“When I’m on the road doing comedy, half my job is anxiety. Brett’s book is a great tool for how to use that energy. And the best part is, when I’m too lazy to read, I can just look at the pictures.” -Charlie Berens, Manitowoc Minute
“I love how easy Newski makes it to plow through the dark stuff with some well placed humor and grit.” -Stelth Ulvang (of the Lumineers)
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Years ago, somewhere on the Internet, I posted a few dumb drawings making fun of my own anxiety and depression.
The response to them was warmer than anticipated, and people kept asking for more. Blending humor with pure depression seemed to strike a chord with a decent amount of people. So I kept going, and after about three years of drawing, I had enough dumb drawings for a book called It's Hard to be a Person: defeating anxiety, surviving the world, and having more fun.
Humor has always been a primary mode of therapy for me. I still make fun of my own anxiety and “depresh” as catharsis. I sing about it on tour, talk about it on my podcast, and draw pictures of it here in this book. Putting my formerly-private-feelings out into the world has been tremendous therapy for me, and I wish I would’ve done it sooner.
Over the span of many years, I’ve been illustrating the “hacks”, “strategies”, or “exercises” that have worked best for me in combating the struggles in my head. More than anything I want this book to be useful for people.
I’m not a doctor, just a person who spends too much time in my head. The objective of It’s Hard to Be a Person is not to give unsolicited advice, but to hopefully save you some headaches on the long n’ winding road of life in your brain.
*Newski's PODCAST "Dirt from the Road" also dives into mental health boosts. Guests include The Lumineers, All American Rejects, Dashboard Confessional, Fruit Bats, Guster, Verve Pipe, Toad the Wet Sprocket and Frank Turner.
Includes unlimited streaming of
Lillian Road
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
Newski Cartoon Shirt (Friend Rock)
$23 USD
Im Here for the Opener shirt
$25 USD
FRIEND ROCK – Friend Rock VINYL
$20 USD
FRIEND ROCK – Friend Rock CD
$12 USD
It's Hard to be a Person: soundtrack to the book – ORDER CD: It's Hard to be a Person: soundtrack to the book
$12 USD
Drawing of yourself
$100 USD
Failed Hipster shirt
$20 USD
American Folk Armageddon – American Folk Armageddon (CD)
$9.97 USD
American Folk Armageddon – AFA on Vinyl
$17.99 USD
Don't Let the Bastards Get You Down – Don't Let the Bastards Get You Down (CD)
$12 USD
Don't Let the Bastards Get You Down – Don't Let the Bastards Get You Down (Vinyl)
$20 USD
Land Air Sea Garage (deluxe remaster) – Land Air Sea Garage (deluxe remaster)
$11 USD
Going Solo is Better than Being Alone: Live in Wisconsin – Going Solo is Better than Being Alone: Live in Wisconsin (CD)
$11 USD
Life Upside Down – Life Upside Down CD
$12 USD
Life Upside Down – Life Upside Down gatefold vinyl
$20 USD
Tom Petty May or May Not be Jesus T-shirt
$25 USD
The Stars are as Good as a Nightlight EP – The Stars are as Good as a Nightlight (CD)
$8 USD
Rocketship Shirt
$20 USD
Don't Listen to Brett Newski shirt
$20 USD
Hi-Fi D.I.Y. – Cigaretiquette 7" vinyl w/ Blessed Feathers
$8 USD
Hi-Fi D.I.Y. – Hi-Fi DIY cd
$8 USD
Tiny Victories (an album recorded in Vietnam) – Tiny Victories CD
$9.99 USD
NEWSKI Milwaukee, Wisconsin
FESTIVAL APPEARANCES: Rolling Stone Festival, Iceland Airwaves, Reeperbahn Germany, SXSW
official
BRETT NEWSKI supports and tours:
Courtney Barnett, Pixies, Violent Femmes, Manchester Orchestra, New Pornographers, Chuck Ragan, Rocky Votolato, Ezra Furman, Better than Ezra
... more
