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“With clear writing and hard-won wisdom, Merideth Hite Estevez is the guide we need for a sustainable creative life. She knows the curves, pitfalls, and quiet gifts of the artist’s path. This book is both a personalized toolbox and a well of deep universal insight for any artist feeling stuck, discouraged, or in need of fresh hope in their work.”
— Emily P. Freeman, NY Times Bestselling Author of "How to Walk Into a Room"

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The ultimate guide for creatives of all disciplines and levels to discover a sustainable, joyful artistic practice.

Whether you are a dabbler, a career creative, or a long-time self-proclaimed "tortured artist," Dr. Merideth Hite Estevez is here to help. As a professional oboist, teacher, creative coach, graduate of The Juilliard School, and beloved host of the podcast Artists for Joy, Dr. Estevez knows the world of creatives and what they truly need to cultivate a life-giving practice. The Artist's Joy offers not only tools for the journey but a deeper understanding of the ways the miracle of creativity works in our lives.

Dr. Estevez guides artists at all levels and in all disciplines to build a creative life that resonates deeply with their core values, and to cultivate an artistic practice that is joyful and sustainable. She shares her discoveries and insightful coaching exercises that stem from the belief that when we are connected to what resonates deeply within us, the "tortured artist" trope simply doesn't hold. By looking at creative work through a new lens, she provides us a means to begin--or to begin again--in sustaining ways.

Complete with self-coaching questions, a group discussion guide, and a companion playlist with tracks for musical meditation and creative engagement, this is your guide for life as an artist that will resonate long after the last note.

About the Author

Dr. Merideth Hite Estevez is a creative catalyst, inviting all to the joy of creative expression through her writing, coaching, and performing. As an oboist, Merideth has performed with top orchestras in the US and abroad and has served on faculties of numerous universities and schools of music, most recently as Associate Professor of Oboe at the University of Delaware.

She has been a featured speaker at Google, Longy School of Music, ShePodcasts LIVE, Hope*writers, Music Institute of Chicago, and more. As a coach, she has helped thousands of artists overcome creative block through her popular online creative recovery clusters and has served as an executive coach for all types of arts leaders, from major museum directors to deans of conservatories and art schools.

Merideth’s award-winning podcast, Artists for Joy, is currently in the top 1.5% of podcasts worldwide, and her first book, The Artist’s Joy: A Guide to Getting Unstuck, Embracing Imperfection, and Loving Your Creative Life, debuted at No. 1 in the Creativity category on Audible and held as the No. 2 New Release in Creativity on Amazon for multiple days during launch week.

Since moving to Metro-Detroit, she has performed as a featured artist with Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings, Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival, Ann Arbor Symphony, Lansing Symphony, and Oakland Symphony. She enjoys sharing her gifts bi-monthly at Kirk in the Hills Presbyterian Church as oboist-in-residence.

When she’s not playing oboe or writing, Merideth enjoys drinking matcha lattes and running. She hails from Abbeville, SC, but now lives in Bloomfield Hills, MI with her husband, Rev. Edwin Estevez, daughter Eva, and son Eli.

What advanced readers are saying…

“The act of making music is in so many ways mystical but also highly practical. In The Artist’s Joy, Merideth Hite Estevez has written a unique book, with calm and warm generosity, that is of relevance to all artists. I truly believe it will help us all retain our enjoyment of making music when the world and its events can seem so overwhelming and when challenges from our past may threaten to subsume our joy.”
— Nicholas Daniel, international oboe soloist and conductor, Officer of the Order of the British Empire
“This book provides several ways to unlock creative joy through inspiring stories and engaging exercises. By offering unique tools that awaken the senses and delight the inner child, Merideth Hite Estevez shows that it is not only possible to tap into your creativity, but that it is an essential part of life.”
— Tracee J. Glab, executive director of Flint Institute of Arts
“A healing balm for the artist’s soul. If you are seeking a spiritual companion to sustain a joyful, wholehearted creative life, look no further.”
— Ashley Hall-Tighe, trumpeter for Canadian Brass, adjunct trumpet faculty at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and certified life coach

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