Steal Like an Artist
“Steal Like an Artist” by Austin Kleon has reconciled me with the notion that to show your work and passions, you don’t have to be perfect.
The book contains 10 ideas about creativity and doing great work:
Steal Like an Artist: nothing is completely original. All creative work builds on what came before. Your job is to collect good ideas. The more your collect, the more you can choose from to be influenced by. School yourself. Keep a swipe file to keep track of the stuff you’ve swiped from others.
Don’t wait until you know who you are to get started: it’s in the act of making things and doing our work that we figure out who we are.
Write the book you want to read: don’t write what you know, write what you like.
Use your hands: in the digital age, don’t forget to use your digits.
Side projects and hobbies are important: it’s the side projects that really take off – the stuff that you thought was just messing around. Stuff that’s just play. Practice productive procrastination and if you have more than one real passions, don’t throw any of them away.
Do good work and share it with people: enjoy the obscurity while it lasts. Use it. To do good work, make stuff every day. Fail. Get better. To share, just put your stuff on the Internet. The more open you are about sharing your passions, the closer people will feel to your work.
Geography is no longer our master: Build your own world, enjoy captivity. Leave home.
Be nice: The world is a small town. Make friends. Ignore enemies. Stand next to the talent.
Be boring: It’s the only way to get the work done. Take care of yourself.
Creativity is subtraction: When it comes to creative work, limitations mean freedom. Creativity isn’t just the things we choose to put in, it’s the things we choose to leave out. Choose wisely. And have fun.