Artists Gain Valuable Advice in Dorrell Book

The following article appeared in the Columbia Tribune
December 5, 2004

Columbia Tribune


By JAMES DOWNEY Special to the Tribune
Published Sunday, December 5, 2004

I hate Paul Dorrell.

I hate him for having a successful gallery of fine art representing only Kansas and Missouri artists, when I had to close Legacy Art this past spring.

I hate him for being a published novelist, while I still struggle to catch the eye of a senior editor.

But mostly, I hate him for not having written "Living the Artist’s Life" 10 years ago. Because if this book had been around then, not only would my life have been easier, but it would have helped countless other artists and authors that much sooner.

There’s a reason why this book quickly is becoming a phenomenon in the art community and why it has been embraced by numerous university and college programs in the arts. That reason is that it gives artists — prospective artists, emerging artists, even established artists — a lifeline, a touchstone, which says "the life is hard, but it is worth living."

Dorrell owns Leopold Gallery in Kansas City. He also is an artist in his own right. He has been through enough to know what he’s talking about. And he talks in a clear, first-person voice that is full of emotion and tangible good advice. His book is an extended personal essay, in which he reveals his prolonged flirtation with bankruptcy at his gallery, the toll that running a struggling business took on his home life and his own art, occasional thoughts of suicide and how he managed to learn enough to not only survive but help other artists.

The book is full of enough nuts-and-bolts knowledge about how the art world works to provide fresh insight to even well-connected artists. Stuff such as how to put together a portfolio; how to approach a gallery; the value of art fairs and whether or not to haggle over prices; what a contract is worth; and how to make sure you get paid.

But more than that, "Living the Artist’s Life" is a lifeline for anyone pursuing art as a vocation. Reading how he copes with rejection; how discipline in working can lead you out of even the worst depressions; and how, in spite of all the aggravation, the road is worth taking, regardless of how commercially successful you are, gives comfort and support and makes you realize that, as lonely as it is, you’re not alone. Dorrell writes: "Every living artist I’ve ever worked with, and every deceased artist I’ve ever studied, have all shared one simple trait: each of them has gone through varying levels of self-doubt; each of them, at different times of their lives, has questioned the worth of their talent."

Even if you’re not a working artist or a dabbler in the arts, this book is worth reading because of the insight it gives into why artists create and what their value is to society. If I still had Legacy, I’d find a way to buy cases of this book and just hand them out to our patrons.

But I don’t, so you’ll have to buy your own. It is available for $23.95 for the hardback and $16.95 for the recently released paperback.

Edited by Columbian Greg Michalson, this is a book for every artist or anyone who loves art. As Dorrell says: "Read the book. It’s brief enough. After you’ve finished, hopefully you’ll come away with a better grasp of the art world and why that world is so crucial to yours."

“Living the Artist’s Life: A Guide to Growing, Persevering, and Succeeding in the Art World” by Paul Dorrell;
Hillstead Publishing (174 pages, $23.95)

A Guide to Growing, Persevering, and Succeeding in the Art World