Text produced by Amanda Galvão, Advertising student at IDP

You know that book that grips you from start to finish? This is “steal like an artist”. Austin Kleon's book that provides insights into how to develop creativity organically. In this article I will bring a summary and opinions about the work. 

From the author's point of view, no creation is completely original, since it depends on a repertoire arising from other creations. However, it is possible to be a creative person, Austin brought 10 techniques, in a clear and accessible way in his book, to improve creativity. 

Steal like an artist 

We are a sum of influences and filtering what we steal and keep is what makes us an artist. In other words, we must choose what will guide us according to our tastes and dreams. We are made up of a collection of information, for Austin, the human being is an archive of theft that the more it is full of its own essence, the more motivation and ideas when creating.

Don't wait until you know who you are to start

In fact, achieving self-knowledge is very important. But to achieve this, we need to do, create and test, we discover ourselves in our creation process . Research is a big factor in this process, we will not copy one individual or one thing, but observe several individuals and things to inspire us.

Write the book you want to read 

Writing about what we enjoy is a very efficient way to develop our creativity, since curiosity is awakened by this subject. When we read something we like, we always yearn to know more about the subject, directing this desire to produce is a trigger for the creative.

Use your hands

For the author, the use of digital tools, such as computers, cell phones and others to produce something can hinder our creative process. He recommends a workspace with papers, pencils, and pens, for example, which is considered analog technology .

Side projects and hobbies are important

Although we need to read, research and act to develop our creativity, we must set aside time for “doing nothing” so that the brain processes all the information acquired. Furthermore, having hobbies, even if there is no similarity between them, is essential. “Don’t leave your desires unattended” , in the future, when we look back, it will make sense.

Do good work and share it with people 

While we are not yet recognized, we have the possibility of acting as an amateur, as there is not yet the pressure of commitments, that is, we can explore our potential through experiments. To achieve recognition, first, “pay attention to something” and second, “invite others to pay attention with you”, by strategically identifying and sharing our ideas and passions, we generate connection with people . From this, we are able to share good work, evolve in it and, only then, be seen for what we do.

Geography no longer rules us

Traveling, getting to know cultures, creating experiences broaden our perception of life. However, we do not need to abandon our connections when we are alone and when we move, our connections will remain on the internet. However, if we are not comfortable with this yet, we can enjoy confinement by creating a world of our own, reading a book, decorating our room, dreaming and creating.

Be nice, the world is a small town.

For Austin, we need 4 things: curiosity, to move towards knowledge; kindness, to get closer to people; perseverance, to see what is wrong and seek what is right; and willingness to look stupid; good opportunities and experiences can arise from these contexts . With short quotes, the author explains this thought, “make friends, ignore enemies”, “stay close to the talent”, “stop looking for fights and go do something”, “write fan letters”, “validation is for your parking card”, “keep an applause file”.

Be boring, it's the only way to get a job done.

There are 5 important points for good creative fluency:

• Taking care of yourself: respecting your own limits, knowing how to say “no” and paying attention to our daily pleasures and care. Take time to be around people you love, exercise, have fun and rest.

• Stay out of debt: “live within your means”, create the habit of spending consciously and not following the consumer culture.

• Maintain a steady job: even if we are not yet in the job we love, it is necessary to have a fixed source of income, “being free from financial stress also means freedom for your art”. Furthermore, employment can bring us great experiences and establish a routine.

• Get a calendar: planning work is a good organizational strategy. The idea of ​​doing a little every day consistently can yield a good production at the end of a year. Marking the day's achievements, not breaking plans and seeing how much we have been able to accomplish what we planned is rewarding and motivational.

• Keeping a logbook: writing down, in a simplified way, the day's experiences can also be beneficial to sharpen creativity, as it restores our memory.

• Marry well: choosing who to spend your life with can be decisive for our success. Although every human being has flaws, the ideal would be someone who is proud to be a multitasker, and who helps us live in a balanced way, this makes the environment inspiring. (Applies to us too).

Creativity is subtraction 

The idea of ​​filtering what we consume makes perfect sense. To follow a line of reasoning it is necessary to limit what is essential, “nothing is more paralyzing than the idea of ​​unlimited possibilities”. Particularity makes the project and people's lives more interesting , which we choose not to put into our lives and our creation. Furthermore, we know that we are limited beings, that said, using the time, tools and money we have is the smartest way to do something, this naturally leads us to use creativity.

Now that you know the 10 golden rules to improve your creativity, will you follow them or continue to let life take you?

Creativity helps us not only in our ideas for good work, but also in living an inspiring and quality life, nothing more than what we deserve.