BOOK CARD
- Original title: Steal like an artist
- Author: Austin Kleon
- Category: Personal growth
1 – THE ART OF STEALING
STEAL THE BEST IDEAS
Artists steal ideas that are worth stealing.
Ask yourself this question: IS THIS IDEA WORTH STEALING?
If yes, develop it, otherwise keep looking for another idea to steal.
NOTHING IS ORIGINAL
All original and non-original works were inspired by other things.
Nothing comes from nothing, creative works build on what has come before.
“Everything that needed to be said has already been said: but, since no one was listening, everything must be repeated again.”
– Andre Gide
“We are formed and shaped by what we love.”
– Goethe stated
The artist collects ideas selectively, choosing the ones he really loves because the more valid ones are found, the more they can be chosen as sources of inspiration.
STUDY THE THINKERS
Study everything there is to know about the thinker, artist, figurehead… you love, then identify three characters he liked and find out all about them.
You have to create a kind of family tree.
Repeat this several times, working your way up the tree as far as you can go
Once the tree is built, it will be time to inaugurate your branch.
WHY CREATE A FAMILY TREE?
Seeing yourself as part of a creative lineage helps you feel less alone while creating your work.
DISCOVER THE WORLD
You have to be curious about everything around you, delve deeper than others ever have, because that’s how progress is made.
Read many books and do internet research about your dreams and problems.
WRITE EVERYTHING!
Make it a habit to jot down your thoughts and observations: from the books you read, write down your favorite passages, record the conversations you’ve heard in movies, at work, while walking…
It can be a digital file or a paper binder, the shape doesn’t matter, as long as it works.
2 – DON’T WAIT TO KNOW WHO YOU ARE TO START
DO THINGS TO UNDERSTAND WHO YOU ARE
It is in the act of performing actions and developing one’s work that one comes to discover who one is.
In life you have to do, do, do, every day, until you find out who you are and what you want to do.
Beware of imposter syndrome, remember that the results you achieve are your fault and no one else’s.
PRETEND IT UNTIL YOU MADE IT
There are 2 ways to become what you want to become:
- Pretend you are a certain thing until you are, pretending until you succeed, until everyone sees you the way you want.
- Pretend you’re doing something until you actually do it.
START COPYING
You are not born with a certain style or personal approach, you start by copying others to find your own way.
“Start copying what you like. Copy, copy, copy, copy. At the end of copying you will find your identity.”
– Yohji Yamamoto
Copy as many different things as possible.
You need to understand 2 things:
- WHO TO COPY?
Copy your heroes, those you like, those who inspire you, and people you would like to become.
- WHAT TO COPY?
It’s not just about stealing the style, but above all the thought behind the style.
In fact, you don’t want to be seen as your heroes, but to see like them: the reason why it is worth copying heroes and their style is that in this way you can take a look inside their heads.
“If you’re influenced by one person, everyone will say you’re the next so-and-so; but if you copy from a lot of people everyone will say that you are absolutely original».
–Gary Parker
IMITATE THE BEST
Copy your heroes, trying to figure out where you can’t match them: what makes the difference? Well, that something is exactly what needs to be amplified in your personal work.
| GOOD THEFT | BAD THEFT |
|---|---|
| Valuing | Debasement |
| More info | Superficiality |
| Stealing from many | Stealing from one |
| Recognition | Plagiarism |
| Rework | Imitation |
| Mixing | Scam |
3 – WRITE THE BOOK YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ
WRITE WHAT YOU LIKE
Art is produced because art is loved; you are attracted to a certain type of work because you are inspired by people who make that type of work, that is, the creation of an enthusiast. The best advice is not to write about things you know but about things you love.
Write the kind of story that you like best; write the story you want to read. The same principle applies to life and career. Whenever you’re unsure of your next step, simply ask yourself, “What would make the story better?”
4 – USE YOUR HANDS
CLEAR THE MONITOR
Computer work alienates you from the final result, it doesn’t make you totally satisfied.
You have to move, feel that something is being done with the body, not just with the head (you’ll get more ideas), because the works that come only from the head aren’t very good.
Try to switch between analog and digital.
5 – HOBBIES AND PASSIONS
DEVELOP PASSIONS
What really develops is the collateral project, i.e. the activities that are cultivated for fun.
It’s great to have several projects on the go at the same time to swing between: when you get tired of the first one you can move on to the other and, when you have enough, you can go back to the previous one.
BOREDOM
Creative people need to have time to do nothing because they come up with great ideas.
When you run out of ideas, do the dishes, go for a walk, do something boring.
