Yes, it’s The Artist’s Way and Vein of Gold author — telling me how to avoid making art? OK, I’ll bite.

So I did. And then I threw the book across the room.

I really hate this book. I mean I really really hate it. I hate it so much that I bought a copy and sent it to my brother with a note that said “this book really pissed me off; I’m wondering if you have the same reaction.”

Well, he did. Except he said “thank you for the awesome book” etc.

The drawings of anthropomorphic animals really get on my nerves. But what I really don’t like is that she didn’t miss a single one of the ways I’ve used over the years to avoid the hard work of what Mary Karr calls “butt-in-the-chair time.” Or something like that.

So now when I’m drifting or stuck, I pick up the book and flip through it to the most obnoxious pages, and get pissed off all over again. It’s really very refreshing.

And, dammit, it actually works.