I just finished reading Austin Kleon magnificent creativity treasure chest Steal like an Artist. Here is his top ten list and what I learned about being creative:

1. Steal Like An Artist

Worldview of artists: Figure out what is worth stealing and then move on to the next thing.

As Jonathan Lehrer puts it, most of the time when people think about something as “original” they just don’t know the reference.

Best People to steal from are your dead heroes. You can learn anything you want from them, built upon it and they will never say a word against it =)

2. Don’t Wait Until You Know Who You Are To Get Started

Fight the mean Imposter Syndrome. Don’t feel bad for just winging it, don’T see yourself as not qualified enough. Everybody thinks that way. The only people getting good stuff done are the ones who are fine with their feelings of insufficiency.

3. Write The Book You Want To Read

What would make a better story? Try to answer that question whenever you are not shure what to do next in your life. The Book about the stuff you know is (a) boring to you (b) boring to others. The Book you want to read is way more fulfilling to write and you readers can feal your soul bleeding on the pages.

4. Use Your Hands

Divide your workspace in two places. One analog and one digital. To come up with ideas your computer is not the right place as it enforce your urge to be perfect. Do it oldschool-style with a pencil and paper. This is one of the top lesson from the book and I immediately implemented it — improv-style:

• move the stuff lying on top of your cupboard
• index cards, paper, school-day crayons and a pencil on top
• and done with the new standing-desk creative space

5. Side Projects And Hobbies Are Important

Only doing stuff you are supposed to do or stuff you think will help you move forward in your career is lame. Embrace the inner child in yourself and pick up your old or new hobbies again. For me, rock climbing (old) and playing the cajon drum (new). It’s fun!

6. The Secret: Do Good Work And Share It With People

You can do a lot of crazy things and try stuff as long as you are a nobody. Nobody will care. Use that freedom and make shitty stuff. Over time, your work gets better until its good. Key: Share it with the internet.

(Psst. little Secret: Blogs are great as they show the most recent things on top. Your older “shitty” work is on the bottom buried under a lot of great work)

7. Geography Is No Longer Our Master

A. The Internet is your new hometown. Make friends with people you admire and share interest with. Good thing about it is, if you relocate your physical residence your friends are still with you, right where you left them…on the internet.

B. Don’t buy a house. Just rent it and you are flexible to move wherever and whenever you want to. Also seeing other places makes you uncomfortable and let’s you grow creatively.

8. Be Nice (The World Is A Small Town)

So true. Nothing to add here.

9. Be Boring (It’s The Only Way To Get Work Done)

If you like your routine and it looks something like mine: 1. Shower 2. Coffee & Reading a couple of pages in a Book 3. Start the most importing thing for today 4. Lunch 5. Do busy work 6. Finish early.

Stick to it! It may be boring, but crazy stuff belongs into your work not into your work-routine

10. Creativity Is Substraction

Hmm. So I should delete the post and just put up a funny cat picture now? Just kidding. Substraction surely applies to the art-project itself, but more importanty, in the always-on age of the internet substraction means deliberately limiting yourself to a few things. The world of endless possibilities is a scary place.