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David Kadavy

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The Heart to Start: Stop Procrastinating & Start Creating (Getting Art Done Book 1) Kindle Edition

by David Kadavy (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.5 1,514 ratings

Book 1 of 2: Getting Art Done

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It’s a terrible feeling.

To know you have a gift for the world.

But to be utterly paralyzed every time you try to discover what that gift is.

Stop procrastinating and start creating!

In The Heart to Start, blogger, podcaster, and award-winning designer David Kadavy takes you on his journey from Nebraska-based cubicle dweller to jet-setting bestselling author, showing you how to stop procrastinating, and start creating.

The original and battle-tested tactics in The Heart to Start eliminate fear in your present self, so you can finally become your future self:

Tap into the innate power of curiosity. Find the fuel to propel you through resistance.
Catch yourself “Inflating The Investment.” Prevent self-destructive time sucks and find the time to follow your art, even if you feel like you have no time at all.
Bust through “The Linear Work Distortion.” Inspire action that harnesses your natural creative style.
Supercharge your progress with “Motivational Judo.” Lay perfectionism on its back while propelling your projects forward.

Inspiring stories weave these techniques into your memory. From Maya Angelou to Seth Godin. From J. K. Rowling to Steven Pressfield. You'll hear from a Hollywood screenwriter, a chef, and even a creator of a hit board game.

Whether you’re writing a novel, starting a business, or picking up a paintbrush for the first time in years, The Heart to Start will upgrade your mental operating system with unforgettable tactics for ending procrastination before it starts, so you can make your creative dreams a reality.

Take your first step and click the buy button. Download The Heart to Start, and unlock your inner creative genius today!

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Heart to Start is solid advice from David Kadavy. It's not too late."
--Seth Godin

"Here's the thing. You need to start something, and you already know what it is. But you're afraid. You don't have enough time. You can think of a million reasons to not do this. And that's what this book will help you overcome. Read it, then share it with a friend. I loved it."
--Jeff Goins, bestselling author of Real Artists Don't Starve

"I wish this was the book I started with. I desperately needed it. Fortunately, I can start again. By reading this book!"
--James Altucher, entrepreneur and bestselling author of Choose Yourself

"All change starts with a single step. In The Heart to Start, David generously shares his hard-earned wisdom about how to take that first step. If you want to do more work that matters this book will show you how to begin."
--Bernadette Jiwa, author of Story Driven

"Too many people take their best work to the grave with them. Don't let that be you! The Heart To Start will help you get that work into the world where it belongs."
--Todd Henry, author of Die Empty

From Publisher's Weekly:
In this encouraging guide, Kadavy (Design for Hackers), shows how to jump-start one's creativity. Kadavy uses material from his podcast, Love Your Work; entertaining metaphors; and vignettes from his life and those of a myriad of others such as a behavioral scientist, a board game creator, a singer-songwriter, and a chef to highlight the obstacles that prevent people from starting their creative projects.

Original terms, such as "the Fortress Fallacy" (imagining one's project in its most ambitious possible form before even starting) and "Inflating the Investment" (overestimating how much time and energy projects will take) clearly illustrate the thinking that leads to procrastination. The practical advice and techniques that Kadavy provides for circumventing distorted thinking and ego-driven insecurities, such as "motivational judo," in which "you use the force of your own ego to kickstart your project," make it sound relatively easy to start creating, but Kadavy is careful to keep expectations realistic.

Reassuring reminders not to be defeated by discomfort, perfectionism, and the fear of others' judgments, and to follow one's curiosity and passion, round out this lively, motivating entry into the self-help genre.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B077XRMBR9
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kadavy, Inc. (December 3, 2017)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 3, 2017
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1211 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 140 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #201,469 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #92 in Starting a Business (Kindle Store)
- #148 in Time Management in Business
- #153 in Creativity Self-Help

Customer Reviews:
4.5 1,514 ratings

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David Kadavy

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David Kadavy is a bestselling author whose books help people be productive when creativity matters. He was design advisor for behavioral scientist Dan Ariely’s productivity app, Timeful, where David’s “mind management” principles were applied to features now used by millions – in Google Calendar. He lives in Medellín, Colombia. Follow him on Twitter or Instagram at @kadavy.

