Books Reviews

Steal Like an Artist – Book Summary

You don’t have to be a genius; simply be yourself. That is the message of Austin Kleon, a young writer and artist who understands that creativity is everywhere and for everyone. Steal Like an Artist is a manifesto for the digital age, a guide whose positive message, graphic look and illustrations, exercises, and examples will put readers in touch with their artistic side.

About the writer

Austin Kleon: steal like an artist author
Austin Kleon

Austin Kleon (born June 16, 1983) is the New York Times bestselling author of five books, including Steal Like an Artist, Show Your Work!, Keep Going, Steal Like An Artist Journal, and Newspaper Blackout.

Kleon’s works are concerned with creativity in the modern world. He has spoken at Pixar, Google, and TEDx, as well as conferences such as The Economist’s Human Potential Summit and SXSW.

If you want to read more book summaries, go to my book summaries page. where you can find book summaries of some famous books like “I Will Teach You to Be Rich,” a very good book about personal finance, and “12 Rules for Life” a book on life lessons. The introduction has been done; now let’s get started on the book. Before we start the book, there is a video that gives the go-ahead for the book.

Introduction

Humanity is a creative species, and art is one major way we express this creativity. Art is the expression or application of the unique human creative skill and imagination, usually in the form of painting or sculpture. Art typically produces works that are to be appreciated primarily for their aesthetic qualities or emotional power. it is either simple or Complex but always ingenious

 there are a lot of powerful tools for the expression of a human creative scale one of which is art this summary tackles art and its creation answering question that many ask but find no answers

The expression of creativity through art isn’t exclusive to one form it can manifest in as many forms pending on the individuals creativity

Humanity has engaged in artistic and cultural activities for a very long time. In fact, the first sign of humans evolving into intelligent creatures was cave paintings. We couldn’t speak, but we found ways to express ourselves through art and painting. This truth explains why we evolved to associate images with art; our third process also became and we discovered New forms of Art

 one way to gauge the growth of a person community or rays is throw the resident artworks it is also influenced by these things as well as quality is consistent with an Era race or in individual arts as a means to chronicle the growth of a person community or rays

In the following chapters, we will look at the concept of art inspiration and how to find new ways to bring existing creative works to life. construction of creativity being you need to certain individual is a dangerous terror to the creation of new works of Art

Steal Like an Artist

Are you searching for an original idea? Are you stuck? Well, don’t fret. There is no such thing as an original idea. Any idea today is based on another that predates it, either as a loose basis or a complete “rip-off.” You probably think it is someone else’s idea to make yours, and you would be correct; it is that, but then that is just what art is.

The idea is entirely unique. There is always inspiration waiting if you look hard enough

Not to be confused with the films Museum Robbery Jobs or Diamond’s Heists, The term “art is theft,” as said by the renowned artist Pablo Picasso, means that art is a settled imitation of another work of art. You could call it the indirect inspiration of using many ideas from earlier times today, or simply a continuation of them. Don’t feel guilty if you find a better application or interpretation for a picture.

 Austin Kleon on encourages readers to surround themselves with material from which they can “steal.” Don’t read or pay attention to anything that won’t inspire you to come up with a new idea. If you only find things you want to steal now, it may be worth saving for the future. If it is worth stealing now, steal now and move on to the next thing that catches your eye.

 Inspiration isn’t reserved to internal rumination; one can be inspired by the works of other creatives as well.

What does this mean?  It gives hope to the many people who have been struggling for many years to get an idea and make a breakthrough. This realization is a wake-up call for them, telling them that nothing is original and that if you look hard enough, you will find references. so instead of rummaging through never-before-seen work of research, reach for an old text and get inspired.

Dont wait until you know who you are to get started

Sometimes we are constrained by our own identity—or lack thereof. We are scared to start something because we don’t yet know who we are in total and don’t know what we want to do or how to do it. This lack of identity is where the artist in you has to come out to shine. Nobody is anybody when they are born. Genetically, we are a collection of our parents’ chromosomes, but that doesn’t define us; we become something else due to our own experiences and choices.

Lack of Identity is not a bad; it is a chance to define one self through art

 So, if you fear starting on the idea, that scares you. Even though you don’t know what you are trying to do, let that uncertainty be your defining moment. You can imitate your heroes, as all great artists do. We all have heroes in our various fields of interest; we may want to be as huge as them and maybe even more significant. To do so, we must study them and unravel the process behind their art. 

So to truly become yourself, you should study your heroes; don’t copy their work, instead break it down and define your unique way to do it. Imitation is flattering as long as you aren’t claiming someone else’s work as your own. Consider the comic book giant DC Comics, which has several other companies that use this helpful advice to copy and reverse-engineer characters rather than popping and slapping a new name on the surface.

The best artists are those who have developed a distinct identity for themselves through individualized stylings.

 Finding yourself is simple when you follow in the footsteps of your idols because, as humans, we create. As we will remain ourselves but with a dash of our idols sprinkled on top, you must try and fail to be someone else in order to be you.

 Did you know? The creator of the modern Olympics, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, gave us the concept of the true Olympian as a gifted artist and athlete. Between 1912 and 1948, medals were given out for sporting-inspired masterpieces of architecture, music, painting, sculpture, and literature. 

