
Art Matters
Because Your Imagination Can Change the World
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Narrated by:
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Neil Gaiman
About this listen
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 multimedia 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.
©2018 Neil Gaiman (P)2018 HarperCollins PublishersListeners also enjoyed...
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What listeners say about Art Matters
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- Linh
- 01-08-23
Great book
Thai is inspiring what a good book short but gets to the point the reader is the author
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- Chris Pullen
- 11-26-18
Brilliant but short.
Beautiful. The only thing I wish is that there were more of it. Neil is witty, kind and elegant.
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- B. Blanchard
- 10-19-21
Short and insightful
4 essays. Two are only a few minutes long. The other two are less then half an hour each. In them he distills some of tje wisfom he's acquired over the years, like encourage children to read for fun so that they'll read more. The last essay is probably of most value to those who want a careerin the arts. But all the essays are enjoyable.
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- AM Healey
- 06-15-23
Yep yep yup!
Essential listening, essential reading and definitely digestible stuff. Thanks Neil G. This creative definitely looks for the clipboards still!!!
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- Gussy Elvik
- 03-29-24
“Make good art”
Encouraging, thoughtful, helpful, wise, and insightful! Enjoyed the simplicity of the message and yet profound delivery of the importance of literature and sharing with all generations especially the younger generations!
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- A. Yoshida
- 08-22-19
About the importance of reading
It's a collection of speeches/essays about reading for fun, literacy, library funding, and in general, the pursue of artistic endeavors. It's not especially inspirational, like Steve Job's commencement speech. It's a good reflection on instilling the joy of reading in children.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Atefold Path
- 12-12-19
If you haven’t already...listen to this.
Neil Gaiman is one of my...no, he’s my favorite author and without a close second. He’s also the wisest person I’ve ever heard speak or whose words I’ve read. I know that last line is a big assertion, but it’s true.
Art Matters brilliantly marries life’s why and how in the most concise, compelling, and important 43 minute collection of commentaries and speeches. It’s not a story, but it is. It’s as pleasurable and satisfying to listen to as any of his short stories or books and it’s packed with essential nutrients for your mind, your well being, and very likely for those around you too.
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- Amazon Customer
- 11-24-18
Thinking about this.
Could not have said it better, most if not all these thoughts have occurred and I have tried to state them, to deaf ears for the most part, I love this book because Neil has put into words so much better then most of us could. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.
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- Caylin
- 01-07-24
A must read for any artist
For those that are in the arts, wanting to be in the arts, or simply creative in their own way needs to read this. It will give you the encouragement you need and the energy to keep pursuing your craft.
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- Ember Piacitelli
- 03-20-24
The love of Reading and Art in General
I've always been a fan of Gaiman's Make Good Art speech. My English professor posted it as additional material back in 2018 and it's one of the most inspirational things I've ever heard. I also find it quite comforting.
The fact that he also discussed the need for libraries and how no book is necessarily "bad" put the idea into words and I will be pointing others to it in future.
Thank you Mr. Gaiman!
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