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Customers find the book provides valuable advice and practical action steps for starting an artistic career. They describe it as a quick, enjoyable read that makes perfect sense. The writing style is concise, easy to understand, and well-written. Readers feel inspired and hopeful about their artistic passion after reading the book. They appreciate the author's authenticity, honesty, and straightforward advice. Overall, customers find the book resonates with them and provides helpful guidance for getting started.

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Advice Readability Writing style Art creation Authenticity Taste Resonance Start-up advice

186 customers mention "Advice"181 positive5 negative

Customers find the book provides valuable lessons and practical advice on getting and staying motivated. They appreciate the thought-provoking read with minimal repetition. The psychology tools used are familiar to readers of Ferris, and the ideas and strategies for training the mind are helpful.

"...It's just a different reading experience, one that suits non-fiction and writing advice in particular...." Read more

"...34;The Heart To Start" is a concise, thought-provoking read with minimal repetition, that shines a light on the reasons why it's hard to get the..." Read more

"...I must admit that I also enjoyed the book for certain coincidences in experience that helped me relate to his journey...." Read more

"...the author's genuine and casual voice, and his willingness to share his own idiosyncracies (you feel like you are talking to a friend), while at the..." Read more

128 customers mention "Readability"128 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's readability. They find it concise and easy to understand, with clear points. The book is useful and helpful for them, providing important information in a straightforward manner. Readers appreciate the ability to add notes and highlight sections on Kindle.

"...It's helpful on Kindle to be able to add notes, highlights, and to have the ability to quickly jump around and search by keyword...." Read more

"I read this wonderful book in less than a day. It caught my attention and kept it throughout. Every page seemed to resonate with me...." Read more

"...He does NOT "waste your time" , each chapter covers something important and I finished the book in one night...." Read more

"...I’m glad I gave this book a shot. A quick and easy read. I would read it again...." Read more

80 customers mention "Writing style"76 positive4 negative

Customers find the writing style concise, easy to read, and understand. They appreciate the practical tips and clear explanations. The words are carefully chosen and the sentences crafted. While some readers appreciate the non-linear structure, others find it messy and non-linear.

"...Kadavy shares his personal stories in a readable, very accessible way, with an understated humor that invites the reader in...." Read more

"...34;The Heart To Start" is a concise, thought-provoking read with minimal repetition, that shines a light on the reasons why it's hard to get the..." Read more

"...how effective it is to break down your task into smaller, more easily accomplished tasks so as not to lose momentum and get discouraged...." Read more

"...while at the same time, I could tell that each word was carefully chosen, each sentence crafted...." Read more

11 customers mention "Art creation"11 positive0 negative

Customers find the book helpful for art creation. They say it provides real-life situations and techniques to create and share art. The author is skilled at drawing analogies and providing practical advice.

"Art is a lie that helps us understand the truth. -Pablo Picasso There is an art inside you...." Read more

"...he tells too many personal stories, but he is really just a master at drawing analogies and providing real world examples to help us connect with..." Read more

"...highly usable advice on how to get out of your own way - so that you can create art (in whatever form - writing, painting, etc)...." Read more

"...And, more importantly, it helps you push through it and gets you making your art." Read more

9 customers mention "Authenticity"9 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's authenticity. They find the advice practical and actionable, not fluffy self-help. The book is described as honest, straightforward, and full of great examples.

"...I LOVED The Heart to Start from start to finish. I appreciated the author's genuine and casual voice, and his willingness to share his own..." Read more

"...Very authentic, and great advice. This is book one of two in a series...." Read more

"...Superb, simple, direct, and sincere. I particularly like the opening which tells you why you might wish to stop reading the book...." Read more

"...It's honest, practical, and full of great examples. It's a quick read too and pretty scannable...." Read more

7 customers mention "Taste"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book inspiring and easy to read. They describe it as short, sweet, and nice.

"...It is much better today and it is a beautiful country...." Read more

"...well structured method to get starting, simple and clear, short and sweet...." Read more

"...This is the book. Kadavy has done it and it's pretty cool. Get started!" Read more

"I found a solid taste of inspiration here. Bite sized chunks of creative process insights and exercises. Well worth the price of admission!" Read more

6 customers mention "Resonance"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's tone refreshing and the content resonates with them. They mention it really resonates with their struggles to get started.

"...It caught my attention and kept it throughout. Every page seemed to resonate with me...." Read more

"...Most of all, this book's tone is so refreshing; the author really views the reader as an equal from the first page...." Read more

"This book resonated with me in every way. It was like the author was writing a letter to me...." Read more

"Really resonated with me and everything I struggle with to "get started!"..." Read more

6 customers mention "Start-up advice"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book helpful for getting started.

