General information
Author: Austin Kleon
Published in: 2014
Description
In his New York Times bestseller Steal Like an Artist, Austin Kleon showed readers how to unlock their creativity by âstealingâ from the community of other movers and shakers. Now, in an even more forward-thinking and necessary book, he shows how to take that critical next step on a creative journeyâgetting known.
Show Your Work! is about why generosity trumps genius. Itâs about getting findable, about using the network instead of wasting time ânetworking.â Itâs not self-promotion, itâs self-discoveryâlet others into your process, then let them steal from you. Filled with illustrations, quotes, stories, and examples, Show Your Work! offers ten transformative rules for being open, generous, brave, productive.
In chapters such as You Donât Have to Be a Genius; Share Something Small Every Day; and Stick Around, Kleon creates a userâs manual for embracing the communal nature of creativityâ what he calls the âecology of talent.â From broader life lessons about work (you canât find your voice if you donât use it) to the etiquette of sharingâand the dangers of oversharingâto the practicalities of Internet life (build a good domain name; give credit when credit is due), itâs an inspiring manifesto for succeeding as any kind of artist or entrepreneur in the digital age.
Key takeaways
Takeaway #1: Share what you love
If youâre a music artist, itâs tempting to try to think about what people want to hear about and then create content to meet that need. Austin suggests the opposite. Start from what you know and what you care about, and share that. In doing so, youâll operate from a place of joy and passion that will lead to higher quality, energizing work. And then the people who care about similar things or who find that work valuable will follow.
Takeaway #2: Just start
Whatever you want to do in life, the best time to start is now. Waiting for the perfect opportunity or for confirmation that your idea is good will lead to a paralyzing state of inaction. You donât need validation for your idea to get started. Just get to work, see how you feel about, and keep going if it feels good.
Takeaway #3: Tell stories about your work
People want to know why you do the work you do. A good piece of work goes a lot further when you tell the story behind how and why you created it. Weâre often motivated more by the stories behind what someone is doing versus the raw quality of what theyâre producing. Donât forget to share your story. It will make your work resonate in new and more powerful ways.
Takeaway #4: Teach people about your processes
Donât treat the method behind your work as a secret sauce. In sharing what has helped you do good work, you empower others to do the same and simultaneously increase interest in what youâre doing. Itâs a win, win. Life is not a competition for a fixed pie; itâs a collaborative effort to increase the pie so we all have more to eat.
Takeaway #5: Be a good citizen in your community
Donât treat the method behind your work as a secret sauce. In sharing what has helped you do good work, you empower others to do the same and simultaneously increase interest in what youâre doing. Itâs a win, win. Life is not a competition for a fixed pie; itâs a collaborative effort to increase the pie so we all have more to eat.
Takeaway #6: Your work isnât your life
Itâs easy to become consumed by your work and your mission, particularly as a music creator. But always keep in mind that life is about balance. You can work hard, but donât forget your relationships, your health, and the other areas of life that bring you joy. Itâs not all about your work, no matter how good or noble it is.
Takeaway #7: Give back
When you make it, remember to help elevate those people who helped you along the way. You can do that in any number of ways. Provide feedback on their work. Introduce them to a connection that will be valuable for them. Publicly acknowledge how they helped you. If you get in the habit of giving, youâll feel better, create more value, and generate opportunities that will only enhance what youâre doing.
