Art Matters: Because Your Imagination Can Change the World

Nice little book with drawings which is inspiring and encourages you to read, write draw and produce art. Easy read, took all of one hour from start to finish.

When the master of dark, deep fiction makes any comment in public, it's usually worth listening to.This little book matches Neil Gaimon's views on art and other subjects with the wonderful sketches of Chris Riddell.The result is a little gem.

Everything written makes perfect sense, for years I’ve worked in ok jobs to pay the way, not jobs I hated; nor jobs I loved but jobs to put bread on the table. Now I’ve retired I don’t need to worry so I’ll make art without fear, I don’t care if anyone likes or hates it so long as I enjoy making it so thats what my mission is now

There is not much content, however I found the illustrations very good and there are some wise words.

This is by no means a weighty tome.It took me about half an hour to read it cover to cover. That does not, however, detract from what's inside it.I suspect this will be a book that I will carry with me.It holds wisdom of the quirky style of Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett which speaks to me.It all makes sense and makes you think but, also imbues you with a sense of peace.I would imagine there will be people who will think it's a waste of money or, frivolous.If so, they have missed the point of the book entirely!

I bought this when I was feeling ready to quit and needed a boost. Anything by Neil Gaiman is worth reading IMO, this little book (and the beautiful illustrations) is no exception. A truly lovely reminder of the importance of art!

A book for life. Inspiring and hopeful.

All you need to know is that its Neil Gaiman, and therefore by default, superb. Add to that the amazing art work of Chris Riddell and you have a beautiful, inspirational little book to bask in. Marvellous stuff.

So wonderful and inspiring. I read this with my eight year old. I would say this is a great read for a child to anyone who has a love for art, literature, and free thinking. Well written, simple ideas, well illustrated. It is simply put, and yet magical at the same time. Much thanks to Mr. Gaiman, for providing me with another joyful read!

Excelente calidad, llegó a tiempo. Las ilustraciones son bellísimas y los pasajes motivadores. En conjunto generan inspiración. Es breve pero a la vez hace que quieras leerlo muchas veces, se trata de varios manifiestos sobre la importancia del arte y la creatividad en la vida de los seres humanos.

“If you have an idea of what you want to make, what you were put here to do, then just go and do that. And that’s much harder than it sounds and, sometimes in the end, so much easier than you might imagine.”I’ve never read a Neil Gaiman book before this because fantasy and horror are not my reading genres of choice. (It took me 23 years to pick up Harry Potter and that itself speaks volumes.) Be that as it may, I knew I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this.Art Matters is a pocket-sized book filled with lifetimes of wisdom. You can call them short essays, or snippets of his life, or light-bulb moments, but the words on every page jump out to grab your attention.While he speaks from the point of writing as is his experience, he makes it clear that Art in every form is valuable and must see the light of day. If you imagine something and get excited enough to want it to exist in reality, you enjoy every moment spent on making it happen. You will always have something new to look forward to and won’t regret your choices.Chris Riddell’s illustrations are part of the reason this book has such an impact. Riddell brings out the emotion in Gaiman’s words through his pencil sketches. Each page is frame-worthy and someday I’m going to put these up in my dream library.When you don’t receive the validation you seek and feel lost at sea, this book will come as the tiny streak of light making its way to you through an obscure hole in the dark cave. No matter what life brings to you, make good art. Because when the going gets tough, your imagination is what will get you going.For complete review, visit aquamarineflavours.wordpress.com

Me ha gustado mucho para meditar y tener ánimos para escribir, leer, pintar, etc. Las ilustraciones son simples y bien hechas. La selección de textos de sus discursos también está muy bien. Es un bonito detalle para regalar a alguien que ama el arte, el mundo y a Neil Gaiman.

This little compendium of words and pictures by a now-famous author and an equally famous illustrator takes us back to the origins of why we make art, and provides inspiration for keeping it up when we’re faced with uncertainty — or failure. This book should be required reading for every child, as well as for the adults they become, for we need to be constantly reminded that Art Matters, and that we can go on making it.