[Repost] The day you became a better artist
A debt of gratitude to Austin Kleon
Have you ever had a book practically hop off the shelf and slap you across the face?
’s book “Steal Like An Artist” slapped me at just the right time. Who is he? A writer who draws. He is also my neighbor and doesn’t even know it. Austin and Arman living in Austin, TX. Plus we share the same initials AK. Coincidence? I think not.I bought it a few years ago but it started to collect dust because I buy more books than any sane human could ever read. I was sick and tired of having spent 99% of my life as a frustrated member of team consumer. I wanted to join team creator but I needed a spark.
For years I consumed information (books, articles, podcasts, videos, etc.) like a great white shark on a feeding frenzy with nothing to show for it besides a mind that was mentally obese. Austin Kleon’s words got me to wake up and smell the creative roses. I realized I had two roads to choose from: the consumption road filled with nothing but jumbled thoughts OR the creative road filled with the exciting possibility to make stuff. I chose the one less traveled.
After putting the book down, I was fired up and ready to put my artistic training wheels on for the first time in a long time. I discovered the other two books that made a trilogy - “Show Your Work!” and “Keep Going”. I ordered those immediately and wondered, why had I never heard of this guy?
He managed to fit everything one needs to know about the creative process into three beautifully concise books. In fact, those books are the reason why I am writing these words now. He made the creative process seem so much more approachable (and fun). Now I want to do the same for you.
Here’s my attempt to distill these already-tightly-distilled books as a debt of gratitude. My hope is that it lights a fire under your uncreative bum just as it did for me. Because whether you realize it or not, you have creative muscles. They just might not be bulging out of your sleeves yet. Let’s change that.
Below you’ll find my favorite line from each chapter of the trilogy and a thought of my own.
I urge you NOT to read this all at once. Treat this as a choose-your-own-adventure essay. Skim until you find a line that resonates. Ignore the rest. There are no rules. Here we go.
Book 1: Steal Like An Artist
The essence in one sentence: Steal influence from other people.
Chapter 1 Steal Like An Artist.
Austin: “All creative work builds on what came before. Nothing is completely original.”
Arman: Creativity in any field (writing, painting, sculpting, acting, comedy) progresses because the new entrants stand on the shoulders of giants. They find a way to put their own twist on what came before and it’s considered brand new (even though it isn’t).
Chapter 2 Don’t Wait Until You Know Who You Are To Get Started.
Austin: “A wonderful flaw about human beings is that we’re incapable of making perfect copies. Our failure to copy our heroes is where we discover where our own thing lives.”
Arman: As David Perell says, “imitate then innovate”. Every great creator starts by imitating their idols. What follows is never an exact replica but rather a new twist with hints of influence sprinkled throughout.
Chapter 3 Write The Book You Want To Read.
Austin: “Do the work you want to see done.”
Arman: You make the rules when you decide to create something from scratch.
Chapter 4 Use Your Hands.
Austin: “Your hands are the original digital devices. Use them.”
Arman: The curse of modern technology is that more of our lives are spent in front of a screen rather than out in the physical world. Get your hands dirty to get the creative juices flowing. Per Austin’s recommendation I now have a desk dedicated to physical creativity (writing by hand in my physical notebook) and another one reserved for digital creativity (typing on my laptop).
Chapter 5 Side Projects And Hobbies Are Important.
Austin: “It’s so important to have a hobby. A hobby is something creative that’s just for you. You don’t try to make money or get famous off it, you just do it because it makes you happy.”
Arman: We have been brainwashed into thinking anything we like to do outside of work needs to be turned into a side hustle. Enjoy pottery? Sell it on Etsy. Enjoy playing the drums? Join a band and pass around a hat to earn money. No. Do something for pure enjoyment without feeling the pressure of trying to earn money from it. That ruins it. Mine is playing pickup basketball at LA Fitness. What’s yours?
Chapter 6 The Secret: Do Good Work And Share It With People.
Austin: “Step 1: Wonder at something. Step 2: Invite others to wonder with you.”
Arman: Thanks to the Internet you can now think out loud and ask others to think with you. Think about things nobody else is thinking about and you will attract the people who didn’t realize they wanted to be thinking those things.
Chapter 7 Geography Is No Longer Our Master.
Austin: “You don’t have to live anywhere other than the place you are to start connecting with the world you want to be in.”
