Real Artists Wear Black

A rallying cry and blueprint for creatives everywhere, this boldly unapologetic handbook is The Artist’s Way meets Steal Like an Artist—shot through with truth serum.

Real Artists Wear Black is a no-nonsense survival guide that tells it like it really is, exposing the raw truth about pursuing an artistic life. While other creativity books offer gentle encouragement and morning pages, this guide tackles head-on the very real obstacles that derail artists’ careers and dim their creative lights. Drawing from thousands of artist interviews and her own journey from disillusioned art school grad to successful (money-making! gallery-showing! lecture-giving! not totally disillusioned!) artist, Danielle shatters the 20 most damaging myths in the art world: “Serious artists don’t have day jobs,” “Mothers can’t be artists, “Self-taught doesn’t count,” and more. Each chapter combines a sharp analysis of the origins of these lies with practical strategies for overcoming them, supported by success stories from renowned contemporary artists including Amy Sherald, Petah Coyne, and others who’ve faced these exact challenges.

Having survived the full spectrum of art world bullshit in her decades-long career—from brutal critiques to patronizing opinions about “worthy” materials and themes, plus plenty of ageism and sexism—Danielle is done being polite and accommodating. She’s ready to reveal what really happens when you pursue a creative life. Written with feminist fire and a glint of anti-establishment wit, Real Artists Wear Black delivers the candid mentorship that emerging artists are starved for.