Draw Stronger: Self-Care for Cartoonists and Other Visual Artists

Artists, designers, writers, and anyone else who spends their days hunkering over keyboards, squinting at screens, or posed over a drawing board will appreciate Willberg’s nerdy, pun-heavy advice for better self-care. Back spasms, neck pains, and hand cramps: “Bad things can happen to good artists,” cautions massage therapist Willberg. Willberg notes passion-driven creatives’ bad habit of ignoring pain—which she depicts as a nervy lightning bolt—in order to push through just one more page of work. Her main thesis is repeated: “Pain is your frenemy. Pain is trying to tell you something.” Easy-to-understand anatomical drawings flesh out basic descriptions of repetitive stress injury, tendonitis, and muscle spasms. Along with plenty of caveats about when to seek out a doctor, Willberg offers basic stretches, exercises, and lifestyle tips (along with dad-joke humor) to ease the aches and pains of modern-day, desk-bound creative careers. This practical, handy volume is a worthy addition to many workplace bookshelves—preferably high up, requiring a standing stretch to reach it. (Apr.)