A new crop of books has set out to prove that art can be more than just a way to appreciate beauty – it can also teach us valuable lessons on how to live our lives. Three new releases, including Katy Hessel's "How to Live an Artful Life", offer up what they claim are life-changing wisdoms from some of the world's most prominent artists.
Hessel's book promises to deliver 366 inspirational quotes, one for every day of the year, from a range of artists past and present. Her own philosophy is summed up in her book: "Be porous." That's big tick for me – I'm already pretty porous anyway, being human and all. Her other mantra? "Smash it." Well, I've just smashed my pen across the room, so I'm on the right track.
As I set about putting Hessel's advice to the test, I wasn't feeling great. My life was in a bit of an existential funk – no work lined up for three months, not had done any exercise in a week and had no idea what I was doing with my life. So when I started reading about 20 October, which advised "action is the antidote to despair", it seemed like just the thing.
But trying to get creative didn't exactly go according to plan. Everything I made that day felt like a failure from the start – but maybe that's just because I wasn't expecting much of myself on an already bad day. Better wait until tomorrow, I thought.
The next day, though, offered some encouragement with "You can't always be 'on'," Hessel says. It seems you don't have to constantly produce; sometimes it's okay to take time out. That was something I could definitely do – I'd been going at a frantic pace all morning already.
The advice continued: "Perhaps it isn't about anything more than what you choose to drink to get you going." Hessel recommends Yorkshire Tea with milk, but I opted for a cup of tea and some water with rosemary instead. Not exactly the most invigorating combo, but at least I was hydrated – so that's something.
As the days went by, things started to improve. On 24 October, I found myself putting everything in my living room on wheels – including a bowl of yoghurt I'd been staring at all morning. It added a delightful thrill of danger and perked me up no end.
The problem with these books, though, is that they're often hard to put down. And when you finally do stop reading them, it can be tough to shake off the feeling that you need to "make more art" or tidy your space or whatever – but some things just aren't going to make a tangible difference in the grand scheme of life.
Take Survival Notes: Life Lessons from Contemporary Artists, which features interviews with artists on how to survive as creatives. The advice is often less "self-helpy" than you might expect – it's more like having a chat with friends about how to navigate things.
I particularly enjoyed Ben Luke's What is Art For? The book centres around his podcast of the same name, which he uses to get his guests talking about their work and influences. It's often hilarious, but also surprisingly insightful – especially when it comes to finding your daily rituals. I'd tried tidying before, but I never thought about how much of a difference it could make.
In fact, it made me realize that maybe some things really do require experts – or at least someone who has been there and done the thing in question. Taking care of yourself is easy when you're young and fit, but what about when life gets harder? Maybe these books aren't just for artists – they could be useful for anyone looking to learn a lesson or two.
One thing's for sure: I'm still putting everything on wheels now, even if it's just my bowl of yoghurt. And maybe next time I try to tidy, I'll actually finish doing it instead of just giving up halfway through the vacuum cleaner.
Hessel's book promises to deliver 366 inspirational quotes, one for every day of the year, from a range of artists past and present. Her own philosophy is summed up in her book: "Be porous." That's big tick for me – I'm already pretty porous anyway, being human and all. Her other mantra? "Smash it." Well, I've just smashed my pen across the room, so I'm on the right track.
As I set about putting Hessel's advice to the test, I wasn't feeling great. My life was in a bit of an existential funk – no work lined up for three months, not had done any exercise in a week and had no idea what I was doing with my life. So when I started reading about 20 October, which advised "action is the antidote to despair", it seemed like just the thing.
But trying to get creative didn't exactly go according to plan. Everything I made that day felt like a failure from the start – but maybe that's just because I wasn't expecting much of myself on an already bad day. Better wait until tomorrow, I thought.
The next day, though, offered some encouragement with "You can't always be 'on'," Hessel says. It seems you don't have to constantly produce; sometimes it's okay to take time out. That was something I could definitely do – I'd been going at a frantic pace all morning already.
The advice continued: "Perhaps it isn't about anything more than what you choose to drink to get you going." Hessel recommends Yorkshire Tea with milk, but I opted for a cup of tea and some water with rosemary instead. Not exactly the most invigorating combo, but at least I was hydrated – so that's something.
As the days went by, things started to improve. On 24 October, I found myself putting everything in my living room on wheels – including a bowl of yoghurt I'd been staring at all morning. It added a delightful thrill of danger and perked me up no end.
The problem with these books, though, is that they're often hard to put down. And when you finally do stop reading them, it can be tough to shake off the feeling that you need to "make more art" or tidy your space or whatever – but some things just aren't going to make a tangible difference in the grand scheme of life.
Take Survival Notes: Life Lessons from Contemporary Artists, which features interviews with artists on how to survive as creatives. The advice is often less "self-helpy" than you might expect – it's more like having a chat with friends about how to navigate things.
I particularly enjoyed Ben Luke's What is Art For? The book centres around his podcast of the same name, which he uses to get his guests talking about their work and influences. It's often hilarious, but also surprisingly insightful – especially when it comes to finding your daily rituals. I'd tried tidying before, but I never thought about how much of a difference it could make.
In fact, it made me realize that maybe some things really do require experts – or at least someone who has been there and done the thing in question. Taking care of yourself is easy when you're young and fit, but what about when life gets harder? Maybe these books aren't just for artists – they could be useful for anyone looking to learn a lesson or two.
One thing's for sure: I'm still putting everything on wheels now, even if it's just my bowl of yoghurt. And maybe next time I try to tidy, I'll actually finish doing it instead of just giving up halfway through the vacuum cleaner.
. It's so inspiring to see how these quotes from artists like Katy Hessel can be applied to our everyday lives. I've been feeling really stuck lately, too (no work lined up, exercise non-existent...), but reading these books has given me a fresh perspective 
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. And I'm all for taking breaks and not putting too much pressure on ourselves, like Hessel says we don't have to be constantly 'on' 
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). Okay, maybe I need to work on that one a bit more... but seriously, these books are giving me so much to think about 
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, but these books are like a breath of fresh air 
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and smashing through limitations ("Smash it") 
. Her quotes are so inspiring - I love how she encourages you to take action against despair 
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. They're actually super practical and accessible, like Ben Luke's What is Art For? where he chats with artists about their daily routines 
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️. And when you're feeling stuck, it's amazing how much wisdom you can glean from people who have been there and done that 
, I'd 100% recommend giving one of these books a go 
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. It's like when Audrey Hepburn said "Nothing is important in life except a kiss" - you don't have to be perfect, just be present 
. And omg, I need to get myself a Yorkshire Tea with milk ASAP 
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. And can we talk about how hard it is to put these books down? It's like, I get the message, but sometimes you just gotta let yourself be a little messy 
. The Survival Notes book also hits home for me - those interviews with artists on how to survive as creatives are so relatable! Who hasn't felt pressure to "make more art" or tidy their space? Not me, that's for sure 
It's like, totally empowering! And Katy Hessel's quotes are everything - I've already started using them in my daily life and I feel so much better. 
! The idea that art can teach us valuable lessons on how to live our lives really resonates with me. I love Katy Hessel's "Be porous" mantra - it's all about being open to new experiences and not being afraid to take risks. And "Smash it" is also a huge win for me, especially when it comes to breaking free from creative blocks 
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. Like, one book has interviews with artists who share their survival tips - and it's actually pretty inspiring 
. And who knows, maybe these books will inspire me to actually tidy my room instead of just giving up