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The Artist's Journey: On Making Art and Being an Artist
The creative life is not easy. From the outside it can seem romantic and exciting, but in fact it is a unique journey filled with doubts and dreams and complex challenges that most people never imagine. From the obvious issues of making a living and dealing with rejection, to more rarified questions like how to know when a work is finished and the delicate balance between inspiration and craft, the creative artist – whether writer, painter, actor, or dancer – lives in a world of profound questions and subtle choices.
The Artist’s Journey takes you into this world with an emotional honesty that few books offer. At once practical and spiritual, it is a rare exploration of the inner landscape of the artistic experience and an essential guidebook to the artist's journey, for creative artists in all fields, whether young or old, accomplished or just beginning.
The Artist’s Journey takes you into this world with an emotional honesty that few books offer. At once practical and spiritual, it is a rare exploration of the inner landscape of the artistic experience and an essential guidebook to the artist's journey, for creative artists in all fields, whether young or old, accomplished or just beginning.
272 pages, Paperback
Published November 24, 2020
35 people are currently reading
527 people want to read
About the author
Kent Nerburn
43 books462 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.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
December 11, 2020
This is a great book for inspiration for artists. It's sort of one long, encouraging letter to young artists from an established artist, of all the things he'd tell new artists. A great read.
I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.
I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.
November 6, 2020
What would you say if you received a letter from a young artist, asking if it was possible to make a life in your art?
Most people, of course, will realistically say the odds are long - a truth. Some people would go further and say it's a waste of time - an untruth..
I have a lot of thoughts about pursuing art in the course of a life, regardless of whether it is full time or squeezed in between other life duties. Many of those thoughts are echoed in this book, which I'd say is geared more toward younger people just beginning their trek on the artist's path, whether that art is writing, painting, designing, dancing, or any other other ways they might express themselves. It's easy to get into the negatives - most artists don't make enough money to survive solely on their art, it may take years or decades to make a name, rejection is practically a given, and so on - and these, while necessary truths, need not be the only lens through which one views their art.
Nerburn incorporates these truths in this bookish response to the young artist, but weaves them into a larger framework of making good art, as Neil Gaiman would say. The question is not whether one may make a living in their selected art, but whether the continued practice and pursuit of an art is worthwhile in the life one is currently living.
Spoiler: it absolutely is.
There are many books and blog posts and videos that say this, but I found Nerburn's version to be well written, quite thoughtful, and a good read, regardless of the age of the reader pursuing their art and if they are a neophyte or grizzled veteran.
A solid four out of five stars.
Thanks to Canongate and NetGalley for the review copy.
Most people, of course, will realistically say the odds are long - a truth. Some people would go further and say it's a waste of time - an untruth..
I have a lot of thoughts about pursuing art in the course of a life, regardless of whether it is full time or squeezed in between other life duties. Many of those thoughts are echoed in this book, which I'd say is geared more toward younger people just beginning their trek on the artist's path, whether that art is writing, painting, designing, dancing, or any other other ways they might express themselves. It's easy to get into the negatives - most artists don't make enough money to survive solely on their art, it may take years or decades to make a name, rejection is practically a given, and so on - and these, while necessary truths, need not be the only lens through which one views their art.
Nerburn incorporates these truths in this bookish response to the young artist, but weaves them into a larger framework of making good art, as Neil Gaiman would say. The question is not whether one may make a living in their selected art, but whether the continued practice and pursuit of an art is worthwhile in the life one is currently living.
Spoiler: it absolutely is.
There are many books and blog posts and videos that say this, but I found Nerburn's version to be well written, quite thoughtful, and a good read, regardless of the age of the reader pursuing their art and if they are a neophyte or grizzled veteran.
A solid four out of five stars.
Thanks to Canongate and NetGalley for the review copy.
August 5, 2020
Kent Nerburn’s newest book is a love letter to all artists, whether writer, dancer, painter.
A letter to the author himself from a young creative was inspiration. Is it possible to make a life in the arts, she asked? He answers with this inspiring, graceful, spiritual book.
He reflects on his own life as a writer, honestly sharing the triumphs and risks through four sections that cover an artist’s life cycle: The Journey Begins, The Hard Places, The Hidden Secrets, The Unseen Joys.
Making art is hard, he asserts, but the process is the crux. How art “paints” the painter makes any obstacle worth it.
He also quotes iconic dancer Martha Graham, “There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost.”
Without creators, he agrees, the world would atrophy. So go make art, transform yourself, transform the world!
5 of 5 Stars
Pub Date 24 Nov 2020
Thanks to the author, Canongate and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.
#OnMakingArtBeinganArtist #NetGalley
A letter to the author himself from a young creative was inspiration. Is it possible to make a life in the arts, she asked? He answers with this inspiring, graceful, spiritual book.
