Steal Like an Artist Summary

“Good artists borrow, great artists steal.” - This the quote of Steve Jobs. But he may be misquoted it from "Lesser artists borrow; great artists steal" by Pablo Picasso who was rephrasing Igor Stravinsky.

But may the original one is T. S. Eliot’s dictum: “Immature poets imitate; mature poets steal."

The origin of this quote itself is an example of great artists stealing.

"Everybody is inspired by somebody."

Instead, chew on one thinker—writer, artist, activist, role model—you really love. Study everything there is to know about that person. Then find three people that thinker loved, and find out everything about them. Repeat this as many times as you can. Climb up the tree as far as you can go. Once you build your tree, it’s time to start your own branch.

Go deeper than anybody else—that’s how you’ll get ahead.

• Every new idea is just a mashup or a remix of one or more previous ideas.
• You are, in fact, a mashup of what you choose to let into your life. You are the sum of your influences.
• Your job is to collect good ideas. The more good ideas you collect, the more you can choose from to be influenced by.

Every new idea is just a remix of one or more previous ideas like Genetics.

A good example is genetics. You have a mother and you have a father. You possess features from both of them, but the sum of you is bigger than their parts. You’re a remix of your mom and dad and all of your ancestors

Keep a swipe file. It’s just what it sounds like—a file to keep track of the stuff you’ve swiped from others. It can be digital or analog.

See something worth stealing?

Put it in the swipe file.

Need a little inspiration?

Open up the swipe file.

Unleash your inner artist with "Steal Like an Artist" by Austin Kleon, a manifesto that flips the script on creativity. In this innovative guide, you'll discover that stealing, borrowing, and remixing are not just acceptable in the world of art; they're encouraged. Here are ten key takeaways from this game-changing book

Rather than fearing the influence of others, make it your ally in forging your unique path.

Copy the greats to learn the ropes, and then transform those imitations into your distinctive creations.

“Your job is to collect good ideas. The more good ideas you collect, the more you can choose from to be influenced by.” - Austin Kleon

“The artist is a collector. Not a hoarder.” - Austin Kleon

Using analogue tools is very important for creatives. Working on computers doesn't feel like we are actually making something. This is because our body doesn't come into work and we are just typing keys or clicking mouse buttons.

There is a direct connection b/w our bodies and nerves. When we take our bodies into work and will use analogue tools instead our computers, our work quality will improve and the work will feel like fun.

This book got a lot of great things. Austin Kleon nailed it. Here are the best 5 life lessons I have learned from this wonderful book. Enjoy :)

Nothing is original. Every New Idea Is Just A Mashup Or A Remix Of One Or More Previous Ideas. Once we understand that nothing is completely original, we'll feel a heavy burden lifted off ours shoulders. This mean anyone can become a creative person. We just simply need to find great resources that inspire us to do something great. Great resources to steal from. We just need to Steal like an artist.

• Everything in this world is a remix or an upgrade
• What we call original is just an edited version of an inspiration.
• " What is originality? - undetected plagiarism." - William Ralph Inge
• A good artist understands nothing comes from nowhere, all creative work builds on what came before.

• Start early, don't wait to find your voice before getting started
• When you put more of your work out in the world you will eventually figure out your voice.
• It is in the act of making things, that we figure out who we are.
• Imitate your favourite artists and idols understand their perspectives and behaviours.
• Don't simply copy, instead understand , learn , create and release your own version of the idea

• Step away from your screens
• Try using more of your hands to write or create art.
• It's proven that, when you use your body creative ideas flow more easily.
• Screens distract us and hinder our creative flow

When people give you advice, they're really just talking to themselves in the past.

This book is me talking to a previous version of myself.

The writer Jonathan Lethem has said that when people call something " original," nine out of ten times they just don't know the references or the original sources involved.

What a good artist understands is that nothing comes from nowhere. All creative work builds on what came before. Nothing is completely original. 

It's right there in the Bible: "There is nothing new under the sun."

Just as you have a familial genealogy, you also have a genealogy of ideas. You don't get to pick your family, but you can pick your teachers and you can pick your friends and you can pick the music you listen to and you can pick the books you read and you can pick the movies you see.

You are, in fact, a mashup of what you choose to let into your life. You are the sum of your influences. The German writer Goethe said, "We are shaped and fashioned by what we love."