“These kind of books are like candy. They make me feel better in the moment, but ultimately don’t do much towards building a full picture of happiness.
The inherent problem in any book that’s a how-to for something artistic, whether it be writing or painting or making music or the artistry in tailoring a custom Voltron costume, the problem with the how-to book is that when you’re reading the how-to book you’re not doing the actual thing you’re being taught to do. In other words, a book ABOUT writing is probably less helpful to a writer than a book that’s just plain good. A how-to book about painting is probably of less use than a book of paintings you enjoy.
I’m not saying there’s no place for these types of books, and this one is smart because it’s a quick read and it sticks pretty well to the motivational side of things as opposed to the nuts and bolts. It’s good to read motivational stuff, especially because creating art can be a pretty lonely process. It’s just hard to pack away the awareness that while you’re reading about creating art, you could spend that time creating art.”