How to steal…like an artist
I recently finished Austin Kleon’s best seller, “Steal like an artist”, and of course in true writer fashion, I felt compelled to share the things I learnt from the book and why it should be on your 2023 reading list as a designer or creative simpliciter, if it isn’t already.
Find your own lane and stay in it
It’s pretty common knowledge that we’re all shaped by our upbringing. How you’d interact with and experience the world for the rest of your life is usually set in stone by the time you’re sixteen (see source below).
This upbringing shapes important things like our emotional intelligence and, which is where I’m going, our self-confidence.
If any of these sound familiar, then you for sure have had problems internalizing your accomplishments:
- You come from a strict home, where anything less than A+ was a sin.
- You were raised or have lived in an environment that was highly competitive.
As I’ve gotten older, no saying has rang truer than comparison being the thief of joy. It’s so cliché and yet so profound.
There are always going to be people better than you in your field. There are always going to be people able to learn things faster than you; sing better; dance better; draw better; you name it, there’s someone better than you.
If you think you’re the best in the world at anything, I guarantee you that there is a six-year old prodigy somewhere in the world, ready to dunk on you at the slightest opportunity. Figuratively, of course.
So how do you stay sane in a highly competitive work environment? Focus on you. Be better than yourself yesterday. Grow.
Because impostor syndrome will always stare you back in the face when you look out your window to the world. Rather, look in the mirror. Monitor your own progress. Run your own race—that’s really all you can control.
The good thing about being in a competition with only yourself is that you’re always on time. Be patient with yourself. You’ll get “there”, wherever that is for you.
Why to steal
Everything you’ve ever done was inspired by someone or something, and the creator of what you were inspired by too was also inspired by someone or something, and on and on. This is what it means to say “nothing is original”, and not that outright theft doesn’t exist.
“But I want to be original, sensei?”, some of you might say.
To which I quote the words of William Ralph Inge:
“What is originality? Undetected plagiarism.”
So no, originality is not about making something from nothing: that would be creatio ex nihilo!
Even as genetically unique as every human is, each one of us is the product of two pre-existing individuals. You could look like your mom, you could talk like your mom, but are you your mom? no? Good, then stop worrying about originality.
As creators, it is our calling to focus on birthing the next inspiration for the next creators. Human creativity is about passing on the baton of what has already been built and not starting the race from scratch.
“We are shaped and fashioned by what we love.”
~ Goethe
What to Steal
As Austin says: “you’re only going to be as good as the stuff you surround yourself with”.
There’s no way around it, sorry.
Surround yourself with the work of the people you want to be like, hang out with people you can learn from, only add quality things to your stash of inspiration, choose something or someone and study them so deeply: because what you feed on is what you’ll produce.
It sounds so intuitive but you’d be surprised, many people are stuck doing average work simply because they spend so much time ingesting average work. Of course “average” is relative, but if you aren’t satisfied with your current work quality, check what you’re learning from, adjust accordingly, study and recreate a lot, then give it time.
EPILOGUE
- School isn’t the end of education, never stop learning.
- You’re never going to know everything or be confident when you start something new, but start anyway. It gets easier as you go.
- Many professionals and people you look up to are also just figuring things out as they go, so don’t be too harsh on yourself. In reality you have to “fake it till you make it”.
- Imitate, Imitate, Imitate: kids learn how to write, talk and walk by imitation. It’s no different when you’re learning a new skill.
- You don’t have to meet your idols to learn from them. Don’t feel entitled to their time or attention for loving them from afar. The best way to honour them is to improve on what you learn from them.
- Keep your hobbies: don’t be obsessed with monetizing every single thing. Have some activities you do at your own pace and solely for fun, it takes away the “impostor” pressure.
- Share your work.
- The best time to make mistakes is now, when they aren’t so many eyes on you. Ever noticed how much more critiqued celebrities get? You don’t want to be under that kind of pressure when you’re just starting out, which leads me to my final admonition:
- Fail now, fail fast, learn fast, repeat.
I wish you the very best in your respective fields.
Until next time, tschüss.
