An Absorbing Errand: How Artists and Craftsmen Make Their Way to Mastery Paperback – Illustrated, August 6, 2013

Ms. Smith starts off, in the introduction, writing with the intention of being witty, creative, and different. How irritating. Look how creative I am! Spare me, please.But she gets past that egotistical stuff and begins offering nice discussions of some aspects of being an artist, dealing with rejection, taking the time to do the work, the focus on process rather than outcome, the degree artists go to further their work at the cost to others, etc. Interesting topics, and she gets some depth into her examinations.As a writer for many years, and a PhD in English, I found many of her points are nothing new; but the process of creating needs to be emphasized in our culture. Artists need to know the difficulties of being creative are inevitable, learn to nurture their own process, and not succumb to those difficulties.A solid contribution to the study of creativity. Good work.

A wonderful and inspiring book for all artists and thinkers. This book is a key to breaking down walls which keep us from our best creative selves. It is equally comforting and challenging. It is familiar in its descriptions of the emotions and experiences of the artist. This is a must have in my opinion. You will thank yourself later because of what you gain from this book.

Every artist and craftsperson who has ever struggled with creative process and the doubt that comes with it, will recognize some aspect of their angst in this book. Malamud-Smith uses concrete examples from a range of artistic personalities as the basis for exploring what makes artists 'tick', thus giving assurance to the rest of us that our struggles are not only within the range of normal, but part of the process. Even someone who has never dealt with these personal demons will likely appreciate this book because it is well researched and written.

My field is bioinformatics, programming, math and gene biology, but I found this extremely helpful in describing the process I find myself going through. I was surprised that almost all of her points applied to me. It is a quietly supportive book for any one who has discovered a passion and find themselves pursuing it, but reacting in unexpected ways as they travel down their new path.

This was, truly, the most insightful book I've read on the creative process. Smith offers one unique, thoughtful point after another in this book, weaving together psychological insight, and examination of artists and their process and relationships. It is a gift to anyone who works in a creative field or wants to, great for both students and teachers.

This was a gift for a dear friend who LOVE’S this book

Sometimes a bit academic, particularly the analyses of famous authors, but useful in thinking about the barriers I experience in my own creative work.

Highly recommend for the thoughtful mind and heart. Being a visual artist myself, I found Janna's words food the soul. Her writing is like good, aged wine. You want to sip it slowly, every sentence rich with meaning and insight.

This is an amazing book, written with the insights of a psychotherapist who's also an excellent literary critique. It was both sensitive and sensible and, as such, thoroughly engrossing. I feel I learned a tremendous amount about the act of creation and creative artists themselves. In turn, it allowed me to reflect on my own process of creation and gain insights to my motivations, beliefs, and behavior. A true pleasure.