Steal Like an Artist
Austin Kleon
Review
A manifesto for the digital age — Austin Kleon shares 10 transformative principles about creativity, reminding us that nothing is original and every artist builds on what came before. Part inspiration, part practical guide, it teaches you to embrace influence, start before you feel ready, and share your work with the world.
Highlights & Notes(28 highlights)
Kindle Highlights & Notes
1. Steal Like an Artist.
“"There is nothing new under the sun."”
“If we're free from the burden of trying to be completely original, we can stop trying to make something out of nothing, and we can embrace influence instead of running away from it.”
“i think this is very profound and i also realised one more thing related to it that even in my professional life i am applying this, basicaly want to be different; thats why selected engineering and this whole quest of doing startup. i could have taken business to heighta but no i want to be original. so that's the difference.”
“I hang pictures of my favorite artists in my studio. They're like friendly ghosts.”
“Google everything. I mean everything. Google your dreams, Google your problems. Don't ask a question before you Google it. You'll either find the answer or you'll come up with a better question.”
“Keep a swipe file.”
2. Don't Wait Until You Know Who You Are to Get Started.
“it's in the act of making things and doing our work that we figure out who we are.”
“one has to just move to know the path ahead”
“"Start copying what you love. Copy copy copy copy. At the end of the copy you will find your self."”
“"It is our failure to become our perceived ideal that ultimately defines us and makes us unique."”
“"I have stolen all of these moves from all these great players. I just try to do them proud, the guys who came before, because I learned so much from them. It's all in the name of a lot bigger than me."—Kobe Bryant”
3. Write the Book You Want to Read.
“The best advice is not to write what you know, it's to write what you like. Write the kind of story you like best—write the story you want to read.”
“Whenever you're at a loss for what move to make next, just ask yourself, "What would make a better story?"”
4. Use Your Hands.
“"In the digital age, don't forget to use your digits!" Your hands are the original digital devices. Use them.”
“Work that only comes from the head isn't any good.”
5. Side Projects and Hobbies Are Important.
“messing around.”
“Practice productive procrastination.”
“"When I get busy, I get stupid."”
“Take time to mess around. Get lost. Wander. You never know where it's going to lead you.”
“"You can't connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backwards."—Steve Jobs”
“Don't worry about a grand scheme or unified vision for your work. Don't worry about unity—what unifies your work is the fact that you made it. One day, you'll look back and it will all make sense.”
6. The Secret: Do Good Work and Share It with People.
“Do good work and share it with people.”
“often the simple things are not easy”
“"Don't worry about people stealing your ideas. If your ideas are any good, you'll have to ram them down people's throats."—Howard Aiken”
7. Geography Is No Longer Our Master.
“Franz Kafka wrote, "It isn't necessary that you leave home. Sit at your desk and listen. Don't even listen, just wait. Don't wait, be still and alone. The whole world will offer itself to you."”
“I think bad weather leads to better art.”
“i think it can be metaphorical also because breakup or sadness produces best songs, poems”
8. Be Nice. (The World Is a Small Town.)
“"Complain about the way other people make software by making software."—Andre Torrez”