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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.””
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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, helping self-identified artists and the creatively curious discover and recover the joy of making. As an oboist, Merideth has performed with top orchestras in the US and abroad and has served on the faculties of numerous universities and schools of music, including the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and the University of Delaware. She holds degrees from Yale School of Music and The Juilliard School.
Her writing illuminates the spiritual journey of the artist through the lens of creative nonfiction, exploring the intersection of art, faith, and the human experience. Her 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. She shares poems and essays weekly on her popular Substack, “Arts Open Door,” and her second book, “Art Is How God Loves Us,” debuts in July 2026.
As a speaker, Merideth has been featured at Google, Hunter College’s Collaborative for Social Emotional Learning and Leading (C-SELL), Wild Goose Festival, Longy School of Music, ShePodcasts LIVE, 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 serves as a coach for all types of artists and arts leaders, from major museum directors to deans of art schools to writers for TV and film to Emmy-winning actors to hip hop artists.
Since moving to Metro Detroit, Michigan, she has performed as a featured artist with Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings, Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival, and numerous national and international performing ensembles. She returns to NYC regularly to perform the Chamber Orchestra of NY, as their second oboist/English hornist. She enjoys sharing her gifts as artist-in-residence at Kirk in the Hills Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), where her husband, Rev. Dr. Edwin Estevez, is Senior Pastor.
When she’s not playing oboe or writing, Merideth enjoys baking sourdough while listening to audiobooks. She hails from Abbeville, SC, but now lives in Bloomfield Hills, MI with her husband and two children.
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.” ”
““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.””
““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.” ”
Can’t wait for the book?
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