What It Is

What It Is combines autobiography, philosophical inquiry, and artistic instruction through a unique collage-based format. The book presents as a visual journal filled with drawings, photographs, found objects, and handwritten text. Lynda Barry examines core questions about creativity and imagination through her own childhood experiences and adult reflections. The narrative moves between Barry's memories of learning to draw as a child and her current work teaching others to unlock their creative potential. The book operates simultaneously as a memoir, a meditation on the nature of images and creativity, and a practical workbook for aspiring artists. Through exercises and prompts scattered throughout the text, readers are invited to engage directly with the creative process. This genre-defying work explores fundamental questions about the relationship between memory, imagination, and artistic expression. The multi-layered approach suggests that creativity exists at the intersection of conscious thought and unconscious image-making.

Readers describe the book as an unconventional workbook that combines collage art, memoir, and writing exercises. The format resonates with both artists and writers who feel creatively blocked. Readers appreciate: - Unique visual approach to teaching creativity - Personal stories that connect to universal experiences - Exercises that bypass self-criticism - Success using it in writing classes and workshops Common criticisms: - Dense, chaotic visual style can overwhelm - Some find exercises too abstract or open-ended - Cost is high for a workbook - Paper quality makes it difficult to write in Ratings: Goodreads: 4.3/5 (6,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.6/5 (580+ ratings) Reader quote: "Like having a conversation with your artistic inner child" - Goodreads reviewer Critical quote: "Beautiful to look at but impractical to use as an actual workbook" - Amazon reviewer

Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud A visual examination of artistic creation combines comics, memoir, and theory to explore the mechanics of visual storytelling.

Making Comics by Lynda Barry The follow-up to What It Is presents techniques and exercises for discovering stories through drawing and visual thinking.

Picture This by Lynda Barry A companion volume uses the same collage-workbook format to investigate the nature of images and the act of drawing.

Art and Fear by David Bayles, Ted Orland This meditation on artistic creation examines the process of making art through the lens of practical experience and observation.

The Creative License by Danny Gregory A combination of illustrated journal entries and drawing exercises guides readers through the fundamentals of creative expression.

🎨 Lynda Barry created this groundbreaking book while teaching a workshop called "Writing the Unthinkable" at universities, where students explored creativity through memory and images. 📝 The book's unique format combines collage, autobiography, drawing exercises, and philosophical questions, using both handwritten text and mixed media artwork on yellow legal paper. 🎓 Before becoming an acclaimed cartoonist and author, Barry worked as a janitor while attending college at Evergreen State College, where she met and became friends with Matt Groening, creator of "The Simpsons." 🌟 What It Is won the 2009 Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work and has become a foundational text in many creative writing and art programs. ✍️ The book originated from Barry's own struggle with writer's block and her quest to understand why people stop drawing and writing as they grow older, leading her to develop methods to help others rediscover their creative spark.