Advance Praise for Skip to the Fun Parts
‘‘A relief and an antidote to bullshit. Maier's comics don’t try to prop you up with inspirational platitudes, they sit with you and caterwaul about how being an artist feels like hell. Luckily this book also provides professional advice, such as: it can be motivating to have a nemesis, sometimes it's helpful to stare at a famous work of art and think about how ugly it is, and when in doubt, draw a bunch of weird fish.”
—Lisa Hanawalt, creator of Tuca and Bertie and producer/production designer of Bojack Horseman
‘‘A funny, irreverent sendup of creative self-help and a comforting depiction of the agony and ecstasy in the creative process. I found a lot to steal!”
—Austin Kleon, NYT bestselling author of STEAL LIKE AN ARTIST
‘‘Part memoir and part commentary, Dana Maier's insightful, laugh-inspiring and delightfully illustrated observations are perfect for artists and non-scribblers alike.” - Nick Galifianakis, Rueben-award winning cartoonist with the Washington Post
Skip to the Fun Parts
Cartoons and Complaints About the Creative Process
The perfect companion for anyone struggling to keep their sense of humor while staring at a blank page, Skip to the Fun Parts is filled with cartoons, commiserations, and jokes about the creative process. And best of all, it’s 100% advice-free!
Like you, cartoonist Dana Jeri Maier wants a creativity shortcut—a magical fairy who will grant both brilliant ideas and the discipline to churn them out. This book is not that magical shortcut—you won’t find stirring literary quotes or a foolproof system for sparking inspiration here—but it does provide amusing insights about the often-painful act of making something original.
Drawing on her experience as a cartoonist for The New Yorker and other publications, Maier explores topics like procrastination, the benefits of having an artistic nemesis, and the power of channeling your inner six-year-old. While more traditional creativity guides often make readers feel judged, Skip to the Fun Parts offers amusing insights about the realities of the creative process. For anyone who has ever struggled with staying inspired or motivated, Maier is a funny and reassuring friend to keep you company along the way.
‘‘I laughed through the entirety of Skip to the Fun Parts, with resonance and recognition for the hilariously enormous range of challenges a person goes through while simply putting pen to paper. But by the end, I realized my laughter had turned into tears. For the first time ever, I was reading a book about the creative process that put the emphasis on playfulness, experimentation, and enthusiasm. I realized that my spark for art had returned, because Dana Jeri Maier was giving me full permission to tap into what makes art so fun in the first place. My inner 5-year-old was rejoicing and my current blah-blah-year-old was in love with creativity again. Of all the books I've ever read on the creative process (and I've read every one), this is by far the most useful, for its ability to remind me why we make art in the first place. I know I will turn to it again and again whenever I need to re-ignite the spark of childlike joy that fuels creativity.’’
—Mari Andrew, NYT bestselling author of Am I There Yet? and My Inner Sky
‘‘We all know "how to be creative" books are bullshit. Dana Jeri Maier knows it too: instead of advice, she offers commiseration—the knowing, rueful, funny kind only a fellow artist can offer. Skip to the Fun Parts isn't predicated on you waking up tomorrow as a far more disciplined, organized, motivated person than you've ever shown any sign of becoming; it accepts that you are lazy and negligent and easily distracted. It'll make you laugh, and nod, and wince just a bit; it might even (no guarantees!) help.’’
—Tim Kreider, author of I Wrote This Book Because I Love You and We Learn Nothing