Sometimes artists get stuck. Sometimes they need a little creative push. In a search for such inspiration, I came across a book that was highly recommended by those in the know again and again. I was intrigued. The title… Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon. Spoiler alert… it’s NOT about plagiarism.

Written as advice to his younger self, Kleon offers up 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative, which include things like:

  • Don’t wait until you know who you are to get started
  • Side projects and hobbies are important, and
  • The Secret: Do good work and share it with people

That last one. That’s the one that got me. Some of you reading this may know Love that Shot from years ago. If you’re new around here, I retired Love that Shot about 5 years ago towards the end of 2017. I was burnt out and needed a break. But I didn’t stop taking photos. Honestly, I probably took more photos than ever before. But gradually I found that there was something missing. I missed my community. I missed you. I needed to share my work again. And so here we are. *Hugs*

So let’s dig into why I highlighted the three sections above. These were the ideas that resonated with me the most:

1 | Don’t wait until you know who you are to get started.

I learned in my college Art History classes that young artists throughout history would hone their craft by copying the Masters. Literally copying masterpieces until they got it right. That taught them the skill. Kleon writes, “We learn by copying. We’re talking practice here, not plagiarism—plagiarism is trying to pass someone else’s work off as your own. Copying is about revers-engineering.” The point is to learn from those you admire and embrace their influence in your own creative work. The trick to finding out who you are as an artist is to just get started creating something every day.

2 | Side projects and hobbies are important.

Kleon suggests never letting any of your hobbies and interests go. They are what makes you you! Our hobbies and interests, whether art related or not, influence the art that we create. Without them, we wouldn’t be original.

3 | The Secret: Do good work and share it with people.

As I mentioned earlier, this is the section that really spoke to me. To paraphrase Kleon… experiment, make stuff everyday, then put yourself out there.

My Takeaways:

Be open to ideas, gather things that inspire you, embrace influence, mute the people who don’t get you, and finally, be a nice human and get lost in your own work.

As a designer, I find Steal Like an Artist to be very visually appealing. It’s a fast read, with great reminders and new insight on how to think like an artist. Check it out on Amazon.

What’s Next?

At the end of the book, Kleon gives a list of suggestions on what to do now. I’m taking him up on one of them… “Give a copy of this book away.” If any of these ideas resonated with you, and you’d like a copy of your own, I’m hosting a giveaway on Instagram. So pop on over there and enter to win a bundle of my favorite gear (including this book).

Until next time, Happy Shooting!