This Is Gonna Hurt: Music, Photography, and Life Through the Distorted Lens of Nikki Sixx

This Is Gonna Hurt combines photography and memoir to present Nikki Sixx's perspective as both a musician and visual artist. Through black-and-white photography and personal essays, the Mötley Crüe bassist documents his creative process and worldview. The book showcases Sixx's photography portfolio, which focuses on subjects often overlooked or marginalized by mainstream society. His written reflections accompany the images, providing context about his artistic choices and personal connections to the work. Sixx shares stories from his music career and personal life, including his experiences with addiction, recovery, and finding new creative outlets. The narrative moves between past and present, connecting his evolution as an artist with broader life lessons. The work explores themes of beauty, acceptance, and the relationship between pain and art. Through his lens and words, Sixx challenges conventional definitions of perfection while examining the role of creativity in healing and self-discovery.

Readers appreciate Sixx's raw honesty about his struggles with addiction, family relationships, and creative process. Many note the book provides deeper insight into his photography work and artistic vision beyond his music career. Likes: - High-quality photography and visual presentation - Personal stories behind each image - Writing style feels like an intimate conversation - Balance of dark and hopeful moments Dislikes: - Some find the photography too disturbing or grotesque - Several readers wanted more focus on Mötley Crüe history - A portion of readers felt the writing was disorganized - Some consider the self-help messages repetitive Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (12,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.6/5 (1,000+ ratings) Reader quote: "Not what I expected - less about music and more about art and personal growth. His photography is haunting but the messages are ultimately uplifting." - Goodreads reviewer

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📚 Nikki Sixx shot all the photographs in the book using a Nikon D700, refusing to digitally manipulate any of the images 🎸 The book reached #4 on The New York Times Best Seller list, making it Sixx's second consecutive NYT bestseller after "The Heroin Diaries" 📷 Many of the subjects photographed in the book were found by Sixx driving around Los Angeles in the middle of the night, seeking out unusual and marginalized people 🎼 The book was accompanied by an original soundtrack album by Sixx's band Sixx:A.M., featuring songs directly inspired by the stories and images within its pages ✍️ Sixx wrote much of the book during his early morning hours (3-6 AM), maintaining the same nocturnal schedule he's kept since his Mötley Crüe days