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

This is a genuinely insightful and accessible read. Even if you don’t consider yourself an artist in any sense, the advice is practical, grounded, and easy to absorb. The writing is clear and engaging throughout, making complex ideas feel surprisingly simple. The author has a real gift for expressing concepts that many people feel but struggle to articulate. I often found myself thinking, “that’s exactly it,” but never would have put it that way myself. That alone makes the book worth reading. I enjoyed it from start to finish and will definitely be looking for more work from this author in the future.

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.

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_yI I 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”.

Highly recommend

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.

Just spent less than an hour reading a great book. Yes, I'm biased. It was written by my nephew. "Steal Like An Artist," by Austin Kleon, is for anybody who is, was or will be stuck in their own creative neurosis, unable to accept their giftings, unable to move forward, unable to risk failure. Perhaps what I love most about the book is the surprisingly practical advice it offers to creative types from a young man I view as a creative genius. I didn't expect this ultra-deep thinking melancholy, whom I've watched grow up (albeit from a distance), to offer such wonderfully useful instruction. The book, which has quickly made the New York Times best-seller list for advice books, is also amazingly spiritual. Full of subtle but sound biblical encouragement (which I'm pretty sure was unintentional), this easy-reading, 140-page work could easily be the basis of a small-group (Bible?) study. And before the religious Pharisees of our day start railing about how the title defies the eighth commandment, please just save it. (You'd do well to heed the encouragement of Bishop Joseph Garlington of Covenant Church of Pittsburgh - one of the great pastors of our day - who openly acknowledges that when he hears a great nugget from other pastors or spiritual leaders, he won't hesitate to steal it, though he'll give credit the first time.) With chapter titles like "Don't Wait Until You Know Who Are To Get Started," "Use Your Hands," "Do Good Work and Share it With People" and "Be Nice," the advice is in some ways a handbook for living out life as God designed us to do. I already have at least 10 people I have in mind who need to read this book. I'll be placing my order shortly. Years ago when Austin first created his website [...], I told his mom that a day would come when people would discover him - that his work would one day have a wider audience. It's exciting for me to see that happening. What's perhaps most exciting for me is to see how grounded Austin is. It's very easy for creatives to get lost and detached in their own creativity. Clearly that hasn't happened with Austin. Of course, I credit God - and a praying grandmother - for that influence, which I'm certain will continue to bear fruit for years to come. Good job, Austin. I'm proud of you. To order the book, click Austin's website link here. Austin, who lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife, Meghan, will be in Cleveland, Ohio, on June 9 as part of his "Steal Across America" book tour. Check it out if you get a chance. This review was first posted on [...], where Jeff Schoch is senior pastor.

A 12th century French monk, Bernard of Chartres, once observed, "We are like dwarfs standing on the shoulders of giants." I thought of that observation as I read Austin Kleon's brief but insightful discussion of ten "things nobody told you about being creative," with the first serving as this book's title. There are dozens of quotations throughout the narrative that reaffirm Kleon's thesis: Almost anyone can become more creative in what they do and how they live by applying the lessons that Kleon learned during the past decade. What he learned, of course, is what he stole from others and then applied...and the world wisdom they possessed had been stolen from still others and then applied...you get the idea. In his thought-provoking book, Ignore Everybody, Hugh MacLeod identifies and discusses a total of 40 "keys to creativity" and, of course, the first is to Ignore Everybody. Taken literally, that would include both MacLeod and Kleon. However, in each of his several books, MacLeod duly acknowledges his appreciation of countless others who have helped him to become the best Hugh MacLeod he could be. My own opinion is that Kleon has a similar objective: To help his reader think more creatively about becoming more creative by introducing his reader to a variety of different perspectives that will help the reader to become more alert, more aware, of how to live a more productive, a more enjoyable, a more fulfilling life. The quotations he includes are indeed excellent. Several have become classic insights. Here is a representative selection: o "Art is theft." Pablo Picasso o "The only art I'll ever study is stuff that I can steal from." David Bowie o "What is originality? Undetected plagiarism." William Ralph Inge o "It is better to take what does not belong to you than to let it lie around neglected." Mark Twain o "Start copying what you love. Copy copy copy copy. At the end of the copy you will find your self." Yohji Yamamoto o " The work you do while you procrastinate is probably the work you should be doing for the rest of your life." Jessica Hische o "Complain about the way other people make software by making better software." Andre Torrez o "Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work." Gustave Flaubert My take on "artistic theft" is that it is essential to the development of more creative thinking. All of the world's great chess players throughout history, for example, devoted thousands of hours to studying and replaying, then evaluating the greatest matches in decades past. The advice "steal only from the best" is relevant to just about all (if not all) human initiatives. However, it is also imperative to then make what you steal your own. In the field of human development, Oscar Wilde is correct: "Be yourself. Every one else is taken." That has been true of Leonardo, Shakespeare, Mozart, and countless other creative artists...and it is also true of those who read this book. I am grateful to Austin Kleon for sharing what he has learned from others and then made it his own: this book.

This book is a quick read with great advice. The only reason that I didn't give it five stars is because of the binding. As I opened the book, the pages came lose and are individually detached.

Great book , and great seller Just 4 days arrived to turkey 😍. Iam Really Happy to buy from you

Austin is a great inspirational author who doesn’t care about sharing his secrets! After reading “Show your work” from Austin a while back I had “Steal like an artist” on my list and finally read it, and the only thing I can say is… WHY I HAVEN’T READ IT SOONER? This book not only encourages you to work on your thing (whatever it is) but gives a clear way on how to do it and makes you feel that you can. If you have a creative idea in mind but haven’t started waiting for the perfect time or the muse to feel inspired, shake those feelings and get this book. If after you wonder how to share what you do, get the “Show your work” book from Austin and you’ll have the perfect combo to out your work out in the world!

Print quallity is realy low, and the book is not original

It’s an amazing book also for peeps that don’t work in the creative industry. The author puts things into perspective and the book is written in a very simple and fun way, with lots of doodles and side notes. I have both the pocket version and the hard cover, the size is a bit odd but I think that’s part of the design. :)

One of the best book I have ever read!!