The Artist's Curse
On Being an Artist Navigating the Art Market & The Art World
Is it a curse-or a cure?
The title hides both. The Artist's Curse (or, if you see it, The Artist's Cure) reflects the paradox at the heart of every creative life: the very struggles that haunt you may be the path to your artistic freedom.
A survival guide. A mirror. A manifesto.
If you've ever doubted your path as an artist, this book will meet you where you are-and help you keep going.
The Artist's Curse is a transformative collection of 365 daily reflections drawn from three decades of creative experience by award-winning artist and author Steve Sabella. With searing honesty and poetic insight, Sabella confronts the hidden struggles of creative life-fear, rejection, ego, exhaustion, artistic paralysis-and transforms them into fierce, liberating wisdom.
Known for his visionary collage work and seminal memoir The Parachute Paradox, Sabella turns his lens inward-toward the unspoken realities artists face and the deep resilience it takes to keep making art in a world that often misunderstands, marginalizes, or commodifies it.
Each entry offers a spark: a truth, a challenge, a reminder. Whether you're just starting out or years into your career, these pages will help you:
"There is nothing like it that has been published yet." - Dr. David Bellingham, Sotheby's Institute of Art
"Steve makes you feel less lonely by transforming stories into a cure for your curse." - Stella Pizzato