Books Every Artist Should Read for Direction and Confidence
- Nov 12
- 2 min read
Being an artist isn’t just about creating, it’s about believing.
Believing that your vision is worth sharing, your time is worth paying for, and your growth is worth protecting. These books remind you that art doesn’t have to mean sacrifice. It can mean success, fulfillment, and power.
1. Confidence in Your Craft Means Expecting to Be Paid Your Worth.
Book: Real Artists Don’t Starve by Jeff Goins
My favorite takeaway from this book was discovering that artists like Michelangelo weren’t starving at all, they were thriving! In fact, he was loaded because he knew his work was incredible and wasn’t afraid to value it as such.
The whole “starving artist” myth, it turns out, came from books like La Bohème by Henri Murger, published in 1851, romanticizing struggle as proof of authenticity. Goins dismantles that illusion beautifully.
It’s a quick read, and it's packed with reminders to have faith in your effort, your craft, and your worth. You are a real artist. You don’t have to starve to prove it.
2. Discipline Is Everything. Dedicate Time to Growing as an Artist!
Book: The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
This book is the creative reset button everyone needs at least once in their life. I picked it up after learning that artist Doechii used it to pivot her life after being fired from her corporate job AND NOW she’s a Grammy winner and chart-topping artist. That alone sold me.
Cameron’s “morning pages” and weekly artist dates help you reconnect with your inner voice and treat creativity as a practice, not a mood. It’s about showing up for your craft like it’s your full-time love affair.
This is not a quick read but worth every minute, hour and month you will put into it.
3. Interpretation and Knowledge Make You a Better Artist. Question everything.
Book: Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon
This one’s a cult classic for a reason. Kleon reminds us that nothing is original and that’s the beauty of it. Every artist borrows, bends, and reshapes the world into something new. Learning to see art in everything; books, conversations, street signs, silence... it all makes your own work infinitely richer.
It’s a short, punchy read that makes you want to grab your sketchbook, notebook, or camera and create immediately.
Your vision is worth sharing and that confidence isn’t always loud, it’s consistent! It’s the quiet, steady choice to believe that your work matters and that your time deserves value.
These books aren’t just for artists; they’re for anyone brave enough to call what they do art.
Do you have any recommendations? add em below!
Xoxo!
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