Steal Like An Artist | Book Reflection

Austin Kleon's book Steal Like An Artist is everything I needed to hear to get moving and do things. While I wouldn't necessarily call myself an artist, I know I've always wanted to achieve more than the carefully-laid path in pharmacy school.

But I always chose the safer route.

Reading Kleon's book was just the right kick in the face to stop being paralyzed in fear and explore the unbeaten path. In it, he breaks down the mental barriers of getting started on whatever you genuinely want to do.

Here are some of the key points that spoke to me:

Open Your Eyes

Nothing is original. The world is already full of art and creations, but it's up to you to notice them, extract the best parts, and create something new. Your inspiration can come from anywhere - the autumn leaves outside, the beat to a song playing in the coffee shop, the last movie you watched. Literally anywhere. You just need to be observant enough to see them and care enough to make an effort to learn more.

This message spoke to me because I habitually take things for granted and am perpetually unimpressed by anything. This primarily stems from a bad habit I developed as a child. I would pretend not to care about anything because being "easy-going" allowed me to get along with more people. My habit followed me into adulthood and has resulted in unexplored potential passions. And honestly, I don't know what I care about, so I'm looking forward to discovering things I love through this process.

Fake It Til You Make It

Kleon's second piece of advice is, "Don't wait until you know who you are to get started." I felt personally attacked by this statement since I always get stuck in the planning and preparation phase due to fear and insecurity. However, he assures you that no one else knows what they're doing either. They just show up and do things, which is something I frequently feel like at work. Despite me often being placed in unfamiliar circumstances, somehow, everything always turns out ok. And now that I think about it, this should apply to whatever I pursue at home too. As they say, "Fake it til you make it."

Create What You Want to See

Do you want to be creative but don't know what to create? Create whatever it is your little heart desires. If it's something you are passionate about, it'll show in your work. Don't see it existing already in the world? Create it yourself. I love this message because it applies to being creative and developing a business that fills unmet needs. You can even tie the two together by creatively repurposing an already existing item, modifying it to meet this gap, and ultimately creating a new and valuable commodity. The possibilities of this excite me. There are an endless amount of problems and inconveniences out there. I just need to stop complaining and do something about it.

Be Ok with Being Misunderstood

Putting work out into the world with no recognition sucks. It's like silent humiliation via lack of acknowledgment. I've already felt disheartened by it, wondering if publishing my journey here was worth it. But Kleon advises to "Get comfortable with being misunderstood, disparaged, or ignored" because you should be too busy with your work to care. I think this is good advice since my goal is self-improvement and learning. However, Kleon does recognize that being praised is helpful to keep pushing along. So save the praises, but don't get stuck in the "glory days." Keep chugging along and do your thing even if no one notices.

Start Now

Advice number ten is "Creativity is subtraction," which essentially means don't be a hoarder. Figure out what's important to you and only pursue those things. This one is hard for me because I have a habit of wanting to do everything, which again stems from my fear of being inadequate and unemployed. He also advises not to get so caught up in perfection, such as waiting to get the best equipment before telling yourself you can get started. This is just your fear speaking again. Procrastinating and making excuses - a battle I face every day. So embrace your limitations and just start now.

Summary

Steal Like An Artist is a must-read for any aspiring creative or entrepreneur struggling to get started. Kleon breaks down the mysteries and misconceptions of all the successful, seemingly untouchable geniuses out there. His words of wisdom were undoubtedly beneficial for me as I move forward on this journey out of my comfort zone - the unbeaten path.

Admittedly, I have terrible reading retention, so if I were to summarize these points into one sentence, I'd say:

"The world is your playground to create and get inspired, so no matter where you are in life, start now and don't stop until you get where you want to be."

Of note, this blog post is not all-inclusive of Kleon's book. These were just the points that stood out to me. If you are interested in further exploring Kleon's wisdom, check out his book here.