“If you ever find that you’re the most talented person in the room, you need to find another room.”
When Mr. Kleon was asked to address college students in upstate New York, he shaped his speech around the ten things he wished someone had told him when he was starting out. The talk went viral, and its author dug deeper into his own ideas to create Steal Like an Artist, the book. The result is inspiring, hip, original, practical, and entertaining. And filled with new truths about creativity: Nothing is original, so embrace influence, col- lect ideas, and remix and re-imagine to discover your own path. Follow your interests wherever they take you. Stay smart, stay out of debt, and risk being boring—the creative you will need to make room to be wild and daring in your imagination. [From: Amazon.com]
“Draw the art you want to see, start the business you want to run, play the music you want to hear, write the books you want to read, build the products you want to use – do the work you want to see done.”
Kleon describes ten basic principles to boost your creativity. He lists them on the back cover of the book so that they’re easily referenced. The book is small, full of illustrations and several poems in the style of his newspaper cutouts by Kleon.
Kleon responds by writing, “the reason to copy your heroes and their style is so that you might somehow get a glimpse into their minds”. Kleon reminds throughout his book that “nothing is original… all creative work builds on what came before.” This sentiment is also a foundation for effective ELA teaching: From our past experiences as readers and writers, we can design better learning conditions for our students.
“You are, in fact, a mashup of what you choose to let into your life.”
Each chapter is dedicated to one of the ten principles, which are represented by the following:
1. Steal like an artist: The author cautions that he does not mean ‘steal’ as in plagiarize, skim or rip off — but study, credit, remix, mash up and transform. Creative work builds on what came before, and thus nothing is completely original.
2. Don’t wait until you know who you are to start making things: You have to start doing the work you want to be doing, you have to immerse, internalize and even dress like the person you aspire to be. “You don’t have to look like your heroes, you want to see like your heroes,” Kleon urges. Go beyond imitation to emulation.
3. Write the book you want to read: It is important to do what you want to do, and insert your take on things of art.
4. Use your hands: It is important to step away from the screen and immerse in actual physical work. “Computers have robbed us of the feeling that we’re actually making things,” Kleon cautions. “Involve your full body, and not just your brains.”
5. Side projects are important: Hobbies are important because they keep you happy. “A hobby is something that gives but doesn’t take,” Kleon says.
6. Do good work and put it where people can see it: Sharing your work and even your thoughts about what you like help you get good feedback and more ideas.
7. Geography is no longer our master: “Travel makes the world look new, and when the world looks new, our brains work harder,” Kleon explains. Constraints can also act favorably – bad winters or summers can force you to be indoors and work on your projects.
9. Be boring (it’s the only way to get work done.): You can’t be creative all the time, so set a routine – for example, with a regular day job which sets a fixed schedule and exposes you to new people and skills.
10. Creativity is subtraction“: In an age of information overload and abundance, focus is important. Choose what you want to leave out of your key work. “Nothing is more paralysing than the idea of limitless possibilities. The best way to get over creative block is to simply place some constraints on yourself,” Kleon says. [From: Wikipedia.com]
“Collect books, even if you don’t plan on reading them right away. Nothing is more important than an unread library.”
A guide to creativity in the digital age, this book presents ten trans-formative principles to help readers discover their artistic side and build a more creative life. Offers advice and encouragement to help readers foster creativity and be artistically productive in a wide variety of endeavors. You don’t need to be a genius, you just need to be yourself. That’s the message from the author, a young writer and artist who knows that creativity is everywhere, creativity is for everyone. A manifesto for the digital age, this is a guide whose positive message, graphic look and illustrations, exercises, and examples will put readers directly in touch with their artistic side. When the author was asked to address college students in upstate New York, he shaped his speech around the ten things he wished someone had told him when he was starting out. The talk went viral, and its author dug deeper into his own ideas to create the book. The result is inspiring, hip, original, practical, and entertaining. It’s filled with new truths about creativity: Nothing is original, so embrace influence, school yourself through the work of others, collect ideas, and remix and re-imagine to discover your own path. Follow your interests wherever they take you. Forget the old cliche about writing what you know; instead write the book you want to read, make the movie you want to watch. Stay smart, stay out of debt, and risk being boring in the everyday world so that you have the space to be wild and daring in your imagination and your work. [From: Books.google.com]
“Creative people need time to just sit around and do nothing.”
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