I recently read ‘Steal Like an Artist’ by Austin Kleon and I would recommend it to anyone entering or in the creative industry. In 10 short chapters, Kleon gives a very refreshing, practical perspective on creativity and debunks a lot of the myths related to creating any kind of art and putting yourself out there. Here are some of my favourite lessons from the book:

1. Imitate Your Favourite Artists

“Those who do not want to imitate anything, produce nothing.”

– Salvador Dali

Artists and creatives from all eras have agreed on the significance of imitation. This is the main theme of the book. Imitation is not an ugly word or a concept that we should shy away from. We all have to start somewhere. In fact, in his book, Austin Kleon really encourages imitation.

“There are no unique messages — just unique messengers.”

-Jadah Sellner

This idea really inspired me to start reading more articles and blog posts from authors all around the world. I constantly remind myself to take inspiration from their work and make notes of interesting ideas that I can write about.

Before reading this book, the idea of imitating other articles and blogs would’ve never crossed my mind. Why talk about a book that has been discussed before? Why review a gadget that other people have reviewed? It is true that other people may have beat you to it but that does not mean you can’t bring a new perspective to the topic.

The words of David Bowie (as mentioned in the book) now resonate in my mind whenever I get negative thoughts about imitation.

Cameron Crowe: Since you put yourself first, do you consider yourself an original thinker?

David Bowie: Not by any means. More like a tasteful thief. The only art I’ll ever study is stuff that I can steal from.

2. Keep All Your Passions Alive

We are often told to ‘focus on one passion’ and ‘narrow down our options’ — but why?

Kleon discusses the idea of having many passions and urges the reader to keep them all alive because your passions start to interact together and elevate each other.

I personally love music, reading, writing, tech, coffee and cooking. I was often told to try and focus on one so I don’t get too distracted. However, I’m starting to see things from a new angle. All of my hobbies and passions feed into each other to create this amazing blend that keeps me excited!

If you have a hobby that you enjoy doing, keep doing it! Don’t think too much about connecting the dots with everything else in your life.

3. Give Yourself Time and Space

I found this idea fascinating!

Sometimes all we need is solitude. Spending time by yourself, away from devices such as phones and laptops, can be beneficial to your creativity.

Now that we are always connected, you have to exert extra effort to disconnect. This can mean different things to different people. I personally sometimes go on runs and purposefully leave my headphones at home so I can disconnect. Listening to the sounds of nature can bring a sense of solitude that can inspire creativity.

To others, solitude might mean sitting quietly in your room, reading a book or journaling. Whichever one it is, enjoying your solitude and ‘temporary captivity’ as Austin Kleon described it is very important to create your own world.

4. Diversify Your Circle

I can’t overstate how much this tip impacted my life.

Diversity of thought and experiences in social circles allows you to develop and be exposed to different ideas, concepts, etc. In this book, Kleon talks about how he surrounds himself with people who are not necessarily in the same profession. This allows him to gain new outlooks and helps him create art.

At university, my friendship group was so diverse. My friends studied things ranging from architecture to Chinese politics to medicine to computer science. They had all come from completely different backgrounds and this diversity allowed us all to learn from each other and discover new passions and careers.

Having interesting people around you (whether physically or virtually) has a huge influence on your personality. As Jim Rohn, a motivational speaker, once said:

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with”

5. Start NOW

I left the most important message (in my opinion) till the end. Start making stuff now and worry about ‘perfecting’ it later. In the book, Kleon discusses the importance of not letting imposter syndrome stop you from pursuing your hobbies and passions.

Nobody knows how to do things at the start of the process. That’s why starting is so important. Start by copying the techniques that you like then copy some more and then, you guessed it, keep copying! By practising, the beginner eventually becomes a professional.

I recently watched the video below, where Ali Abdaal discussed overcoming the fears of putting yourself on the internet. I found it extremely useful and drew a lot of connections to things mentioned in ‘Steal like an artist’.

Final Thoughts

I recommend ‘Steal Like an Artist’ by Austin Kleon to anyone keen on discovering ways to improve their creativity or find their inner artist. It is a quick read that can be finished in one sitting. It definitely made me see creativity in a different light and implement new techniques into my creative workflow.

How do you keep your creative juices flowing? Share your favourite 3 ways to do so below!