Arman: The Internet made this possible but COVID made this inevitable. We can find our people who love what we love whether they are down the street or across the world. By creating and sharing what interests you, you will interest those who are also interested in that.
Chapter 8 Be Nice. (The World Is A Small Town.)
Austin: “The best way to make friends on the Internet? Say nice things about them.”
Arman: That’s exactly what I’m doing here by curating Mr. Kleon’s work. His work has impacted me in a meaningful way. That’s why I felt the need to create this. I will share it with him as a token of appreciation with no expectations of a response. Because I will be too busy continuing to do my work. Oddly, the best way to get a nod of approval is to not need it.
Chapter 9 Be Boring. (It’s The Only Way To Get Work Done.)
Austin: “Amassing a body of work or building a career is a lot about the slow accumulation of little bits of effort over time.”
Arman: Create for a one hour block per day and you’ve got 365 blocks (enough to build a castle) after one year. Imagine after ten years.
Chapter 10 Creativity Is Subtraction.
Austin: “It’s often what an artist chooses to leave out that makes the art interesting.”
Arman: Art becomes beautiful after it has been ruthlessly reduced down to its essence by the creator. You would have been horrified to see this original draft. It’s all about cutting, scraping, and removing the words that don’t earn their spot on the page.
Conclusion: Ok, we’ve got you doing your first few creative crunches. Is that a creative ab I see poking out in your mirror? But what’s the point if nobody sees it? Thanks to the Internet you can start to spread the good word 👇
Book 2: Show Your Work!
The essence in one sentence: Influence others by letting them steal from you.
Chapter 1 You Don’t Have To Be A Genius.
Austin: “Online, everyone — the artist and the curator, the master and the apprentice, the expert and the amateur — has the ability to contribute something.”
Arman: Most people think they have to be an expert before they can share anything with others. I certainly did. But I decided to be an ambitious amateur who is willing to learn and share in public. Which will attract those who are a few steps behind. We are all a few steps ahead of someone. What could you share with them?
Chapter 2 Think Process, Not Product.
Austin: “Human beings are interested in other human beings and what other human beings do. ‘People really do want to see how the sausage gets made.’”
Arman: People want to see the messy process behind the scenes. It helps them realize they can do it too.
Chapter 3 Share Something Small Every Day.
Austin: “Don’t show your lunch or your latte; show your work.”
Arman: Nobody cares about your sushi. They do care about what you’re creating. Share a juicy tidbit from behind the creative curtains and they will be hooked.
Chapter 4 Open Up Your Cabinet Of Curiosities.
Austin: “Your influences are all worth sharing because they clue people in to who you are and what you do — sometimes even more than your own work.”
Arman: Sharing the work of the people you love is the best way to connect with the people who also love that work. Whose thoughts and ideas have influenced you the most? Shout it out from the rooftop and you will meet your fellow obsessed weirdos.
Chapter 5 Tell Good Stories.
Austin: “The stories you tell about the work you do have a huge effect on how people feel and what they understand about your work…”
Arman: If more information were the answer we would all be billionaires with six packs. We don’t need more information, we need more stories to inspire us.
Chapter 6 Teach What You Know.
Austin: “The minute you learn something, turn around and teach it to others.”
Arman: You should feel an obligation to share what you are learning as you go. The best part? Teaching is the best way to learn.
Chapter 7 Don’t Turn Into Human Spam.
Austin: “Make stuff you love and talk about stuff you love and you’ll attract people who love that kind of stuff. It’s that simple.”
Arman: Don’t create what you think others want. Create what you want and the people who want that will naturally be attracted to you. Would you rather be known well by a few raving fans or well known by a sea of casual observers?
Chapter 8 Learn To Take A Punch.
Austin: “When you put your work out into the world, you have to be ready for the good, the bad, and the ugly. The more people come across your work, the more criticism you’ll face.”
Arman: I started writing earlier this year for an audience of zero. Until I got my first reader who absolutely loved everything I wrote. Thanks mom. Now I write for an audience of 60+ so it was only a matter of time until I pissed some of them off. But I take that as a badge of honor because I created something people are willing to take the time to criticize. How cool is that? It’s all about how you choose to frame the feedback.
Chapter 9 Sell Out.
Austin: “When people are asked to get out their wallets, you find out how much they really value what you do.”
