Erin Austen Abbott

I chose to request this book as someone that is very seriously developing my own creative side hustle. I lack any formal business education, but am working to launch something I can learn with and grow in the future. This book didn't offer any insight or useful advice. It comes off as a series of puff pieces on creative business owners stretched out to book length to showcase the author's skills in layout and photography.

Each chapter features a short interview, a bunch of pictures, a blurb describing how their typical day goes, some kind of step by step craft that can fit on a single page and a playlist.

It doesn't help that I happen to know one of the featured artists. A housewife whose business is certainly a privilege of her husband's good job. I don't know how many of the artists in the book are able run their businesses courtesy of similar arrangements, but I'm pretty suspicious. In a book ostensibly rolemodeling creative entrepreneurs it's pretty irritating to see the sugardaddy factor keeping a business viable.

It shouldn't be surprising the book makes up for it's lack of good business insight with pretty pictures and too many mentions of yoga.… (more)

HOW TO MAKE IT by Erin Austen Abbott is equal parts interview, how to, and day in the life of an artist. With interviews of working artists in every type of medium from metal and wood, to paper and fiber, it gives valuable insight into what it takes to run an artistic business.
Each artist has a How To project or tip included. From making a zippered pouch to creating homemade watercolor paints, this book is great not only for the business minded but the creative soul.
The book is nicely formated and easy to follow with pictures of each artists studio and process. Although personally, being nosy by nature, I would love to see more pictures of each artists work space it works as a well balanced whole. As a bonus it contains a music playlist section from each artist, which is both unique and insightful. HOW TO MAKE IT has something for everyone and is definitely worth a look.… (more)

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

I chose to enter the giveaway for this book because I run a small creative business. I found the interviews with the various business owners to be somewhat helpful. I found most of the shared projects to be a waste of time. There were a few that actually included decent instructions and someone might want to make them.

The book contained a lot of well done photos. I wished to see more photos of the overall work space. The interview format was interesting but limiting. Maybe there could have been less businesses and more in-depth information. There were makers who had outgrown producing everything themselves. How did they going about sourcing and hiring? This book may be good for someone just starting to look at opening a business. For someone already in business, there is just not enough here.… (more)

This is a beautifully designed book, as one anticipates from Chronicle books, although the font was surprisingly small. The content however was somewhat lacking. The artist interviews were not in-depth enough, or focussed enough to give me a sense of their business or their experience. The same questions repeated frequently from interview to interview and there were never follow-up questions to clarify the responses. I have to assume the author circulated a one-size-fits-all questionnaire and picked a few answers from each response. The first-page introduction to each author's business was often quite vague. I'm still not sure what a "bespoke denim line" or "high-end usable art" actually is, and that's all the information we ever get about the products of two businesses. Then the non-specific questions about business and the artist often elicit non-specific answers. And then, the studio pictures are pretty and well arranged on the page, but seldom close-up on anything resembling creative products. A jar of brushes, a parts cabinet presumably holding some kind of artistic tools or supplies (more than once in various studios, someone likes standard parts cabinets), a drawer full of pastels, paint trays with dried paints, are typical photos. Many of the photos aren't even in focus. And, perhaps out of protectiveness towards their creative designs, we don't ever see enough to get a sense of what the people are making. Most of the "projects" included for the reader to attempt are either somewhat vague ("just pull out the materials and go for it. There are no rules" -- actual quote) or simple to the point of banality (thread sequins on a string and make a necklace) -- although "make your own watercolour paints" and the wood finish were pretty cool. So basically, this is a book about people who make some kind of unspecified objects talking vaguely about "business". I wish it could have been more. I've seen such insightful and helpful interviews with artists and designers in, e.g. Victoria magazine or Mary Engelbright magazine. I think the difference was that each interview was done separately with questions appropriate to the artist and business. Ironically, in this book the most specific section was the studio "mixtapes", which I don't feel give any helpful business-related information whatsoever.

2019 update: in my random thrift store wanderings, I came across a book which is much like what I hoped this would have been. Although it does not focus on business plans (but really nor does How to Make It) or quite as much on daily life scheduling (but really, once you say Do All The Things you pretty much covered it), it has extensive in-depth interviews with 21 artists and artisans, covering their life story (what inspired you, how did you learn your craft, when did you quit your day job and why) and including a portrait of each artist and their studio plus many, many photos of their artwork. Muskoka Originals: Artistry and Inspiration on the Muskoka Autumn Studio Tour is the title.… (more)