"...realize how you can effectively and simply change habits and get started on anything...." Read more

"An excellent book on a tough subject: getting started...." Read more

"This book has given me the mindset to "get started"--today. I'm so glad I discovered it, while reading one of my favorite blogs (Seth Godin's)...." Read more

"First book I've finished in a long time gives great advice to start where you thought you couldn't before. I'll use what I learned to propel forward" Read more

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New Englander
Practical, accessible, and helpful guide to getting started
Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2018
Verified Purchase
I enjoyed this thoughtful book. I got it in paperback and Kindle and would recommend having both. It's helpful on Kindle to be able to add notes, highlights, and to have the ability to quickly jump around and search by keyword. It's nice to revisit certain sections that way. And to scroll through all your notes and highlights in one place, so you can scan through them again as a refresher. But it's also nice to have the paperback. It's just a different reading experience, one that suits non-fiction and writing advice in particular. Highlighting a page in a paperback is a different process for the mind than highlighting digitally and aids in retention. Also, I have a thing for small trade paperbacks. They're pithy, they're cute. And this one is packed with meaningful stories and writing advice.

I took away many helpful tips, including the mind trick of setting easy goals. Like ridiculously easy goals that it would be embarrassing not to meet. Really, you can't write 10 minutes first thing in the morning (although for me, after my coffee). Just getting to the page is sometimes half the battle because of internal resistance. Often, once you've gotten into the writing it goes longer than the ten minutes, but you can also stop at just ten if it's one of those. Or one of those projects.

Kadavy shares his personal stories in a readable, very accessible way, with an understated humor that invites the reader in. We're brought into everyday struggles and victories, as well as more life-changing, mind-changing moments.

I didn't agree with or relate to every single thing in the book, but that's not the point. It's about trying new things and adding to your toolkit. At least, that's how I look at it.

If you've read The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles, you will find The Heart to Start a good follow-up read. (If you're a creative and you haven't read The War of Art--what? Get that now too.) Each of the sections of The Heart to Start are essentially practical personal essays that provide a helpful "visual" snapshot into the life of a creative dealing with the everyday troubles of resistance.

I've also found Kadavy's companion Heart to Start podcasts and interviews on YouTube to be interesting and helpful.

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HAROLD J TOUPS
All the best stuff to know about getting started on your art.
Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2025
Verified Purchase
All the important points are there. And David explains them well, with real examples. Now, for the hard part: doing it. But armed with David’s insights, you (and I) just might start this time. I’m planning on it. You?

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Brandon Baker
Great Insights
Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2022
Verified Purchase
This book has a lot of great points and insights.
There are great tips in here as well for mindset. Relatable for a guy like me who has had my share of trouble starting and finishing projects. I’m glad I gave this book a shot.
A quick and easy read. I would read it again.
I made some highlights that I will definitely go back and think about.

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3 people found this helpful

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Steven Peterson
Learn to get out of your own way and begin creating your best work
Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2018
Verified Purchase
If the common advice of "just do it" were enough to get started, nobody would ever feel stuck. "The Heart To Start" is a concise, thought-provoking read with minimal repetition, that shines a light on the reasons why it's hard to get the momentum to begin something, and in doing so, arms you with a new perspective that can help remove obstacles and clear the path towards doing the creative work you were meant to do.

It's a common practice these days for authors with successful blogs and podcasts to distill them into book form and republish their content. I'm happy to say that "The Heart To Start" is not one of these books. David Kadavy certainly draws from what he's learned from dozens of interviews he's done for his popular "Love Your Work" podcast as well as his own life experience struggling to overcome creative blocks, but the thesis he constructs here is an entirely new one within the library of his work.

"The Heart To Start" deconstructs the reasons, both emotional and practical, that starting something new can be difficult. These explanations are helpfully paired with ways to reframe your thinking to reduce the weight of these blocks. Some of these factors are in your head and tied to ego and emotions: What if everyone thinks my work is awful? Others are simply fallacies and biases that humans tend to get stuck in: This project is going to take so much of my time so there's no way I can start it! Kadavy picks these counterproductive feelings and biases off one by one, and leaves you with the sense that maybe that thing you thought was a scary monster under your bed was actually just a harmless shadow.

