starting out. Found it rather sentimental and breathless. Never understood the ambition to be "a great artist." Seems rather presumptuous. Of course, it is always boring to read self-help books when you are not looking for help.
January 4, 2025
One of the best, inspirational books I’ve read in a long time, I had no idea who the artist was beforehand.
It understands the artist, but doesn’t mystify them too much to make it nonsense. Always enjoy a lot of personal lessons shared through the book.
It understands the artist, but doesn’t mystify them too much to make it nonsense. Always enjoy a lot of personal lessons shared through the book.
September 9, 2018
Mystical. Grounded in a broad set of stereotypes. To some extent judgmental. Good but not great.
April 26, 2019
Some good encouragement and advice for the struggling artist, but very New Agey for my own taste
March 23, 2020
Good but nothing revolutionary. Could of had a bit more emotional punch!
October 11, 2020
Good reminder to not loose creative pursuits behind
January 12, 2022
My current favorite non-fiction book :|
September 29, 2022
Inspirational book for anyone struggling with their place in art; very affirming and peaceful to the soul. I know it's a book that I will keep coming back to
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews