Be Extraordinary: EBook Now Available!

My new book, Be Extraordinary: Philosophical Advice for Photographic and Other Artists is now available for purchase and immediate download.

(Note that you may also purchase the book from ebook sellers, such as Amazon, Google, or Apple Books. However, if you purchase the ebook directly from my website, you will receive both an EPUB version to use with your e-reader, and a PDF version with high-resolution images, formatted to match the upcoming print edition. Printed copies of the book are expected to begin shipping by the of November, 2024.)

What is this book about? As I explain in the opening pages:

The thesis of this book is this: Meaningful art is an expression—a byproduct—of meaningful living. Meaningful living, in turn, is living according to your own unique personality, values, sensibilities, goals, and circumstances. But art can do more than just express a meaningful life; it can also make life more meaningful.

Be Extraordinary is intended as a book of advice on life an art for artists working in any medium. Although I included more anecdotal references to photography (being my own medium) than to other media, I did not write the book just for photographers .

In the book, I explain the philosophies of life and art (inspired to a large degree by the writings of great thinkers, many of whom I mention in the book) that have guided my work for nearly four decades now. Intending this as a book of serious and sincere advice for fellow artists who wish to gain the greatest personal benefits from their work, I didn’t want this to be just another collection of flowery platitudes and simplistic positive affirmations. I hope this book will challenge you, prompt you to consider seriously how you think about life and art, point you to areas of further study, and inspire you to think about art as more than just a pastime or hobby separate from other aspects of your life.

Why? As I wrote in the latter pages:

You are extraordinary. It’s up to you to decide what to do with it—to suppress it and be ordinary, or embrace it and be extraordinary. Don’t wait too long to decide. With every choice you make, you either bring yourself closer to becoming what you are, living as you are, and expressing who you are, or departing from and suppressing who you are, at the risk of someday discovering you had lived someone else’s life, someone who is not you.

If you are a student of existentialist philosophy, the paragraph above may remind you (correctly) of themes from the writings of Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Sartre, and others. If you are not familiar with these thinkers, I hope this book will also introduce you to some of their important ideas, as well as those of artists, scientists, and other thinkers from various traditions and disciplines.

If you enjoy this or any of my other books, please help me by rating and/or reviewing them on Amazon. These ratings help me sell more copies and support my work on future titles.

Thank you for your interest in and support of my work!

—Guy

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