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    Art Matters: Because Your Imagination Can Change the World
    Art Matters: Because Your Imagination Can Change the World
    Art Matters: Because Your Imagination Can Change the World
    Audiobook50 minutes

    Art Matters: Because Your Imagination Can Change the World

    Written by Neil Gaiman and Chris Riddell

    Narrated by Neil Gaiman

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    A stunning and timely creative call-to-arms combining four extraordinary written pieces by Neil Gaiman.

    “The world always seems brighter when you’ve just made something that wasn’t there before.”—Neil Gaiman

    Drawn from Gaiman’s trove of published speeches, poems, and creative manifestos, Art Matters is an embodiment of this remarkable multi-media artist’s vision—an exploration of how reading, imagining, and creating can transform the world and our lives.

    Art Matters bring together four of Gaiman’s most beloved writings on creativity and artistry:

    • “Credo,” his remarkably concise and relevant manifesto on free expression, first delivered in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo shootings
    • “Make Good Art,” his famous 2012 commencement address delivered at the Philadelphia University of the Arts
    • “Making a Chair,” a poem about the joys of creating something, even when words won’t come
    • “On Libraries,” an impassioned argument for libraries that illuminates their importance to our future and celebrates how they foster readers and daydreamers.

    Art Matters is a stirring testament to the freedom of ideas that inspires us to make art in the face of adversity, and dares us to choose to be bold.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateNov 20, 2018
    ISBN9780062906922
    Art Matters: Because Your Imagination Can Change the World
    Author

    Neil Gaiman

    Neil Gaiman is the New York Times bestselling and multi-award winning author and creator of many beloved books, graphic novels, short stories, film, television and theatre for all ages. He is the recipient of the Newbery and Carnegie Medals, and many Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, and Will Eisner Awards. Neil has adapted many of his works to television series, including Good Omens (co-written with Terry Pratchett) and The Sandman. He is a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR and Professor in the Arts at Bard College. For a lot more about his work, please visit: https://www.neilgaiman.com/

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    Reviews for Art Matters

    4.5/5

    270 ratings28 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      These are the kind of books I lean on when things get dire.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      As an artist, this book made me laugh and cry. It is so important to keep living in our imaginations as the suffocating world around us crushes that creativity. I walk away with these words reverberating in my head... MAKE GOOD ART! Thank you Neil Gaiman.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      I am not an artist or a writer, but Neil Gaiman makes me want to be.
    • 4/5
      Heartfelt and inspiring tribute to the power of literacy and imagination
    • 5/5
      Neil Gaiman can do no wrong and I wish I read whatever he keeps in a drawer that will never see the light of day.
    • 5/5
      Beautifully written and nicely narrated. This book is some sort of a good advise from Neil to us, an awesome reminder, an outstanding confession, and a lovely suggestion...Worth it!
    • 5/5
      Amazing ! A must read and very valuable for today’s generation.
    • 5/5
      This book is so motivational and inspiring! Whether you're a writer, an artist, a photographer or anything else that is creativity-related, this will boost you. I'll gladly listen to it again whenever I need a push or wise advice.

