Austin Kleon

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  3. I’m a young aspiring screenwriter and I have to say this has helped so much. Everything you’ve said I’ve only discovered on my own through my short life, and I’ve not been able to put them into words much. I’m glad you did. I am so buying your book!

  8. Good Artists copy. Great Artists Steal…. P.Picasso
    Got it in one
    Beautiful wisdom and encouragement to endure
    thank you
    Good Karma to you, in spades

  9. This was an awesome read! Really made me realise what are the things I’ve been doing right, the things I’ve been doing wrong, and the things I should be doing more of. Cheers!

  10. it’s great because you’ve quite figured it out… – an article which put a smile on my face and made me feel good about the minutes spent on reading it. thank you.

  16. I’m at university the now studying for a degree in photography, and this has made me laugh because these are the things I’m learning (the hard way) and can completely relate too. Great advice though, it’s all true :)

  19. I (59, MD) learned, joyfully, from your list. If not your book or art, any way to just send you some $ as a thank you/support (yes, serious)?

  21. Thankyou
    Have been down on it the last couple of days….feeling WAY to sorry for myself so decided to type in google to find some inspiration and your blog pops up!!! BRILLIANT thankyou! Il just get on with it now hehhee…..

  25. Okay. I will be the thorn in your side. A prick, if you will. but not a mean-spirited, hater prick. But a friendly(we all want to make friends), contrarian prick. :)

    I would say that this list is mostly true. Agreed. There is nothing new under the sun; only new spins on old themes or you can say there are no new stories, just new audiences.

    But to take umbrage (1st one LOL) with the term original. Originality does come from somwhere. It comes from being you; there is only one you thus making you unique by default. So your take on an idea should not and will not (hopefully) be the same as someone else’s, which makes life and artistic endeavours fun! :) Some ideas might be similar, but not exactly the same. Its the difference between imitation and emulation.

    Point #2 a.k.a. “I also take umbrage with this.” Alot of this advice might be welcomed pat on the back for some. But for every rule there is an exception. What if you didn’t grow up in the middle of a cornfield? What if you grew up in a big city and were exposed to lots and lots of culture; art, music, literature, movies, different kinds of people? What if you were the one person who not only dared to dream but followed up and took the chance (or chances) and won? Then you would have lots of experience to draw from and your advice would be moot. Or what if you were just born with the gift to do what you do?

    So this finding yourself/fake it until you make it is a bit of a hokey, cop-out term (please don’t be offended). I think this piece of advice should be more in the vein of Nike: “Just do it.” Because that’s how you will learn who you are. And there will NEVER be the right time or the perfect time where all the planets align and this magical block of time comes where you sit and write and when you are done — POOF– hocus pocus, there is your novel.

    So just do it and learn from it. Failure is NOT a bad thing. That is how you get to know yourself. If you get knocked on your behind, will you get up? If you get knocked down again, will you get up again? or more importantly, do you get up at all? Besides, how do you fake being a writer? Works for musicians(ask the rock band KISS), not so well for writers.

    Just my 2 cents. And much luck to all :)

    If you agree, disagree, or just want to give me the middle finger, you can do so at http://www.twitter.com/RobChristopher

  26. Thanks! I’m stuck in what I’m studying, and actually bored with it, it stopped making me feel creative and simply technical. And you are right, doing something is more important than worrying about what I’ll be in the future. Thanks again, I liked your post.

  28. The idea that there is no such thing as originality is only correct from a conceptual/intellectual point of view. The truth is that art, being self expression, (my opinion)is as original as the person who expresses the art form. In other words if you truly are expressing yourself (you of your very self nature are original) in terms of the medium or artform, it will be original expression. This is true modernism. One must neccessarily honor the personality of the medium rather than dominate it in order for this to happen….

  29. Fantastic. Seriously great. I’m linking you to my blog, which is all about homeschooling and living extraordinarily with the ordinary that we have in our hands.
    GREAT post!!

  31. this was so incredibly inspiring!!! i love that you are so honest and honestly people are inspired by others words and creativity…i fully believe this is how we create!!! i will definitely have to get my hands on your book & keep following you!!! :)

  33. You gotta be kidding me. That was amazing. I know I’m late to the party but I’m ready to conquer the world after reading that. What’s magical about it for me is that it was published on my birthday and it’s exactly what I needed to hear. I’ll keep you posted on where my music and art go. It will either fall on it’s face or explode. Balls to the wall.

  35. Thank you so much for this article. It has come at just the right time for me. I am just starting a new web site adventure and am trying to do some art work, and really just learning to call myself an artist. I’ve been feeling a little bit unworthy lately. I feel better now!

  36. This is so amazing, and appropriate to my current life (and hopefully future life!), that I have to give you huge thanks. So thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

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  7. […] Kleon recently published an article called HOW TO STEAL LIKE AN ARTIST (AND 9 OTHER THINGS NOBODY TOLD ME) that has made its way around the web. You’ve probably read it, if not you can find it here. […]

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