Austin Kleon

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  12. great advice!

    in case you ever read these comments/care, i am actually stealing your idea. I’m basically doing newspaper blackout, except with an entire book. I’m writing my own story using the words of Twilight (because i think it’d be awesome to make something beautiful out of a piece of crap). it probably won’t be as good as what you do, but i figured it’d be fun. thanks for the idea!

  13. Hey. So I just wanted to say that you got me thinking.
    I’m only a high school senior at the moment, and I gotta say this is one of those things that will, or already has left an impression on me.
    I guess this allowed me to see some stuff I’ve been recently thinking about in a nice coherent way.
    I like how you approahced some creative taboos.
    Like accepting the fact that a lot of work is stolen.
    But at the same time it becomes original somewhere down the line.
    I’ve been conflicted recently. I’m being torn apart by my love for biology and art. I feel I’ve found a median, but I dont know if I can settle on a median. I guess I’ll see.
    Thanks again.

  14. What great stuff to think about! You have a wonderful ability to make things clear, to offer another way of looking at things, at life. These are all the kind of thoughts us artists experience and you helped to crystalize and clarify them, bring them into the present moment and help get us artists unstuck. I am constantly trying to push myself on, to keep on track of what I want to present to you all out there in a way that feels good and right to me and somehow makes this world a bit of a better place somehow, to show the respect and love that is needed to all living creatures and to our planet that is in need of saving before it gets too late. When you have the choice to be kind or be right, always choose kind as Dr. Wayne Dyer says. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts! Namastay

  16. I just recently graduated as a fine artist, and the truth is I left worse then how I started. Completely lost, mentally, creatively, soulfully lost. After reading this, took me way back to before I ever went to Art School, this has really inspired me to become myself again, and just let go, and stop trying so hard.
    Thank you so much, this has been one of the best things that have happened to me in such a long time…and to think I’ve learnt more reading this then all my time in school.
    :-D

  23. Thank You! Its good to know there is a community of Art People out there! I will post this on my wall and hope that my kids read it.. they are so embarassed that I am different than other parents. To them, that is a bad thing! I just like making things, crafting flowers out of pop cans, making jewelry out of washers and junk from the bottom of my toolbox. You inspire me… now about that Day Job!

Trackbacks

  3. […] “Iden­tify one writer you really love. Find every­thing they’ve ever writ­ten. Then find out what they read. And read all of that. Climb up your own fam­ily tree of writ­ers.” — Austin Kleon […]

  21. […] [from steveportigal] How To Steal Like An Artist (And 9 Other Things Nobody Told Me) [Austin Kleon] – [While the frame of reference is being an artist, you could substitute a lot of other descriptors and it'd work just as well – designer, innovator, ethnographer, what-have-you. The riffs here manage to be wide-ranging and incredibly concise.] Your job is to collect ideas. The best way to collect ideas is to read. Read, read, read, read, read. Read the newspaper. Read the weather. Read the signs on the road. Read the faces of strangers. The more you read, the more you can choose to be influenced by. [Thanks @anneincal!] […]

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