How Show Your Work! Changed My Life
Wisdom from the author of Steal Like An Artist.
"Cover of Show Your Work!" by Austin Kleon. Image licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
After watching this video by Ali Abdaal, a productivity YouTuber who creates impactful work, I was inspired to check out Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon and learn from the wisdom of two highly creative minds.
My favorite quotes/takeaways:
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Find a scenius. Be an amateur.
"Give what you have. To someone, it may be better than you dare to think." —Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
"'In the beginner's mind, there are many possibilities,' said Zen monk Shunryu Suzuki. 'In the expert's mind, there are few.'"
"When Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke was asked what he thought his greatest strength was, he answered, 'That I don't know what I'm doing.'"
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Think process, not product.
"In order for connection to happen, we have to allow ourselves to be seen—really seen." —Brené Brown
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Share something small everyday.
"Don't worry about everything you post being perfect. Science fiction writer Theodore Sturgeon once said that 90 percent of everything is crap. The same is true of our own work. The trouble is, we don't always know what's good and what sucks. That's why it's important to get things in front of others and see how they react."
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Open Up Your Cabinet of Curiosities (aka The more you share, the more you receive.)
"...the most ordinary things, the most common and familiar, if we could see them in their true light, would turn out to be the grandest of miracles..." —Michel de Montaigne
"If you share the work of others, it's your duty to make sure that the creators of that work get proper credit."
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Tell Good Stories.
"Pictures can say whatever we want them to say."
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Teach What You Know.
"Teaching doesn't mean instant competition. Just because you know the master's technique doesn't mean you're going to be able to emulate it right away."
"The minute you learn something, turn around and teach it to others."
"Teaching people doesn't subtract value from what you do, it actually adds to it...you are, in effect, generating more interest in your work. People feel closer to your work..."
"...having his work out in the world was 'a free education that goes on for a lifetime.'"
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Don't Turn Into Human Spam.
"Albini laments how many people waste time and energy trying to make connections instead of getting good at what they do, when 'being good at things is the only thing that earns you clout or connections.'"
"These are your real peers—the people who share your obsessions, the people who share a similar mission to your own, the people with whom you share a mutual respect...Sing their praises to the universe. Invite them to collaborate. Show them work before you show anybody else. Call them on the phone and share your secrets. Keep them as close as you can."
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Learn to Take a Punch.
"Remember that your work is something you do, not who you are."
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Sell out.
"A life of creativity is all about change—moving forward, taking chances, exploring new frontiers. 'The real risk is in not changing,' said saxophonist John Coltrane. 'I have to feel that I'm after something.'"
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Stick Around.
"The people who get what they're after are very often the ones who just stick around long enough. It's very important not to quit prematurely."
"Look for something new to learn, and when you find it, dedicate yourself to learning it out in the open. Document your progress and share as you go so that others can learn along with you."
How this book change my life
Show Your Work!, paired with Ali Abdaal's commentary, inspired me to begin this blog project, start posting my music on YouTube, and document my progress regularly.
For a much better conveying of these ideas, check out Show Your Work! itself. It's great.
If you're interested, check out Ali Abdaal's video:
