Book Synopsis: Steal like an Artist|5 Key takeaways

Steal like an artist is another masterpiece by Austin Kleon. In this book, he explains how creativity is not something not descending upon you. It’s something you steal. Because everything has already been created, but no one was listening it has to create again. No one is original, If you copy one you are copying but if you are copying one hundred, you are creating. Side projects and hobbies are pretty important. Do them in front of others. Constrain yourself and creativity would flow.(Check out TED talk by Austin)

1.Steal like an artist:

The greatest of the artist ever, said:

Creativity is about mixing what is already present and creating something out of it.

“Immature poets imitate; mature poets steal; bad poets deface what they take, and good poets make it into something better, or at least something different. The good poet welds his theft into a whole of feeling which is unique, utterly different from that from which it was torn.”

-T. S. Eliot

Stealing does not mean anything. Because everything would not have you loving it deep down. So it would look like stealing.

“Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture,
bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic.”

2.Nothing is original:

Nobody gets ideas out of thin air. For example look at the greatest writers, their reading fuels their writing.

“André Gide put it, “Everything that needs to be said has already been saying. But, since no one was listening, everything must be said again.”

“What is originality? Undetected plagiarism.”

-William Ralph Inge

Whatever you choose to read, watch and see becomes what you write, create or shoot.

“You are, in fact, a mashup of what you choose to let into your life.”

The cartoonist Gary Panter says, “If you have one person you’re influenced by, everyone will say you’re the next whoever. But if you rip off a hundred people, everyone will say you’re so original!”

3. Know Thyself:

People often face the problem of not feeling up to the mark. They do not share their work because of this reason. They say we are not that creative. But everyone is creative. They just do not know it.

“You’re ready. Start making stuff.”

Austin Kleon

People become the victim of Imposter syndrome. Austin Kleon defines it as:

The clinical definition is a “psychological phenomenon in which people are unable to internalize their accomplishments.” It means that you feel like a phony like you’re just winging it, that you really don’t have any idea what you’re doing

More on Imposter Syndrome: What is imposter syndrome? You can avoid.

4. Side projects and hustles are important:

“ The work you do while you procrastinate is probably the work you

should be doing for the rest of your life.”

-Jessica Hische

“If you have two or three real passions, don’t feel like you have to pick and choose between them. Don’t discard. Keep all your passions in your life. “

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. A hobby is something that gives but doesn’t take. While my art is for the world to see, music is only for me and my friends. We get together every Sunday and make noise for a couple of hours. No pressure, no plans. “

4. The Secret:

Secret by Austin:

“It’s a two-step process. Step one, “do good work,” is incredibly hard. There are no shortcuts. Make stuff every day. Know you’re going to suck for a while. Fail. Get better. Step two, “share it with people,” was really hard up until about ten years ago or so. Now, it’s very simple: “Put your stuff on the Internet.”

Step 1: Wonder at something.

Step 2: Invite others to wonder with you.

You should wonder at the things nobody else is wondering about. If everybody’s wondering about apples, go wonder about oranges. The more open you are about sharing your passions, the closer people will feel to your work. Artists aren’t magicians. There’s no penalty for revealing your secrets.”

“Learn to code. Figure out how to make a website. Figure out blogging. Figure out Twitter and social media and all that other stuff. Find people on the Internet who love the same things as you and connect with them. Share things with them. You don’t have to share everything-in fact, sometimes it’s much better if you don’t. Show just a little bit of what you’re working on. Share a sketch or a doodle or a snippet. Share a little glimpse of your process. Think about what you have to share that could be of some value to people. Share a handy tip you’ve discovered while working. Or a link to an interesting article. Mention a good book you’re reading.”

It is important to share the work. The work which is not shared is the work not created. It is important to show your work to the world.

Check Austin Kleon Book about showing the work: Show Your Work

5. Creativity is Subtraction:

“The way to get over creative block is to simply place some constraints on yourself. It seems contradictory, but when it comes to creative work, limitations mean freedom. Write a song on your lunch break. Paint a painting with only one color. Start a business without any start-up capital. Shoot a movie with your iPhone and a few of your friends. Build a machine out of spare parts. Don’t make excuses for not working-make things with the time, space, and materials you have, right now.”

Saul Steinberg:

“What makes us interesting isn’t just what we’ve experienced, but also what we haven’t experienced. The same is true when you do your work: You must embrace your limitations and keep moving.”

Check out Austin Kleon book about motivation and persistence: Keep Going

Originally published at https://theobstacleguy.com on January 31, 2021.