Heart to Start

You have something to offer the world. Find the inspiration and motivation to finally start making your art.

In The Heart to Start David Kadavy, bestselling author of Design for Hackers, shows you how to overcome fear, self-doubt, and distractions to win the inner war and finally let your art shine.

Through the stories of great creators, from Picasso to Maya Angelou, interwoven with David's rise from cubicle-dweller to bestselling author, and from the guests of David's podcast, Love Your Work, you'll learn:

• What "inner war" keeps your art inside you? You'll learn from Steven Pressfield, Ryan Holiday, and Sean Stephenson.
• Where can you find explosive ideas worth following? Learn about the magic of your inner voice from Maya Angelou, the Impressionist painters, and J. K. Rowling.
• Why is perfectionism the most dangerous form of procrastination, and what can you do about it? You'll hear from Ira Glass and Ed Sheeran.
• How can your big dreams actually hold you back? You'll learn from daredevil Evel Knievel and cartoonist Hugh MacLeod.
• What motivational martial art can knock your ego on its back and propel your project forward? Learn from behavioral scientist Dan Ariely, and a U.S. submarine captain.

If you're a writer, artist, filmmaker, musician, or entrepreneur, you'll find the inspiration and mindset to bust through fear, self-doubt, and procrastination to show your work to the world.

"The Heart to Start is solid advice from David Kadavy. It's not too late." 
--Seth Godin

"Here's the thing. You need to start something, and you already know what it is. But you're afraid. You don't have enough time. You can think of a million reasons to not do this. And that's what this book will help you overcome. Read it, then share it with a friend. I loved it." 
--Jeff Goins, bestselling author of Real Artists Don't Starve

"I wish this was the book I started with. I desperately needed it. Fortunately, I can start again. By reading this book!" 
--James Altucher, entrepreneur and bestselling author of Choose Yourself

"All change starts with a single step. In The Heart to Start, David generously shares his hard-earned wisdom about how to take that first step. If you want to do more work that matters this book will show you how to begin."
--Bernadette Jiwa Author of Story Driven
From Publisher's Weekly:
In this encouraging guide, Kadavy (Design for Hackers), shows how to jump-start one's creativity. Kadavy uses material from his podcast, Love Your Work; entertaining metaphors; and vignettes from his life and those of a myriad of others such as a behavioral scientist, a board game creator, a singer-songwriter, and a chef to highlight the obstacles that prevent people from starting their creative projects.

Original terms, such as "the Fortress Fallacy" (imagining one's project in its most ambitious possible form before even starting) and "Inflating the Investment" (overestimating how much time and energy projects will take) clearly illustrate the thinking that leads to procrastination. The practical advice and techniques that Kadavy provides for circumventing distorted thinking and ego-driven insecurities, such as "motivational judo," in which "you use the force of your own ego to kickstart your project," make it sound relatively easy to start creating, but Kadavy is careful to keep expectations realistic.

Reassuring reminders not to be defeated by discomfort, perfectionism, and the fear of others' judgments, and to follow one's curiosity and passion, round out this lively, motivating entry into the self-help genre.

"Here's the thing. You need to start something, and you already know what it is. But you're afraid. You don't have enough time. You can think of a million reasons to not do this. And that's what this book will help you overcome. Read it, then share it with a friend. I loved it."

--Jeff Goins, best-selling author of Real Artists Don't Starve