Published in 2021 and still very current, “Steal Like an Artist” is a small but brilliant manual that helps cultivate creativity starting from a principle: copying, if done in the right way, is an art form. Kleon does not propose himself as an infallible guru, rather as an artist who shares experiences and intuitions born and matured from his own creative path.
His practical and accessible advice is not limited to inspiring, but invites readers to experiment and discover their potential: creativity is not magic, but a process made of curiosity, observation and action. Here are some interesting ideas that you can put into practice:
1. He steals like an artist, but first he learns to recognize what is worth stealing.
2. Nothing is original: every new idea is a shuffling of pre-existing ideas.
3. Wherever you go, take notes and notes. Keep a folder — physical or digital — of the stolen goods.
4. Don't wait until you know who you are to get started. When in doubt, pretend and in the meantime start creating.
5. Start by copying: first learn how to copy and then what to copy.
6. Copying is not plagiarizing but understanding how things are done.
7. Draw, write, design what you like, what you would like to see, read, hear or use.
8. Find time to do useless, boring, random things: the best ideas come while you're not working.
9. Do good work and share it, even if it's not perfect.
10. Surrounded by books and objects that you like and inspire, create your world.
11. Surround yourself with talent: be kind and take care of your network.
12. Creativity is subtraction: choose wisely what to let go of. And have fun!
“Copy! Start learning by copying” is a piece of advice we continuously give to our university students, who often react with a mixture of disbelief and skepticism. This book, however, shows that copying is not only legitimate, but it can be the first step in building authentic and personal creativity.
And yes, let's face it: we also stole some advice from Kleon.