While some of the advice offered is tactical, the book doesn't focus explicitly on productivity techniques, and I think this is actually to the reader's benefit. There are thousands of books full of hacks and techniques to make you more productive, but not nearly as many that take the time to help you examine why you feel the way you do, and to shine a light on the distortions and fallacies that hold you back and keep you from getting started. The act of exposing them might not kill them entirely, but it's much easier to power through them when you realize they're sabotaging your efforts.

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64 people found this helpful

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B
Life changing perspective
Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2024
Verified Purchase
I read this wonderful book in less than a day. It caught my attention and kept it throughout. Every page seemed to resonate with me. I truly loved this book and am certain that I will turn to it when I need some extra motivation to stick with my creativity.

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Erich A.
Enjoyable book with nuggets of wisdom
Reviewed in Canada on April 23, 2023
Verified Purchase
David Kadavy gives an honest account of a problem we're all facing, packaged in the story of his journey. He also shows what to do about it. Don't just skim this short book; read it carefully, and you will find some genuine nuggets.

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Cliente Amazon
Non il solito libro.
Reviewed in Italy on February 13, 2023
Verified Purchase
Una sola parola: FANTASTICO

una capacità unica di affrontare con lucidità davvero il conflitto attraverso il quale si passa quando si è bloccati nel cominciare il nostro sogno.

Super Consigliato.

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nico
superficiel et sans sources
Reviewed in France on March 25, 2022
Verified Purchase
this book is a big advertisement for the authors,'s others bookd in almost every chapter. There is no scientific sources but only author' s podcast guest testimony. There is maybe some good advices for lazy poeple who wants to get in the work but to me, this book lack solid references.

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Narayan Kamath
Ideas that go beyond just starting
Reviewed in India on November 23, 2020
Verified Purchase
When I first read tge titke, I was convinced it wasnkt for me - I am a grandmaster at starting. I’ve started more things than I remember. My challenge is not with starting, but with sustaining something I’ve started.

And I found this book helpful in understanding why that might be the case. The thing that makes it easy for me to get started is my curiosity. I’m curious and interested in so many things, it doesn’t take too much effort to get me started on a project.
Then reality creeps in. I recognise that my failure to sustain and finish come from all the other things David Kadavy talks about - in my enthusiasm I start and commit to something big and fall prey to the fortress fallacy, I let the investment inflation fallacy convince me I don’t have time just yet to continue, and I truly believe there is one perfect linear way of doing creative things - and let that throw me offtrack when the process doesn’t work.

Ok, all that just to say, don’t let your belief that you have no problem starting, stop you from starting to read this book. It has important ideas that go beyond just starting.

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cesar carneiro penna
Kadavy brings some very insightful advice that will help you unleash your creative side
Reviewed in Brazil on March 28, 2018
Verified Purchase
Kadavy runs a podcast called Love Your Work. I am a big fan and listen to it regularly on Spotify. What really makes the show stand out is how authentic it sounds. This book is no different.

The Heart to Start brings some highly curated advice that will help you turn your inner feelings and itches into real work.

The part I liked the most is that while reading the book I caught myself thinking that I had thought about the ideas I was reading many times before. That is impressive because one of the advices Kadavy gives is exactly to write about things people think about but do nothing about. That got me thinking Kadavy really practices what he preaches.

This is a short, concise, worthy and authentic book. if you are looking for fluff, go search somewhere else. This is one of those rare "only meat" kind of books.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Practical, accessible, and helpful guide to getting started

5.0 out of 5 stars All the best stuff to know about getting started on your art.

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Insights

5.0 out of 5 stars Learn to get out of your own way and begin creating your best work

5.0 out of 5 stars Life changing perspective

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable book with nuggets of wisdom

5.0 out of 5 stars Non il solito libro.

1.0 out of 5 stars superficiel et sans sources

5.0 out of 5 stars Ideas that go beyond just starting

5.0 out of 5 stars Kadavy brings some very insightful advice that will help you unleash your creative side

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Practical, accessible, and helpful guide to getting started

All the best stuff to know about getting started on your art.

Great Insights

Learn to get out of your own way and begin creating your best work

Life changing perspective

Enjoyable book with nuggets of wisdom

Non il solito libro.

superficiel et sans sources

Ideas that go beyond just starting

Kadavy brings some very insightful advice that will help you unleash your creative side