Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative (Austin Kleon)

If you've been paying attention to certain parts of the Web recently, you may be familiar with a rising chorus of voices talking about creativity as "remixing." The broad thesis is that creativity isn't a mystical flash of insight in the mind of a lone genius, but rather a combinatorial, collaborative process in which artists and designers consciously and gradually combine existing ideas into novel forms. Books like "The Gift", by Lewis Hyde, and video series like "Everything is a Remix", by Kirby Ferguson, champion this burgeoning idea (and are name-checked by Kleon at the end of "Artist"). But if Hyde and Ferguson are the theorists charting the contours of these new ideas, Kleon is the practitioner, the man-of-artistic-action, bringing the means and the message to the people."Steal Like An Artist" began as a lecture given by Kleon at Broome Community College that later emerged as a viral blog post. Kleon makes no effort to hide the fact that the blog post forms the skeleton of "Artist". But even if you've memorized the post, Kleon layers enough muscle and flesh on it that you feel like you're encountering his core ideas all over again. The same rush of discovery and energy awaits.Kleon describes himself as "a writer that draws," and "Artist" is proof of that. He designed the book himself and his voice and style shine through. "Artist" feels unified, innovative, balanced, and, above all, intimate. The book is small, like a big cocktail napkin. It's full of illustrations by Kleon and little flourishes that keep things brisk as you read. The small size makes the book feel approachable, ready to provide a quick inspiration burst if need be. Kleon describes ten basic principles to boost your creativity. He lists them on the back cover of the book (a choice that Kindle purchasers will miss) so that they're easily referenced. It's a small touch, but emblematic of the book's careful construction.Most importantly, "Artist" is focused on practicality. Kleon has absorbed the lessons of Hyde and Ferguson, but he wants to do more than evangelize; he wants to transform. "Artist" is stuffed with practical tips that you can adopt. In fact, there's a section at the very end of the book titled "What Now?", in which Kleon gives you a long, itemized list of things you can do *right now* to prime your creative pump.One recent book that Kleon doesn't reference is "Where Good Ideas Come From", by Steve Johnson. "Good Ideas" is one of the best new books about spurring creativity, but it's primarily focused on principles of creativity and their historical origins. "Artist" is a perfect companion to "Good Ideas". Once you've read Johnson's book and your head is full of theory, Kleon's book comes along and gives you a good, firm (and lighthearted) kick in the pants to send you on your way. You certainly don't need to read "Good Ideas" or any other book to receive the full benefit of "Artist". It's a short, heady blast of exuberance that's guaranteed to kick-start your imagination.

Just read this for the second time. I recommend it to anyone who dabbles in the arts. When I worry about being creative I reflect on this material.

I bought this book on 10Feb2015 and finish it the night I bought it.“Steal Like an Artist” by Austin Kleon.Creative/dp/0761169253/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_yII must confess I bought the book solely because of the Title. Since I was fasinated by the idea of stealing and the status symbol of being an artist, I bought it without second thought.Steal Like an artist is a short and easy read, I finished the whole book in less than 2 hours and did some notes in the process. Anyone with reasonable reading skills should be able to finish the book in less than an afternoon.The primary objective of the book is to persuade you to reverse engineer the work of others and improvised it into your own model. Start a Phony and become a real artist is the premise of the whole book. Austin defines copying as the act to absorb and reverse engineer the word of others and immersing oneself into a space where one can blend multiple ideas into a complete set of idea and create something out of it, be it a piece of art, a product or a business.Austin Kleon also suggest the readers to find out who to copy, what to copy and the reason of copying, since the world is a GIGO (Garbage In and Garbage Out).Another interesting point he point out is that humans are more able to create content on paper or by physical actions rather than hitting the keypad. He believe that is because the muscle actions will stimulate the brain more thoroughly, thus unleashing the power of creativity. This view resonante by another book I read “The Anti Education Era” written by James Paul Gee. In this book, James Paul Gee also recommends the use of multi sensory input. The more sense involve, the better the memory will register. So I guess as a writer, I will try to include more sensory input to entice the audience to a higher level of engagement.As of now I am pretty obscure, that could be an Advantage according to Austin Kleon. Because I am in obscurity, I can afford to experiment and be focused on doing good work instead of handling social task. And the readers can feel more engaged in my works since its imperfect. The readers can discover and find the bits and piece by themselves, by filling the gaps between it, the audience can feel more engaged. That’s why incubation and obscure artist always sells better than a fully developed piece and a highly recognized artist.In the book Austin also stresses the ability to remain stably euphoric. He suggest any artist to keep some praises from readers and audiences and reviewing them when one is having a struggle.Last but not least, Creativity is subtraction, and creativity is the struggle against limitation. That’s why when you are facing a writer block, entrepreneur block or artist block, try to slash some elements and create something out of a lot of restrictions.He validated this idea by actions quite well by finishing a poem book called “Newspaper Blackout”.

This book was such a fun and refreshing read. It’s short, but filled with creative advice that actually sticks. Austin Kleon explains the creative process in a way that feels honest, simple, and surprisingly motivating. If you’ve been feeling stuck or uninspired, this one really helps shake things loose.I also bought the companion workbook, and it’s absolutely worth it. The prompts helped me reflect and turn the book’s ideas into real action. It’s one thing to read about creativity, but it’s another to sit with the questions and figure out what that means for your own work.This book is not just for artists. It’s for anyone who wants to make things and needs a little spark. I’ll definitely be keeping it nearby for when I need a creative nudge.

Amazing book! I read the book "Show Your Work" first and went back and decided to complete the series. This book breaks down how to take something, make it your own, but in a way that is useful and not degrading. This book is also motivational because it encourages the reader to get up and put their "artist" side out in the world for all to see! I'm excited to read the last book!

This book is both fun and practical. I loved the feel of the paper, the font size, and the book's dimensions.

This book is an absolute must read. I saw Klein speak at a STEAM and Arts Integration conference in Baltimore this week. I immediately bought the book and I finished it today on the plane home. This book is essential. It sparks a creative fire. It energizes. It has me super excited to begin teaching my students to steak like artists.