He reflects on his own life as a writer, honestly sharing the triumphs and risks through four sections that cover an artist’s life cycle: The Journey Begins, The Hard Places, The Hidden Secrets, The Unseen Joys.
Making art is hard, he asserts, but the process is the crux. How art “paints” the painter makes any obstacle worth it.
He also quotes iconic dancer Martha Graham, “There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost.”
Without creators, he agrees, the world would atrophy. So go make art, transform yourself, transform the world!
5 of 5 Stars
Pub Date 24 Nov 2020
Thanks to the author, Canongate and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.
#OnMakingArtBeinganArtist #NetGalley
March 10, 2023
Absolutely love it. It will be read multiple times!
February 27, 2023
Interesting and accessible exploration of what it means to be an artist.
September 17, 2025
I don't think I would have picked this up if it wasn't required reading for a graduate course. I don't tend to read books on the craft of writing or really craft books on anything except cooking. Not for any intense dislike, just because I suppose I learn more by doing and discussing rather than reading about something. This was a lovely read though! I don't agree with everything presented and found some advice annoyingly vague, but there is ample advice here that will stay with me for sure.
March 11, 2022
This is a great book that gives an insight into an artist’s life and journey. Art means different things to different people and what I like about this book is that the author acknowledges it and builds on his own experience as a sculptor and author.
Highly recommend to anyone trying to understand more about art or to an artist who’s beginning their journey and have second thoughts
Highly recommend to anyone trying to understand more about art or to an artist who’s beginning their journey and have second thoughts
May 26, 2025
quite an interesting read with beautiful passages that echoed with me a lot, and a book that i had been meaning to get to for quite a while now. sometimes a bit dragging, sometimes we loop back a bit, but overall worth it for its advices and introspective aspects. keeps the hope alive. will recommend to fellow young artists.
January 27, 2022
Beautifully written! So helpful and inspiring to artists everywhere. Never to be a disappointment.
May 28, 2022
One of the best books I've read on the journey of art and creation.
December 31, 2022
Feels like a love letter to the arts but also the experience of being an artist. The way Kent writes is so delicate and comes from a great place of knowledge. Very easy and enjoyable read!
July 12, 2023
So many nuggets of wisdom. Thank you.
April 29, 2024
Tragically low on substance
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.
SAMPLE PASSAGE
As a creator, you need to respect, even savour, the magic of accident and care less about what is being lost than what is being born. Remember that any work of art, in its becoming, follows the rules of evolution, not the rules of human construction: every form remakes itself as new information is discovered and internalised...
When I feel myself lost in the midst of a project, I like to remind myself of the separate skills of the architect and the gardener. The architect designs and builds; he knows the desired outcome before he begins. The gardener plants and cultivates, trusting the sun and weather and the vagaries of chance to bring forth a bloom.
As artists, we must learn to be gardeners, not architects. We must seek to cultivate our art, not construct it, giving up our preconceptions and presuppositions to embrace accident and mystery. Let moments of darkness become the seedbed of growth, not occasions of fear.
Many thanks to Canongate Books for review copy.
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.
SAMPLE PASSAGE
As a creator, you need to respect, even savour, the magic of accident and care less about what is being lost than what is being born. Remember that any work of art, in its becoming, follows the rules of evolution, not the rules of human construction: every form remakes itself as new information is discovered and internalised...
When I feel myself lost in the midst of a project, I like to remind myself of the separate skills of the architect and the gardener. The architect designs and builds; he knows the desired outcome before he begins. The gardener plants and cultivates, trusting the sun and weather and the vagaries of chance to bring forth a bloom.
As artists, we must learn to be gardeners, not architects. We must seek to cultivate our art, not construct it, giving up our preconceptions and presuppositions to embrace accident and mystery. Let moments of darkness become the seedbed of growth, not occasions of fear.
Many thanks to Canongate Books for review copy.
December 13, 2025
Goated. Wanted to highlight the whole book. Even if you’re not pursuing a life in arts, it will change the way u see or approach art.
July 28, 2023
Among the Best
From a long lifetime of reading I consider Kent Nerburn among the
t best authors I have read and absorbed ,and best of all, Nerburned from at multiple turns. A devoted reader asks for no more and yet no less, an author who delivers true quality of writing, thought, and human engagement.
From a long lifetime of reading I consider Kent Nerburn among the
t best authors I have read and absorbed ,and best of all, Nerburned from at multiple turns. A devoted reader asks for no more and yet no less, an author who delivers true quality of writing, thought, and human engagement.
October 16, 2020
If you are an artist in any way and are experiencing some discouragement this would be the perfect book for you. At times I felt like there was a bit of rambling, but there are some golden nuggets of encouragement that makes this worth the read.
March 25, 2021
Does a good job of articulating just what it means, at the most fundamental levels, to be an artist.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews