Show Your Work!: 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered by Austin Kleon

A great wee book, would be perfect for anyone interested in creativity or working for yourself. 

I’d recommend getting it in paperback as it’s much cooler. And the same goes for Austin’s other book ‘Steal Like An Artist’ which I must confess is still my favourite other this one!

I digress. For me, this book was about getting your work out there (surprise, surprise) and overcoming fears that you might have (it’s not good enough, I’m just an amateur etc etc).

I love Austin’s simple, common sense way that we outlines steps to take – he’s super practical and of course his books always have these marvelous drawings through them – check out his blog for examples.

Surprisingly my favourite quotes don’t seem to really relate to the above summary, they are a little more generalised. If you want to know more, then you’ll just have to grab the book (on paper, I dare you).

Favourite quotes from 10 ways to share your creativity and get discovered

(all quotes directly from the book)

1. “There are a lot of destructive myths about creativity, but one of the most dangerous is the “lone genius” myth: An individual with superhuman talents appears out of nowhere at certain points in history, free of influences or precedent, with a direct connection to God or The Muse.”
2. “…now I realize that the only way to find your voice is to use it.”
3. “Being open and honest about what you like is the best way to connect with people who like those things, too.”
4. “It sounds a little extreme, but in this day and age, if your work isn’t online, it doesn’t exist.”
5. “One more thing: Unless you are actually a ninja, a guru, or a rock star, don’t ever use any of those terms in your bio. Ever.”
6. When you feel like you’ve learned whatever there is to learn from what you’re doing, it’s time to change course and find something new to learn so that you can move forward.
7. “Being open and honest about what you like is the best way to connect with people who like those things, too.”

Happy reading,

C x