      It was really enjoyable.
    • 5/5
      Wow, everyone needs to read or hear this at least once. Powerful stuff and it’s an hour. Do it
    • 5/5
      Really enjoyed this, short and to the point. Illustrations are fantastic.
    • 5/5
      Masterpiece! A must read/listen by all aspiring writers. Thank You, Neil!
    • 5/5
      This summary made me want to read the entire book. The poor working man or woman is exploited the world over. Power to the underdog.
    • 5/5
      The introduction to this work is filled to the brim with messages that the world needs right now desperately. In a world where our culture is fracturing and we are becoming more violent and tribal (in the wrong way, there will continue to be a need for words like this. If Locke went a bit mad and decided to rewrite his philosophy to appeal to the masses it would sound something like this.
    • 5/5
      Inspiring letters from Neil Gaiman with illustrations from Chris Riddell for all those who are creative.To start off, as a librarian, I absolutely love Gaiman’s stance on the importance of libraries and librarian staff. His reasoning for loving them is the same as mine - to open worlds up to all.“Fiction builds empathy. Fiction is something you build up from twenty-six letters and a handful of punctuation marks, and you, and you alone, using your imagination, create a world, and people in it and look out through other eyes. You’re being someone else, and when you return to your own world, you’re going to be slightly changed.”This book makes you think you can do anything. And sometimes, especially as a writer struggling to find words, this book is what you need to crack your knuckles and get back to work.I borrowed this from work, but I have a feeling I’m going to try and find my own copy of this for myself as a kick in the butt for motivation when I need it.
    • 5/5
      This is a really motivating and quick read. Honestly, perfect for New Year’s Day since it made me excited about the creative goals for this year. I recommend for any young artist or fan of Neil Gaiman. Riddell’s illustrations pair perfectly with Gaiman’s words.
    • 5/5
      Everyone should read this, I'm serious.
    • 4/5
      A charming little book sure to give heart to anyone creative who is going through a stage of uncertainty.
    • 5/5
      Downloaded the ebook and loved it so much only 3 pages in that I bought a copy. Great little reminder that art matters.
    • 4/5
      This was a great collection of Neil's stories paired with the beautiful artwork of Chris Riddell.
    • 3/5
      make good art! <3
    • 4/5
      This was obviously a quick read. But it was a powerful one. I miss my creativity. I miss creating. Even slowing down from work doesn't spark anything.This was a good kick in the pants.
    • 4/5
      Lovely words from a lovely man. Inspiring for any soul, but especially those of aspiring artists.
    • 4/5
      Short, opinionated essays to encourage you to:Make Good Artand remind you that libraries and librarians matter, as they help make literate citizens.Amusingly illustrated by Chris Riddell.
    • 3/5
      One of those little overpriced gift books (thank goodness for the library!) that takes about 15 minutes to read. Chris Riddell provides lots of nice spot illustrations for quotes and excerpts from Neil Gaiman about the value of books, reading, libraries, librarians, creativity, and freedom of speech. These are all sentiments I can get behind.
    • 3/5
      I wouldn't have purchased the book, if I had seen it in person first. There are 3 or 4 brief statements (I don't think any of which qualifies as an essay) by Neil Gaiman about living as an artist. I felt that the illustrations took away from the text, and would have preferred to read a text-only version. It would have filled about 3 pages of 12pt type.
      More power to anyone who feels inspired or motivated by this friendly author's kind and optimistic words. Neil is often worth hearing, and the 3 stars are for his sentiments - a couple of which are revelatory and interesting.
    • 3/5
      Not quite manifesto, nor even collection of aphorisms. Gaiman's humour is present, to be sure, and his understated sense of conviction, as well. Riddell's illustrations very much come across as having been created to support the words, which in fact is what was requested. Together, a concise yet worthwhile package which doesn't overstay its welcome.
    • 5/5
      Neil Gaiman’s Art Matters: Because Your Imagination Can Change the World reprints four of Neil Gaiman’s essays on the importance of ideas, literacy, and art with illustrations by Chris Riddell. The first essay, “Credo,” discusses the importance of free expression and debate in an open society. The second essay, “Why Our Future Depends on Libraries, Reading and Daydreaming,” Gaiman argues for books’ longevity compared to other forms of media and how they, the libraries and librarians who support them, and daydreaming lead to people thinking creatively and making a better future. He argues for the importance of literacy to all peoples in all societies. The third essay, “Making a Chair,” humorously compares writing a book to the difficulties one may find in assembling a chair. The final essay, “Make Good Art,” was Neil Gaiman’s 2012 commencement address at Philadelphia’s University of the Arts and discusses the importance of art in making life worthwhile, no matter what that art may be. Riddell’s illustrations delightfully bring to life Gaiman’s words in a volume that will delight all who enjoy Gaiman’s non-fiction work.
    • 5/5
      The best review I can give this book is to just read it, absorb it, live it, read it again.