The Steal Like an Artist Trilogy 📚
There's very few books that I believe actually can change your life. Even fewer that have such a dramatic impact. In that group, there isn't one that comes close to the experience from reading Austin Kleon's trilogy - especially because of how condensed and light on content it is. And that's a good thing.
About The Trilogy
Austin Kleon
There's really something special about these three books, what they contain, and how they are presented. I first purchased the physical copy of "Show Your Work" which I believe is the most important of the three. After finishing it I immediately ordered the audiobook trilogy. The books themselves are short and to the point, something that helps hammer home the point in the most digestible way possible.
Each book has a central theme, but all of them have to do with creativity, the creative process, and breaking myths about traditional ways of making things.
Steal Like An Artist
The first book in the series deconstructs the myths of originality, and for many people I think it really makes you question artistic inspiration and the fables of geniuses revolutionizing their respective fields. The overall theme can be summarized as:
Everything has already been said, but nobody was listening, so everything must be said again.
By freeing ourselves from the impossible shackles of pure originality, we can embrace what all artists have done - learn from those who have come before, take from them what you like, and make it your own.
Another strong point that we all can follow now with our smartphones in our pockets, is that you should always have a way to take notes with you at all times. If you can get something to write with, that's even better! I personally use Samsung Notes on my smartphone and if I have it with me, my tablet.
Being able to capture spontaneous ideas or draw things out wherever you go is one of the most important tools you need to get the most out of your ideas. It helps alleviate the burden of trying to remember, and in writing out and drawing you find that you develop your ideas as you go.
There's tons of other gems in this book too! I've got some snippets in my own Manifesto pdf shared above if you want some more core concepts to help entice you to get this book.
Show Your Work
Probably the most important book anyone should read. That's a huge statement, I know, but the approaches to collaboration and community are downright damn awesome. From the get go, the book talks about what a 'Scenius' is - a group of people who birth ideas. It continues developing these open learning and sharing concepts that have transformed how I view work and what the most beneficial things we do are removing the curtain of the crucible and showing our progress at every step.
This book was my inspiration for LUCO, or Level Up your Creative Output, and also beginning this blog site. Ideas like "You can't find your voice if you don't use it" seem obvious enough, but the processes and benefits of sharing your work are demonstrated perfectly.
Sharing your process helps other people see into the inner workings of what you're doing, and opens up discussion to creative methods and techniques while also helping with building up confidence and pride in your work.
The second most key point is a mantra to throw your heart into:
Be an amateur. Amateurs are willing to lose.
By separating ourselves from perfectionism we are able to take more risks and also pursue things with boundless enthusiasm that the established master may dismiss. And the real power of being an amateur is that you can help others in their journey too, as amateurs are exposed to the problems and blockers that others are going through and can relate and help others more effectively than someone who has learned it long ago.
Keep Going
The final of the three is the fuel to keep the fire under you lit. It helps you stay on the path, and gives you the tools to be more productive on it.
Building a Bliss Station, or the place where you go to create, is instrumental in the age of work from home where we find it difficult to unblur the lines between each part of our lives. By creating a space (or time) for your creative endeavors, you exponentially increase your output and help prime yourself to be in the right state for imagination and drive.
In the same vein as the earlier book, this one expounds on the practice of keeping a notebook with you at all times. In this case though drawing is the primary focus, allowing us to interpret the world around us in different ways. It also forces us to view the world in a slower perception, giving us room to see the details and shadows that give things their real beauty.
Finally, there are two calls to action that should truly be taught to everyone in their first year of school and repeated all throughout adolescence.
If there's any truth to life, this book has captured it and distilled it to its purest form. When you find yourself searching for the second wind that gives you the push to keep your life going, reach for these words and carve them into your soul.