Shaping Destiny: A Quest For Meaning In Art And Life,Used

Product Description1st place winner for nonfiction/ memoir in the 2013 Global Book Contest. This book will change the way you think about art and understand yourself. Shaping Destiny is about the conflicts between who we were taught to be and who we actually are. It drives to the heart of what it means to be a woman and an artist, while it reveals the sources of art that lie hidden in ones own personal experience. This compelling narrative illuminates the creative process, shows us new ways of looking at and talking about art, and demonstrates how making art helps us discover our humanity and determine our lives. The closest literary fellow traveler to Shaping Destiny that comes to mind is Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Shaping Destiny puts a finger on some important truths about the interaction between life and art including the painful and difficult parts and lays bare those truths with courage and conviction Ted Orland, coauthor of the bestselling book Art & FearReview'Allison did a superb job of pouring her heart and soul onto the page and creating an inspiring volume that bridges sculpture to other creative arts and life in general.' Story Circle Book Reviews'Allison is an engaging and passionate writer whose words pull you into and through the story.' craftgossip.com'Allison pulls off a titillating combination of Eat, Pray, Love meets Art & Fear. We easily follow the evolution of her life and art, as she moves harmoniously between heartfelt emotion and mental clarity. The conscious parallels between the relationships in art and life she brings into view in Shaping Destiny click with my own truth that art reflects life and vice versa. Kudos to Allison for originality and brilliance.' Nancy Reyner, best selling author of Acrylic RevolutionFrom the AuthorWriting Shaping Destiny was a cathartic experience for me. It took over ten years to complete. During countless revisions as I pared the book to its current size, I reexamined my life in detail. What I learned was that my life is my greatest work of art and that the creative process is about understanding who I am.It is my sincere hope that Shaping Destiny will help readers on their own journeys to selfactualization. I didn't mince words when I described my experiences so that readers will be able to compare their lives to mine and possibly share similar discoveries.Each of us is taught who we are supposed to be. It is our responsibility to determine who we actually are and create the life we want to live. Being passionate about something, and committing to that passion whether it is for art or literature, gardening or running is what helps us along that path.If you would like to join me as I continue to investigate and explore the things that inspire me, please visit my book blog at shapingdestinythebook.com.About the AuthorDestiny Allison is an artist, a business woman and an author. Her work is collected by public institutions and private individuals internationally. In addition to her numerous awards for excellence in art, she was also recently named Santa Fe Business Woman of the year for 2011. She works as an artist full time. She is also a managing partner in La Tienda at Eldorado a commercial complex, community center, and arts center in Santa Fe, NM. She is represented in prominent galleries across the country and owns her own gallery, Destiny Allison Fine Art, located at La Tienda. Allison's first love was writing. Her first poems were published while she was a child and she received numerous awards during adolescence. The story of how she became a visual artist is told in her book, Shaping Destiny: A quest for meaning in art and life. While her focus over the last 20 years has been primarily on sculpture, Allison also paints on steel using acids and natural oxidation, and in acrylics. Allison currently resides in Santa Fe, Nm.