The author of this book is a coach, educator, and professional musician. Through music she has learned how artistic practice can become support for a more joyful life.
Estevez points to studies from the University of Chicago and clinical psychology journals and quotes insights from creatives such as Mary Oliver, Julia Cameron, Madeleine L’Engle, and Brene Brown toward locating the “inner artist-child” inside every person (ch. 1) and overcoming reasons why many people refuse to exercise their creativity. As examples of the latter, see chapters 6 and 7 on “why being you is better than being normal,” and “your work is not for everyone, and that’s okay.”
Estevez wants to help readers locate their “truest, most joyful, creative self,” and she seems to understand all of the reasons people use to avoid doing so. There are also helpful sections on how to best incorporate — or ignore — feedback that is not positive. (See the excerpt accompanying this review on how to navigate “the feedback loop.”)
A final chapter encourages the reader to create their own “artist’s oath,” spurred on by the one Estevez wrote for herself, which begins, “I joyfully swear to keep showing up. Even when I wonder if I am a great big fake or a complete hack.” Dozens more statements follow, making her sample oath both encompassing and inspiring. All of this is followed by “self-coaching questions,” which are in fact utilized effectively at the end of every chapter in the book.
