This post will recap of Austin Kleon’s book, Steal Like an Artist, chapters 8,9 & 10. These chapters are, to me, a sort of “pushing out of the nest” story. Kleon gives advice on how to be a creative person in the world and to keep working on being an artist. The accompanying video is below. I hope you enjoy my thoughts on the sections and have picked up a copy of the book for yourself.
Check out the accompanying vlog entry here:
Chapter Eight: Be Nice (The World is a Small Town)
Being nice sounds like it should be pretty straightforward, right? Well, It should be, but some situations make being kind difficult. Look at any online comment section and see how many examples of people being nice there are (hint: Not very many). When we find ourselves among ne’er do wells, the best advice, according to Kleon (and I agree), is to IGNORE them. It is so easy to get caught up in an online flame war. We need to try to resist engaging these squabbles. Kleon’s method is to read the posts or comments, feel the blood boiling, and then use that energy for his work. Kleon says: “So go on, get angry. But keep your mouth shut and go do your work.” Great advice!
Don’t let this be you! 🙂
Kleon reminds us to surround ourselves with people we like, love, and admire. Following smart, funny, and talented people’s social media accounts is a great way to make connections. Sometimes those connections can be with the person you admire or others who share your admiration. Pay attention to what the people you admire are looking at and/or what they are listening to. What drives them to get up every morning and do what they do? Learn from them, or steal from them but don’t imitate them.
Kleon also advises we write fan letters to the people who inspire us. An essential part of this is to not expect or need a reply. If the person is very famous, they will probably never see the letter, a staff member will probably go through them. If you are lucky, you might get a form letter in return. Don’t worry about it. The important thing, in my view, is to show appreciation and gratitude for them and their work. You can also write a fan letter to someone you admire who is no longer alive. In either case, you can write the letter on paper, on a social media post, or as a blog post (the last two are great for deceased people you admire).
One thing many artists, myself included, get tripped up on is seeking VALIDATION. Validation of our work, our progress, or field of work or study, and so on. As Kleon says: “Validation is for Parking.” The fact is, once we put our art into the world, the reaction is out of our control. Some may love it, some may hate it, some just won’t understand it. That’s all okay. Some people are assholes, and being an asshole is not our fault or problem, it is totally on them.
When we do get good feedback, you can create a “Praise File” where you can store excellent feedback. Later, when you are feeling down or frustrated or just need a pick-me-up, you can look over some of the items in your praise file. What about nasty comments or emails? Throw them away and cast them out of your mind forever.
Chapter Nine: Be Boring (It’s the Only Way to Get Work Done)
This chapter is an important one, and one many creativity books and lectures gloss over or miss entirely. These are a reminder that we need to take care of ourselves and get enough food, sleep, recreation, and, of course, income to fuel our creative endeavors.
Many have a romantic idea of the “starving artist” and the notion of financial struggles being a mandatory part of life for an artist. Some may also believe all creative people are wild creatures fueled by sex, drugs, and rock and roll, and that’s what creatives need to be inspired. Bull hockey! Artists, like anyone, may like the occasional party night. Still, to function in the 21st century, we do require some of the dreary, day to day reality stuff to help us get to where we want to be.
A steady, reliable income and creating and sticking to a budget are critical components to ensure you have the resources you need. Kleon advises us to “stay out of debt.” For me and I imagine many of you, it might be better to recommend that we “get out of debt.” According to CNBC, “The average American now has about $38,000 in personal debt, excluding home mortgages.” If you are like me and my fellow “average Americans,” it is essential to take a hard look at our income and spending. We often need to make changes to our spending and use of credit cards to improve our financial situation.
Kleon also advises keeping a calendar and a logbook. The calendar helps us to plan and set goals. It is a great way to see your forward progress, especially if you mark a big, red, X over the completed days of achieved goals. The logbook is where you record the day’s accomplishments. Keeping a logbook may prove invaluable when you are looking back at the steps you’ve taken towards a larger goal. It can also help to review your process and see where you can make adjustments, like adding or subtracting a step or two for the next project. The final section of this chapter is titled:” Marry Well.” This part is, in my opinion, Kleon’s fan letter to his wife, and I cannot begrudge him for that.
Chapter Ten: Creativity is Subtraction
Kleon offers a solid bit of advice on breaking “creative blocks,” and that is to: “simply place some constraints on yourself.” It does sound a little odd at first, especially when a lot of creativity block eradication advice is to “just do something!” The just do something plan is, in my view, suitable for a general block, like an” I just can’t think of anything” type block. In these cases, just getting some art supplies and letting yourself go may prove helpful, but it can only go so far. If you end up with a macaroni necklace, it may be a fabulous new piece of jewelry, but is it reflective of the work you want to be doing? Putting some boundaries on your unblocking exercises can help focus your creative mind on the solution within the confines you have given yourself. Kleon offers a few examples such as writing a song over a lunch break, painting with one color, Shoot a movie on your phone, build a machine with spare mechanical parts, etc. You get the picture. For me, I like to pull out my old magazines and make a collage when I need something to kick start my creativity. I love the boundaries (materials: some sort of support, magazine and newspaper clipping, glue, and scissors. I look for a seed image that excites me, and the image builds from there. Sometimes the results are surprisingly good and, to be completely honest, some are terrible, but the end product is not really the point. The process is what I find valuable.
Kleon’s finishes the chapter with this final thought we can all benefit from:
“In the end, creativity isn’t just the things we choose to put in, it’s the things we choose to leave out.”
Kleon wraps up the book with these suggestions for the question: WHAT NOW?
Take A Walk
Start Your Swipe File
Go To The Library
Buy A Notebook And USE IT
Get Yourself A Calendar
Start Your Logbook
Give A Copy Of This Book Away
Start A Blog
Take A Nap
In other words, fly out of the nest and spread those artistic wings!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this look at Steal Like an Artist, and it has encouraged you to read the book or just get started or restarted on your creative journey.
Please visit Austin Kleon’s Blog for more information on the topics covered in Steal Like an Artist and more.
Next Blog: Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art (I’ll be referring to the audiobook). Information on Audible gift memberships can be found below:
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