Think Like an Artist

Think Like an Artist by BBC Arts editor Will Gompertz - wisdom and smart thinking from Da Vinci to Ai Weiwei It's easy to romanticize artists, but they are actually some of the most practical, business-savvy, fun-loving, and fulfilled people to have lived. Celebrate your creativity. The 21st century needs us to conceive and realize ideas of value more than ever. Like Caravaggio, add rigour to your passions, which drives ideas. Be an entrepreneur. Like Warhol and Hirst, make creativity your most bankable asset. Even Van Gogh said: 'It is absolutely my duty to try to make money by my work.' Master your tools. Don't let computers, phones and email rule your life - follow Grayson Perry's example, and avoid distractions and procrastinating on craft. Continually seek out competition and inspiration. Like Picasso and Matisse, like-minded individuals can spur you on. Be brave, and don't be afraid to move to where the competition is, if that is a job or a city. This witty and inspiring book identifies ten lessons we can learn from the greatest artists across history, and interviews leading contemporary artists who are putting these skills into use today. Beautifully designed with cartoons, illustrations, and colour pictures of the key artworks, it will give you the tools to unlock your creativity and thrive at work and in your personal life. It will be enjoyed by fans of Paul Arden's book It's Not How Good You are, it's How Good You Want to be, Alain de Botton's How Proust can Change Your Life and My Name is Charles Saatchi and I am an Artoholic. As the BBC's Arts Editor, Will Gompertz has interviewed and observed many of the world's leading artists, directors, novelists, musicians, actors and designers. Creativity Magazine in New York ranked him as one of the 50 most original thinkers in the world. He is the author of the international bestselling art history book What Are You Looking At? Which has been published in over 15 languages.