DO NOT THROW ANYTHING AWAY
Those who have two or three authentic passions shouldn’t feel obliged to choose, because it’s better not to get rid of them, keeping all those that fill life.
If you focus only on one passion you will feel incomplete, as if something is missing.
HOBBY
It is a creative activity that has value only for you and when you do it you feel better and with more energy for new ideas.
6 – DO A GOOD JOB AND SHARE IT
BE ANONYMOUS
As long as you are unknown, there is no pressure and you can do what you want, experimenting and acting for the sheer fun of it.
When you are unknown, nothing distracts you from the goal of improving: no public image to safeguard, no large compensation at risk..
That freedom never comes back once you start grabbing the attention of others, and especially once you start receiving other people’s money.
HOW TO BECOME FAMOUS
It is a 2-step process:
- DO A GOOD JOB, it’s difficult because there are no shortcuts: you have to produce every day, making mistakes and correcting yourself to improve.
- SHARE IT, publish what you created on the internet.
The more one is willing to share one’s passions, the more intensely people live them.
Learn the rules of the web, find out how to make a website, how to use social media…
On the Internet, all that remains is to find people with whom to get in touch to share common interests.
You don’t need to share everything, indeed sometimes it’s better to avoid it, just show a little of what you’re working on, just a draft.
“Don’t be afraid that your ideas will be stolen. If they’re good ideas, you have to feed them to people!”
–Howard Aiken
7 – GEOGRAPHY IS NOT IMPORTANT
BUILD YOUR WORLD
With the internet you can talk and meet people who live far from you with whom you can collaborate.
If you don’t feel at home where you live, you can build your own world around it.
Surrounding yourself with books and objects that you like will serve to create a place for reflection and solitude.
LEAVE HOME
As soon as possible, you have to leave home, you can always go back, but you have to leave at least once.
Since the brain is too comfortable in the daily environment, we need to create some discomfort for it, this is needed to have more ideas and creativity.
8 – BE KIND
MAKE NEW FRIENDS
The best way to beat enemies on the Internet? Ignore them! The best way to make friends on the web? Talk about it well.
SURROUND YOURSELF WITH TALENT
Surround yourself with people who are better and more interesting than you
Follow carefully what they are talking about, what they are producing.
YOU HAVE TO BE:
- Curious
- Gentle
- Resistant
- Available to appear clueless
If you ever find yourself the best in one environment, you need to change environments.
DON’T COMPLAIN AND ACT
When you feel angry or frustrated don’t complain to others and yourself, but use those negative emotions to take action.
DON’T EXPECT UNDERSTANDING
When someone happens to understand the value of your business more often than not:
- You’re already fed up with it
- You are already dead.
Don’t go looking for confirmation from external sources, the moment you offer your work to the world, you have no control over how others will welcome it.
COLLECT THE COMPLIMENTS
When you receive letters or messages of encouragement keep them (in folders or wherever you want) and read them again in negative moments, because it will give you the strength to continue.
Negative messages delete them because they make you feel bad.
9 – BE BORING
TAKE CARE OF YOU
To be creative you need to have a lot of energy and to do that you need to eat well, sleep at least 8 hours, exercise…
AVOID DEBT
Learn to manage money, save as much as possible by avoiding buying useless and too expensive things.
ORDINARY WORK
The truth is that even if you are lucky enough to support yourself doing what you really love, it will probably take time to get there.
In the meantime, you will have to live off your usual work.
Establishing habits and sticking to them can be better than having plenty of time on your hands.
Inertia kills creativity: you have to stay active, and when you lose your rhythm you begin to despise your work, knowing full well that to start again you will have to work hard (until you regain your rhythm).
Parkinson’s Law: According to which the performance of work expands to occupy all the time available.
The trick is to find an everyday job that pays enough money without being repugnant, leaving enough energy for leisure activities.
MAKE A CALENDAR
Completing a great work or building a career largely translates into adding up many small efforts distributed over time.
A calendar is useful for planning work, proposing concrete objectives and for not losing one’s bearings.
CREATE A LOGBOOK
Write down what you did during each day, what project you dedicated yourself to, where you went for lunch, what movie you saw…
FIND GREAT PARTNERS
Choose partners that is people to do business with, make friends, pass the time or romantic relationships that give you something more.
10 – CREATIVITY IS SUBTRACTION
LEAVE SOMETHING
Progress is determined by those who understand what to leave alone to focus on what really matters.
The solution to overcoming creative blocks is simply to set limits. It sounds like a contradiction, yet in creative activity, limitations mean freedom.
EX: Write a song during your lunch break, paint a picture with one color…
Try to create things with the time, space and resources you have right now.
MIND MAP
