Table of Contents
Introduction: Dreams and Fears Choosing the artist's life XIII
The Journey Begins
1 Courting the Muse: Finding the place where time stands still 3
2 Finding a Vision, Finding a Voice: The search for authentic personal expression 13
3 Inspiration and Training: The essential responsibility of learning your craft 25
4 Dancing over the Abyss: The courage to fail 33
5 The Unwavering Beacon: The inviolable imperative of excellence 43
The Hard Places
6 The Peril of Easy Blessing: The need for long patience and the pitfalls of early success 53
7 Dark Nights and Waterless Places: When inspiration fails and doubt sets in 59
8 The Slamming Door: The pain and challenge of rejection 67
9 The Merchants of Doubt: The harsh reality of critics and criticism 75
10 The Dark Companion: The toll of money on the creative spirit 85
11 The Golden Handcuffs: The tyranny of success and recognition 101
The Hidden Secrets
12 The Divine Thread: The psychic connection between artist and audience 113
13 The Hummingbird's Heartbeat: The gossamer line between discovery and mastery 121
14 The Architect and the Gardener: The magic of accident and faith in the unknown 131
15 The Right Stroke: The fine art of the appropriate choice 139
16 Abandoning Your Children: The hard decision to leave works behind 149
17 Time and Timing: The art inside your art 159
The Unseen Joys
18 Many Hands and a Common Heart: The joys and challenges of collaboration 171
19 The Solace of Unlikely Friends: The wisdom and insight of other arts 181
20 On the Shoulders of Giants: The magical bond of artists across time and space 191
21 The Fist in the Velvet Glove: The dream of a better world 197
22 The Voice that Cannot Be Stilled: Why art matters in a world of human need 207
23 The Eternal Youth of the Endless Imagination: The power of art to keep the heart young 215
Coda: Expressing the Inexpressible 227
Acknowledgments 241
Permissions credits 245
