All artists struggle with focus, fantasizing and faith, and these books share insight into exactly what it takes to make art. Courtesy the publishers

In a culture inundated with the best of the best, the top ten of anything, the latest and greatest, blockbusters and bestsellers, it is difficult to find books that can teach and inspire an artist and an art lover alike. There are books about art history, art theory, biographies of great artists from the past, opinions about good and bad art, technical books about making art—it goes on and on.

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Books that delve into the making of art by the artists themselves are important and refreshing. Many know of The Letters of Vincent van Gogh, where he writes about his joys and struggles with both painting and living. Ways of Seeing by John Berger is a classic, opening the reader to different ways of thinking and looking at art. Two essential and inspirational books that examine artistic creativity are Philip Guston: Collected Writings, Lectures, and Conversations and The Work of Art by Adam Moss.

The painter, Philip Guston, is an expansive and deep thinker. His views are wide-reaching and precise. In this compilation, we can read how he thinks and creates, how he looks at art, how he makes art, his views on the art world, and so much more. The book consists of interviews with

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