Books that will make me a better artist in 2024
I was a huge reader when I was younger - I remember my mum taking us on trips to the library and my brother and I taking out the maximum amount of books you were allowed and reading them all within a week.
Sadly, and like many people, the intense reading habit died down as life started to take hold. Between studying, socialising and realising my passion for becoming queen of textile crafts, it fell by the wayside.
Reading is such a valuable tool for personal and professional growth, and it feels only right that it becomes more of a priority. Over the last few years I've slowly built it back up to be the habit that it deserves to be.
I've got quite the stack of books waiting to be read, but I thought today we could focus on the ones that I think will make me a better freelance artist this year.
Before we get into it properly, this is just a note to say all of the links provided are affiliate links, meaning if you purchase them, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Plus - all the books are from Bookshop.org which is a great bookseller that directly supports indie bookshops. Happy book shopping!
First up, we've got a gem by Grayson Perry, Playing To The Gallery.
I feel like this could be a bit of a hidden gem, I'd not heard of it before but it promises to be a look inside of what we define as contemporary art.
What it is, how it comes to exist, how we value what's good and what's bad in art.
I'm sure Perry has a lot of great insights into this topic and I can't wait to get into it.
https://uk.bookshop.org/a/9283/9780141979618
Next up, not specifically an art related book but absolutely one that's valuable to anyone - particularly freelancers.
You're Not Broke, You're Pre Rich by Emilie Bellet.
This book promises to be a complete myth debunker on any and all money topics, including investing, mortgages, savings and many many more. The kind of book you'll read once and then keep coming back to dip into, forever.
https://uk.bookshop.org/a/9283/9781788401418
A little bit of art history next, in Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists by Linda Nochlin.
This promises to be an interesting read, more so because it was actually written originally more than 50 years ago. It'll be interesting to see if it has retained it's relevance, though I strongly suspect it has.
It's a small book but I'm expecting it to be packed with historical points of interest.
https://uk.bookshop.org/a/9283/9780500023846
This next one is for all the procrastinators; Art and Fear by David Bayles and Ted Orland.
This is another little book, but one I'm expecting to be filled with lots of little gems. It covers the reasons we make art, the reasons we don't, and what we can gain when we do. As someone who is a major procrastinator, especially when it comes to creating new work so I'm especially looking forward to getting into this one.
https://uk.bookshop.org/a/9283/9781800815971
These next two books are particularly for my fellow textile queens. This is the year I become a textile expert!
First up is Fabric: The Hidden History of the Material World by Victoria Finlay.
This is a proper deep dive into textiles, almost an anthology of fabric history, covering various types of fabrics and fibres and how they came about. It dives into origins, production, ethics and uses.
It looks like it could be quite heavy going, so might be one that I pick up now and then rather than reading straight through to completion. Either way, it promises to teach a lot.
https://uk.bookshop.org/a/9283/9781781257074
Finally, we're finishing this little round up with another history feature. Embroidering Her Truth by Clare Hunter dives into the connections between politics, textiles, and Mary Queen of Scots. The book promises to uncover the ways in which Queen Mary used textiles to gather support and advance her political agenda.
https://uk.bookshop.org/a/9283/9781529346282
And there we have it, six books that promise to make me a more culturally enriched artist in 2024.