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.

Everything creative builds upon what came before. Don’t wait for inspiration or originality; instead, borrow ideas, remix them, and make them your own.

Creativity builds upon what came before. Kleon emphasizes that nothing is truly original; instead, everything is influenced by something else. He suggests embracing the idea of “stealing” from various sources to create something unique. This involves studying the work of others,

understanding their techniques, and then combining elements to forge your own path. Kleon quotes, “All creative work builds on what came before. Nothing is completely original.

Kleon encourages artists to embrace their influences rather than shy away from them. By acknowledging the impact of others on your work, you can draw inspiration from a diverse range of sources.

This means curating your influences deliberately, creating a “family tree” of artists, writers, and thinkers who inspire you. The goal is to find connections and patterns that resonate with your own creative process.

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.

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.

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

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.