For everyone who's ever wanted a creative practice of any kind - painting, writing, music, acting - the mission is always the same: to overcome the fear barriers and other process blocks that stand between the artist and the art. John Vorhaus, whose COMIC TOOLBOX has helped so many thousands of writers find their funny, decided to tackle this mission by spending a year exploring visual creativity for the very first time. He reports on his findings - in words and pictures - in the warm and insightful A WHITE BELT IN ART. "I decided to go for the white belt," says Vorhaus, "because it's the one you get for just showing up. I wanted to keep my expectations low." Managing expectations, setting goals, accepting setbacks, finding a voice - these are just some of the challenges the author faced, and helps the reader face, too. Chief among the challenges? "As a creative practitioner of long experience, I expected my outcomes to be good; however, as an artist of no experience, I couldn't expect my outcomes to be good." To resolve this conflict, Vorhaus drew on both a lifetime of creative problem-solving strategies and a newbie's wide-eyed wonder at the miracle to be found in every stroke of art.

The result is not only a candid and articulate look inside one creator's mind and process but also a clear and inviting catalyst for anyone who seeks to meet creative goals. As Vorhaus puts it, "If you're on the road, you're on the road. There's no going back and no standing still." If you're on the road, or want to be, this book will take you by the hand and show you there's a way.