Shut the F*** Up and Create Your F***ing Art by Garrett Robinson

Shut the F*** Up and Create Your F***ing Art by Garrett RobinsonNote: The true title is not masked as you can see on the cover.

It’s the beginning of a new year, a time to make promises not to others, but to yourself. This book, with its irreverent, in your face, brutal language, strips away all the usual excuses for not finishing your creative projects one by one in a way that leaves no room for debate. Either you want to be creative so do, or you’re just talk. There is no middle ground.

I both agree and disagree.

That people who complain instead of working are wasting time, both theirs and those who listen, is true for people who complain randomly as opposed to seeking help when they are stumped. It takes a decision to act for a person who wants to create to overcome the procrastination inherent in talking about something but never working on it.

However, not everyone can make space…usually headspace…for creation at all times. A parent with a high needs child, someone working three jobs to make rent, someone in a health crisis, etc. may be too exhausted because their creative energy is used up in survival. The author may not have faced these kinds of true obstacles, but they do exist.

That said, tons of people are actively putting obstacles in their path that aren’t real, that have no power over them except what these people give the block. I can speak to this having been my own worst enemy for years.

So, this book is not for everyone, and its advice starts with a baseline assumption of what’s possible that isn’t always true for everyone. That said, for those who need a swift kick in the rear, yes, this book might just be a quick cure for the passivity and ennui that plagues you.

The book targets beginners, those who have yet to start their creative journey, but as with most things, there are reminders for people faltering on their path or looking for new solutions to mental blocks.

The book itself has links that are broken, video links I couldn’t watch on my Kindle Paperwhite, and other technical issues, but at its heart, it does exactly what it proposes to do in pushing creative folks out of their doubts and into the act of creation. In that, its value is clear.

As I said in the beginning, it’s the time to push yourself and do something you’ve been talking about forever whether it’s finishing or even starting. This book is useful in pointing out when the main obstacles are nothing more than smoke to cover up fears or doubts holding you back. If you’re willing to put up with harsh, rude language in the hopes of finding motivation at the end of the read, give it a try (it’s free in eBook). Worst case, you won’t have used too much time. Best? Well, you could break through that smoke and discover a fire of a different type that raises your spirits and inspires you to greatness.

Start this year with a bang instead of the usual shrug.

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