Want to know how to steal like an artist? What steps can you follow to increase your creativity and start creating art?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Steal Like an Artist <\/em>is a brief primer on Austin Kleon\u2019s top 10 pieces of advice for aspiring creatives. We\u2019ve reorganized his 10 ideas into a four-step creative process<\/a> beginning with the first step: organizing your life for maximum creativity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here’s how to steal like an artist, according to Austin Kleon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n Editor\u2019s note: This article is part of Shortform\u2019s guide to creativity<\/a>. If you like what you read here, there\u2019s plenty more to check out in the guide!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The first step in how to steal like an artist is to organize your life. According to Kleon, to do your best creative work, you need to set up the rest of your life to support that creativity. You can do this by prioritizing financial security, setting aside time for your hobbies, and using the right tools. We\u2019ll discuss each of these tactics in more detail. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Part of prioritizing your creative work is not allowing the rest of your life to get in the way. For that reason, Kleon recommends being proactive about your finances so that you won\u2019t be constantly distracted by money worries<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One way to get your finances in order is to find a job outside your creative endeavors. Having a day job provides benefits beyond financial stability: It gives you a routine to build on, so you can easily slot in creative time every day. Furthermore, it maintains your connection to other people who might inspire you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although financial security is important, Kleon cautions against spending too much time at work. He recommends finding a hobby\u2014something that you do purely for the joy of it. It doesn\u2019t need to be related to your creative work; rather than being a distraction, hobbies will actually improve your creativity because they\u2019ll encourage you to draw new connections. For example, if you\u2019re an architect, you may not think your birdwatching hobby could have much value for your career\u2014until you draw inspiration from the shape of a bird\u2019s nest for your next project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Between your hobbies, day job, creative work, and necessary life tasks, your schedule could fill up pretty quickly. However, Kleon recommends allowing yourself some time for boredom. Boredom gives your brain the space to be creative because it\u2019s not cluttered up with other thoughts. To capitalize on this effect, take advantage of boring tasks<\/a> like household chores\u2014if you let your mind wander<\/a> while you tidy up the house, you might come up with a brilliant new idea without even trying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kleon\u2019s final advice for organizing your life to support creativity is to use the right tools. First, use a calendar to track your creative progress. Kleon recommends crossing off each day on the calendar that you work on your creative projects. Aim to work a little bit every day so that you have an unbroken line of X\u2019s on the calendar. The more X\u2019s you accumulate in a row, the more inspired you\u2019ll be to keep going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Second, Kleon advises keeping a notebook to record the details of your days. You don\u2019t have to write detailed, long-form journal entries\u2014just jot down a few highlights to help you remember the highs and lows of your life and work. Over time, your notebook will become an artifact that tracks your progress as an artist and a person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you\u2019ve set up your life in a way that allows you to focus on creating, it\u2019s time to start pulling inspiration from the work of other artists. According to Kleon, there is no such thing as a wholly original piece of creative work\u2014every creator is influenced by other creators in some way. Accepting this truth releases you from the pressure of creating something the world has never seen before. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In Kleon\u2019s view, once you embrace the creative influence other artists have on you, your job is to curate that influence. Do this by filling your physical and digital spaces with art, ideas, objects, and people that move and inspire you; this will set the tone for your own creative work. On the flip side, if you surround yourself with things that bore or depress you, that will negatively impact your own work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Where should you start searching for inspiration to surround yourself with? If you\u2019re overwhelmed with prospects, Kleon recommends starting by totally immersing yourself in one person\u2019s work that deeply moves you. Study everything you can about them as both a person and an artist as you surround yourself with their work. Then, do the same with the people who influenced them<\/em>. This way, you\u2019ll feel connected to other creators, whether past or present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you\u2019ve studied your creative influences in depth, it\u2019s time to start creating<\/a>. If that sounds scary, you\u2019re in good company: According to Kleon, many artists feel like they can\u2019t make truly great art until they understand exactly who they are as a person and an artist. However, he says the opposite is true: The process of making art is how <\/em>you\u2019ll come to understand yourself<\/a>. The only way to become an artist<\/a> is to make<\/em> art, even if you\u2019re not an expert. Therefore, you should jump right in instead of waiting until you feel ready.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jumping right into creating has another benefit: According to Kleon, it\u2019ll help you avoid becoming trapped by \u201cimpostor syndrome,\u201d which is a persistent feeling that you\u2019re not talented enough to succeed. Instead of listening to these feelings, commit to doing creative work regardless of how you feel about your talents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Kleon believes that the best way to get started as an artist is to copy the work of your creative heroes. Making copies will help you develop a better understanding of how the original creator made that piece of art. For example, if you\u2019re learning to paint, you might paint a copy of the Mona Lisa. <\/em>In the process, you\u2019ll have to examine the original work closely, so you\u2019ll begin to understand why da Vinci used certain colors in the places he did. Then, when you paint your own, original work, you\u2019ll have a better understanding of how to use color. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep in mind that, when you copy, your work will inevitably fall short of the original (after all, no novice painter could perfectly reproduce the Mona Lisa <\/em>on the first try). However, according to Kleon, this isn\u2019t a failure\u2014it\u2019s the source of your strength. The ways that your copies differ from the original are what make you unique as an artist. Lean into those differences to discover and develop your own creative voice. (This step is also crucial because, if you never add anything unique to your copies, your work will just be a poor imitation of the original instead of something new and transformative.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you have a sense of your own creative voice, you\u2019ll need to decide what you want to create. Kleon recommends thinking about the kind of art that speaks to you and trying to make it, even if it\u2019s not what you\u2019re used to. This contradicts the standard advice to \u201cwrite (or draw or paint or build) what you know,\u201d which Kleon believes is a recipe for boring art. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you\u2019ve decided what to make, how should you go about making it? If you typically do all your work digitally, Kleon advises getting away from the computer for a while and incorporating an analog component. This will boost your creativity<\/a> because working with physical materials gives you the freedom to explore possibilities and make mistakes. In contrast, working on a computer makes it too easy to censor your ideas before you can fully explore them. Therefore, Kleon argues that you should only use a computer when you get to the editing stage of a creative project. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To encourage yourself to use physical materials, Kleon recommends dividing your workspace into two zones: one for your computer and any other electronic equipment, and one for whatever materials you use to create (such as pens and paper, clay, or paints). Use the analog zone to explore and brainstorm, then use the digital zone to edit and expand your ideas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Kleon offers a final tip for creative work: Use constraints and limitations to your advantage. Having limited resources actually boosts<\/em> creativity, so embrace the challenge. In fact, if you\u2019re in a creative rut, you can even arbitrarily add a limitation (for example, by challenging yourself to cook a meal using only the ingredients you already have on hand). As an added bonus, this also makes your work more interesting\u2014people will marvel at how you did so much with so little. <\/p>\n\n\n\nStep 1: Organize Your Life for Maximum Creativity<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Prioritize Financial Security<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Set Aside Time for Hobbies (and Boredom)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Use the Right Tools<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 2: Surround Yourself With Inspiration<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Step 3: Start Creating<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Start by Copying Other Artists<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Decide What to Make<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Combine Digital and Analog Tools<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Embrace Limitations<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 4: Share Your Work<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n