Arman: Creating something worth selling adds a new dimension to this game. Only ask for payment if you think your work is actually worth something.
Chapter 10 Stick Around.
Austin: “The people who get what they’re after are very often the ones who just stick around long enough. It’s very important not to quit prematurely.”
Arman: Behind every overnight success is about ten years of daily grinding. I am six months in to my creative grind so I’m just getting started. Come check back in nine and a half years to celebrate my overnight success with me. What creative work are you willing to dedicate ten years of blood, sweat, and effort towards (without expecting anything in return)?
Conclusion: Bravo, now your creative work is coming into contact with reality. If I didn’t know any better I would say you are becoming a real artist. You’ve got a creative four pack now. Let’s keep this going for the long haul 👇
Book 3: Keep Going
The essence in one sentence: Sustain a meaningful and productive creative life.
Chapter 1 Everyday Is Groundhog Day.
Austin: “The creative life is not linear. It’s not a straight line from point A to point B. It’s more like a loop, or a spiral, in which you keep coming back to a new starting point after every project.”
Arman: The true creator never retires. The work is never finished. Continue to show up day after day. Above all, enjoy the process.
Chapter 2 Build A Bliss Station.
Austin: “Airplane mode is not just a setting on your phone: It can be a whole way of life.”
Arman: Why not simply disconnect from technology to connect with yourself?
Chapter 3 Forget The Noun, Do The Verb.
Austin: “Let go of the thing you’re trying to be (the noun), and focus on the actual work you need to be doing (the verb).”
Arman: I can call myself a writer in my bio but if I have no writing to show then I’m fooling myself. I’ve got to walk the walk.
Chapter 4 Make Gifts.
Austin: “If you’re bummed out and hating your work, pick somebody special in your life and make something for them.”
Arman: You feel better about yourself when focused on the betterment of others. Handwrite a letter for your mom. Cook a meal for your partner.
Chapter 5 The Ordinary + Extra Attention = The Extraordinary.
Austin: “Pay attention to what you pay attention to.”
Arman: Start to notice what catches your eyes and ears in your everyday life. Great art is created after obsessing over the mundane.
Chapter 6 Slay The Art Monsters.
Austin: “Great artists help people look at their lives with fresh eyes and a sense of possibility.”
Arman: Think about your favorite book, movie, or song. What makes it your favorite? The fact that it moves you in a way to experience life a little differently after enjoying it.
Chapter 7 You Are Allowed To Change Your Mind.
Austin: “The Dunning-Kruger Prayer — Let me be smart enough to know how dumb I am and give me the courage to carry on anyway.”
Arman: Show me someone who hasn’t changed their mind recently and I’ll show you someone who’s as good as dead. I reserve the right to contradict myself!
Chapter 8 When In Doubt, Tidy Up.
Austin: “Naps are the secret weapon of many artists.”
Arman: MNGA — Make Naps Great Again. An afternoon nap tidies up your brain by flushing the junk out. Plus makes room for the creative bits to rush in.
Chapter 9 Demons Hate Fresh Air.
Austin: “Walking really is a magic cure for people who want to think straight.”
Arman: Walks are the secret weapon of any genius. The best cure for a stuck mind is a lap around the block. No phone. No headphones. No distractions. Just you and your thoughts. It sounds silly but it brings instant clarity 99% of the time.
Chapter 10 Plant Your Garden.
Austin: “Every day is a potential seed that we can grow into something beautiful.”
Arman: You don’t know how many more days you will get, so might as well create something the rest of your fellow beautiful humans will enjoy.
Conclusion: Voila! Now you know how to keep the ball rolling. You officially have a creative six pack.
Check out Austin Kleon’s internet home. Follow him on Twitter. Subscribe to his newsletter. And buy his books. So you can start flexing your own creative muscles.
I’ll close this how Austin closes each book in the trilogy:
Feel free to take what you can use, and leave the rest. There are no rules.
Your thoughts? Criticisms? Complaints? Please leave a comment below.
Thank you Arman for summarizing each book. I just finished the first book. The most practical part for me is taking advantage of being unknown while starting.
Wow! I like how you added an Arman take on Austin's wisdom. I agree that we shouldn't always be thinking of how we can convert hobbies into dollars. Happiness is the best return on investment out there.