The first 240 words from
What Artists Do
“Is art really important? If so, what are the evidence-based
facts, the 'metrics,' that prove its importance?
Or, is the value of art fundamentally not quantifiable?
“A premise of this book is that art is important because
art is part of that nebulous, unquantifiable dimension
of reality we sometimes call 'the poetic.' Religion,
magic, and even love, beauty, and other forms of
non-rational understanding also fall into this category.
The poetic transcends the practical imperatives of life—
and yet it is a building-block of the identities we assign
to ourselves. The poetic is also (importantly) a wellspring
of joy, hope, pleasure, and wonder. . . . It is a
source of comfort and consolation when our fellow
humans beings let us down, and when we feel that the
universe really doesn’t care.”
---
“Those who make art we call artists. Anyone can be an
artist. There are no tests to take, no certification
required, and no particular skills needed. Similarly,
anyone can call themselves an artist. (Conversely,
anyone can be an artist but not call themselves one.)
Accordingly, there are as many ways to be an artist as
there are people on the planet. . . .”
Wabi-Sabi: for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers
Wabi-Sabi: Further Thoughts
Undesigning the Bath
Gardens of Gravel and Sand
13 Books
Arranging Things: A Rhetoric of Object Placement
The Flower Shop: Charm, Grace, Beauty, Tenderness in a Commercial Context