"Start More Than You Can Finish is a fresh, fun rallying cry, directing us to be the courageous, curious creators we were meant to be. Becky Blades shows us how our family of stARTists can start more, finish better, and power up the creative process. It confirms that the stARTist's life is the only life for me!"
—Diana Kander, entrepreneur, New York Times bestselling author of All In Start Up and The Curiosity Muscle
Master the art of the start with this new way of thinking, with exercises to help you unleash your ideas and create more.
In Start More Than You Can Finish, writer, artist, and entrepreneur Becky Blades offers a powerful new mindset for our modern world: acting on more ideas makes us happier – and reveals our highest creativity. She empowers readers to become "stARTists"– initiators with a bias for action and the courage to ignite ideas and introduces the concept of "stARTistry," spotlighting the 4-step starting process:
- Imagine
- Think
- Decide
- Act
Using digestible data, humorous and honest personal experience, interviews with artists and entrepreneurs, and assignments to help you get started, Start More Than You Can Finish challenges the tropes our dads, moms, and third-grade teachers told us about finishing. In today's world, we must, in fact, start more than we can finish.
FOR READERS OF: Start, Do Work That Matters, Show Your Work!, Do It For Yourself, and The Creative Curve
A BOOK FOR RISING CREATORS: A plucky non-fiction creative muse, Start More Than You Can Finish is a guilt-busting pep talk. It’s Austin Kleon meets Elizabeth Gilbert and Julia Cameron meets Daniel Pink.
AN INTRODUCTION TO stARTistry: Get familiar with power of creative initiative and the 4-step process that moves ideas from imagination to action. Reminiscent of NaNoWriMo (No Plot, No Problem) and Listography.
ESTABLISHED AUTHOR: Becky Blades speaks and teaches on the topic of creativity and has written articles for Oprah.com, McSweeneys, Live Happy, and others.
GIFT + SELF PURCHASE: An encouraging gift for a friend, family member or colleague struggling with their creative confidence, or an empowering gift for yourself – to give you the tools to act on your ideas.
Perfect for:
- Fans of Austin Kleon, Elizabeth Gilbert, and Julia Cameron, Daniel Pink
- Creators struggling to begin a new project
- Recent graduates embarking on a career of entrepreneurship or the arts
- Artists and entrepreneurs looking to build creative courage
- Adults searching for creative inspiration
- People with passion projects in mind who might not know how to start
"A buoyant guide to beginning things—and a liberating reminder that they don't all need to get done. If you’ve ever hesitated to launch an idea or a project, this book could be the fuel you need."
—Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and host of the TED podcast WorkLife
"Start More Than You Can Finish reveals a surprisingly productive mindset: No matter how uncertain we might be about the finish, we flourish by acting on our ideas right away and trusting the creative process. This book will inspire you to get started already!"
—Scott Barry Kaufman, host of The Psychology Podcast; author of Transcend founder, Center for Human Potential
"A joyous corrective to all the nay-saying voices in your life—and more importantly, the ones in your head. Becky Blades is your wise and funny guide through the rough terrain of creative work. If you've ever wanted a bit of cheerleading as you faced down your artistic bugbears, this is for you. It's definitely for me!"
—Emily Flake, humorist and cartoonist for the New Yorker, author of That Was Awkward and Mama Tried
"Almost anybody interested in getting more done will find great ideas here. Simply the most important new book on productivity I have seen."
—Henry DeVries, Forbes.com columnist and coauthor of How to Close a Deal Like Warren Buffett
"Every hit you can name likely started as something much different. Start More Than You Can Finish is your key to discovering that life-changing thing you were meant to do."
—John Jantsch, bestselling author of Duct Tape Marketing, The Ultimate Marketing Engine, and The Self-Reliant Entrepreneur
"In the same voice of caring, supportive nurturing that made Do Your Laundry or You'll Die Alone delightful nuggets of chocolate-covered carrots, this book is candy for the soul and nutrition for the mind. A full-meal read that keeps you wanting just one more bite . . . until you're full of creative sparks. Yum!"
—Barbara C. Unell, bestselling author of Discipline with Love & Limits; founder, Raised with Love and Limits Foundation
"Start More Than You Can Finish is a fresh, fun rallying cry, directing us to be the courageous, curious creators we were meant to be. Becky Blades shows us how our family of stARTists can start more, finish better, and power up the creative process. It confirms that the stARTist's life is the only life for me!"
—Diana Kander, entrepreneur, New York Times bestselling author of All In Start Up and The Curiosity Muscle
"The message is clear: The power is in the ignition. Start More Than You Can Finish unpacks inspiring truth about creating."
—Jason Kander, author of Outside the Wire and Invisible Storm: A Soldier's Memoir of Politics and PTSD
"Writing books takes courage, but if you ask for help getting started, you can do almost anything. (Becky let me paint with a mop on a refrigerator box.)"
—True Kander (age 8), coauthor of Courage Is . . .
"Becky Blades is a creative force with the answers to all your excuses. I do whatever she tells me to do, and you should, too. Start More Than You Can Finish will have you starting things that scare you and wondering what took you so long."
—Jen Mann, New York Times bestselling author of People I Want to Punch in the Throat and MidLife Bites