Book Note: 8 Key Ideas From “Steal Like an Artist”
Intro
Creativity was a mysterious concept to many including me. Fortunately, Austin Kleon has demystified creativity in his book, Steal Like an Artist. Going through Austin’s words and sketches was amusing, one of a kind. Not only was the book’s content succinct, but he also managed to deliver a ton of insights. Here, in this post, I want to share 8 key ideas that resonate heavily with me.
1. “Nothing is Original”
Naturally, when we consolidated some ideas, it’s easy to feel that those ideas are obvious and everyone must have known them already. Consequently, we refrain from sharing our ideas or teaching others because the ideas are not original. However, “every new idea is a mashup or a remix of one or more previous ideas” — Austin Kleon. He also went even further and pointed out that we’re also just a remix of our parents, at least genetically. If we’re not original, why should our ideas be?
2. “Good Theft vs. Bad Theft”
Austin drew an awesome table that should speak for itself and cover the whole idea. Here it is:
3. “Humans Are Unable to Copy Perfectly”
A combination of machines and artificial intelligence should be able to copy most things in the world perfectly; therefore, as humans, we shouldn’t have to worry about that. Humans are incapable of copying, which is “a wonderful flaw”, according to Austin. For that reason, we can consciously copy the work of our heroes — “the people you love, the people you’re inspired by, the people you want to be”. Though, there is a fine line between “steal like an artist” and plagiarism, which should be the same line dividing “good theft” and “bad theft”.
4. “Write What You Like”
The statement can be applied to many other aspects of life beyond writing. To be productive and creative, we must do what we love and what matters to us. It doesn’t matter if we write books, songs or software, what we produce should be what we want to use. Austin’s unconventional presentation of the book should already demonstrate the expression.
5. “Step Away From the Screen”
“You don’t need scientific study to tell you that sitting in front of a computer all day is killing you, and killing your work” — Austin Kleon
Undeniably true. Technology can be a good tool for publishing and editing, but it’s not that good when it comes to generating ideas. Creativity only comes through the motions. “Art that only comes from the head isn’t any good”.
6. “Take Time to Be Bored”
Boredom can do a great job boosting creativity. Veritasium (a Youtube channel) does a very good job of explaining Why Boredom is Good for You in detail with facts and research. To sum up the video, boredom gives us time to just think and be creative.
7. “Stand Next to the Talent”
Jim Rohn famously said that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with. The digital world is no exception. That means following people that are smarter and better than us can have the same effects. So, just hang out with the most talented person in the room, but if that’s you, find another room and repeat the process.
8. “Creativity is Subtraction”
It might sound counterintuitive, but if we ponder over the statement, it conveys two compelling ideas. First of all, leaving things out can let us focus on what really matters. Secondly, what good does our solution do if it can only solve the problem with unlimited resources?
“The right constraints can lead to your very best work.” — Austin Kleon
Outro
These 8 ideas were picked based purely on personal opinions, which means they are definitely not the only good ideas in the book. There are a myriad of other insights in Steal Like an Artist that might resonate with you.
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Extra Awesome Quotes
“Art is theft.” — Pablo Picasso
“The work you do while you procrastinate is probably the work you should be doing for the rest of your life.” — Jessica Hische
“It’s better to burn out than to fade away.” — Neil Young
“It’s better to burn slow and see your grandkids.” — Austin Kleon
