Steal Like An Artist: 10 Things
Nobody Told You About Being
Creative
Be curious about the world in whiich you live. Look things up. Chase down every reference. Go deeper than anybody else--that's how you'll get ahead.
This book is addressed to people who are seeking creativity in their work and their lifestyle, and this magical concept (creativity) is a result of being a wise and intelligent thief!; literally a perfect one who steals eseveral successful folks, random conversations, Tv shows, scientists, inspiring books, and even ordinary people.
I really like his style of writing and his motivated thoughts and the drawings as well. Reading this book brought me the same feeling as enjoying a delicious piece of chocolate cake; it is brief, simple, deep and amusing!
But what I like the most about this book is its writer's creativity and his boundless imagination, this is the kind of books that breaks the stereotypes and replace them by originative ideas.
I took some useful notes instead of rereading the book:
💡You are not bound to create something original because the word original literally doesn't exist ,so free yourself from the burden of being original and embrace influence instead of running from it.
💡Just as you have a familial genealogy , you also have a genealogy of ideas.
💡The books we read and people we are surrounded with and friends we pick determine our vision and the quality of our ideas because we are a mashup of what we opt in our life.
💡Be aware of the ideas you collect and the people you deal with because we will be influenced by them indirectly.
💡Be curious about anything and everything and get your own education don't wait for school to teach you.
💡 Be a genuine nerd, google everything; you may find the answer to your question or you will get a better question.
💡Jot any thought comes to your mind, and copy useful quotes from the books you read and even record overheard conversation! then collect them in a "swipe file".
💡Making things paves the way to explore yourself and your capacities but the reverse is incorrect.
💡 Glenn o'Brien said: "start out as a phony and became real"
thats means pretend you are a successful person until you can achieve it , or fake that you are doing something you want until you can really make it.
💡Observe successful people and start to mimic their style of thinking and doing things, don't just emulate theirs looks from outside but their way of looking at the world.
💡In any field you are intrested in do your work the way you want to see it done .
💡Find a way to bring your body into your work; use your hands intead of just staying in front of your computer; share your hands in the work of your brain.
💡Be an expert of the productive procrastination by doing more than one project at once , move from one to another when you fell broed until you finish them all.
💡Having a hobby is really helpful for your career and your spirit.
💡Share a little glimpse of your process with people.
💡Get rid of social media for a while, isolate yourself from people, pick up a book and enjoy your own company .
💡Be nice to everybody and ignore your enemies to vanquish them.
💡Surround yourself with positive people , and pay attention to the ideas and the quality of thoughts you are influenced by in the social media.
💡Make friendships and be helpful to talented people .
💡Whatever your work is, keeping a file of praise that you heard or read from people who appreciate your work is a wonderful boost when you need the lift.
💡Save your energy and your money as much as you can .
💡You really need a calender to organize your work and a logbook to tackle your progress.
💡Creativity should be restricted or related by limitations or less potentials to be revealed.
In the end he adds some suggestions of useful books as Egnore Everybody by Hugh Macleod, Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud and Make a World by Ed Emberley. The book is pretty easy to read and very enjoyable. I recommend it to everyone :).
"You don’t get to pick your family, but you can pick your teachers and you can pick your friends and you can pick the music you listen to and you can pick the books you read and you can pick the movies you see. You are, in fact, a mashup of what you choose to let into your life. You are the sum of your influences. The German writer Goethe said, "We are shaped and fashioned by what we love."
"Your brain gets too comfortable in your everyday surroundings. You need to make it uncomfortable. You need to spend some time in another land, among people that do things differently than you. Travel makes the world look new, and when the world looks new, our brains work harder."
"Always be reading. Go to the library. There’s magic in being surrounded by books. Get lost in the stacks. Read bibliographies. It’s not the book you start with, it’s the book that book leads you to. Collect books, even if you don’t plan on reading them right away. Filmmaker John Waters has said, “Nothing is more important than an unread library.” Don’t worry about doing research. Just search."
"School is one thing. Education is another. The two don’t always overlap. Whether you’re in school or not, it’s always your job to get yourself an education."
"It takes a lot of energy to be creative. You don’t have that energy if you waste it on other stuff"
Goodreads :)