The best process is the process of creating art that defines and excites you

Your hands might be your most excellent tool for making art. In a world where we are most comfortable using laptops and other digital devices that are supposed to eat our creative process, our creativity suffers. For example, the computer may instruct you to delete or edit an idea or line of a poem without allowing it to form. These devices have made us harsh critics.

Art is best when it is created without the need for perfection; it is often created in the midst of flaws.

To fully embrace art, we must distance our creative process from the screen of our digital devices until we are ready to edit and publish. An artist’s workshop should inspire creativity, not make producing art a monotonous activity. We rely significantly on automatic sentence correction, so much so that we don’t even use our own words anymore. it is not art if there is not some imperfection; it is time to go back to the paper and dirty easel and make art that you can enjoy making; or that you can let evolve as it forms.

To some, art might be a hobby, just a side job for when our regular work has become tiring. And as such, art doesn’t get as much attention as it should; it is regarded as unimportant and a result of pastime activity. But in truth, hobbies can be very lucrative if you know just how to harness them. There is a saying that the work you do when you are not working is the work you will love doing for the rest of your life. Why not allow your hobbies to make some money even as they bring you joy and fulfilling stimulation?

You will probably think it is too expensive to invest in your many hobbies/ passions. that it is best to pick one and focus on it. but this is a terrible decision, and it can hurt you for the rest of your life. whatever passions you have, whatever hobbies you have, please dont give them up.. that carrier you think will do better if you have fewer hobbies will benefit from having more in reality.

Nobody is born with a style or a voice. we don’t come out of the womb knowing who we are. in the beginning, we Learn by pretending to be our heroes. we learn by copying. 

The Path to True Creativity will first take you out of your comfort zone

Nothing much happens in the comfort zone. if you want to be crazily creative, become the best version of yourself and achieve the things you desire, you will almost always have to move out of your comfort Zone. Sometimes a comfort zone is mental, but at other times it is your physical location. for instance, your home can our time become two boring and environment to carry out any creative activity. in such cases, you should find a different place you can visit regularly when you want to get creative.

 you can introduce your mind to new data by changing your environment; it will do your art some good.

 change is always good for creativity, as it challenges the mind to adopt to its new surroundings, and in doing so, it create lovely coping mechanisms that translate into art. you can always return home when you feel the external stimulation is enough, but now you can integrate your new experience in to your home space.

 remember, as you trouble to find newness or sit at home to create your world, that friends are essential. the world you have explore or created is always a small one, and it fits everyone you know and everyone they know to.  you should always be nice to friends and ignore enemy. surround yourself with people that can inspire you people you can still from. it is essential to always be in the presence of people who are better inform and best shooted to teach on a subject matter; these are the people whose input will echo letter in your work unknown to you.

 there must be a safe space that you call home.  a comfort zone. do not forget to go back to it

 and when you wish to use the data you have collected in your new world to form art, business, and so on, don’t see anyone validation before you execute it.  a lot of ideas have died waiting for approval. it is your idea, and even though people will miss interpret it And judge it harshley you know it’s worth it and should stand by it. if you have spent your time studying your heroes and you have created and identity for yourself, there is a high chance your work would be excellent; you have to believe it is. 

There is no more significatn work of art that you will create than your life

Many artists really have plans for their lives, but they end up burning out and fading away before reaping the rewards of their art. You want your art to outlive you, but this is not an indication that you desire a short life, so you must take action to live better and take care of yourself.

 It is critical to take care of yourself if you want to get out there and live to reap the rewards.

 The tortured artist stereotype will almost always result in burnout and zero monetary rewards, which is why the author recommends that you prioritize self-care: eat healthy, exercise, and take as many breaks as your body requires. There is little money in art at the start, so it is advisable to save any you get. Don’t be a frivolous spender; invest in your retirement and make sure you are alive long enough to use the funds.

 If you have an income source outside of art, don’t quit it; find a way to balance both activities.

 As previously stated, the arts are not all glitz and glamour, so if you have a job that pays well and allows you to devote time to your art, you should work hard to keep it. The thing with jobs is that they can be tedious, and they will make you hate waking up every day. The trick is to find one you can live with. Finding a good job is difficult, but not impossible. Things to look for in a good job: one that pays well enough, does not require too many hours, and gives you enough time and energy to pursue your passions. Once you find a job that has all these attributes, don’t let it go.

 Living is a lonely endeavor, fraught with discouragement and rejection. Yes, validation is for parking, but it still gets a tremendous boost when people say nice things about our work.

 Conclusion

Art is deeply rooted in expression, and we get to see various manifestations of art thanks to the unique and creative human mind. Art exists because we exist and thrives because, as a race, we have a dire need to express ourselves and find meaning in our existence through the expressions of others. Art connects and defines us, granting us an identity when we search for one and the freedom to be anything and anyone we wish to be.

 Creative expression is not restrictive and can be a hobby, giving you the room to pursue other interests or careers. Like an artist, I draw inspiration from just about anything I encounter.it is most important to be always willing to learn, adopt, and experience new challenges as you pursue your passion or career

 Draw the art you want to see. Start the business you want to run and play the music you want to hear. Write the books you want to read and build the products you want to use. Do the work you want to see done; now try this.

Surround yourself with material on a particular artist or role model, study their lives and work process, and don’t just try to copy and become them; use their material as clay to build your own identity. 

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