Show Your Work - Austin Kleon
10 Ways to Share your Creativity and Get Discovered
[q] “Creativity is not a talent. It is a way of operating”
- John Cleese
You don’t find an audience, they find you. But you have to be discoverable.
The most successful artists now share generously during the process of creation, not only the finished product. Allows them to be found while perfecting their craft.
1. You don’t have to be a genius!
Great art is not done by lone geniuses, even thought it might sometimes seem that way. Instead they are part of groups that share and steal ideas freely. Notion of a “scenius”.
We’re often afraid of being revealed as amateurs. But we should embrace that. Amateurs have very little to lose and can freely share their results. They can experiment and take chances.
[bq] “The only way to find your voice is to use it.”
Near death experiences unleash extreme creativity and sense of urgency in many people. The closest you can get to this without the actual experience is to read obituaries.
2. Think Process, Not Product
Traditionally artists only share their product, but keep the process completely to themselves. But now the artist can share the process too and form a unique bond with the audience.
[q] “In order for connection to happen, we have to allow ourselves to be seen - really seen.”
- Brené Brown
Need to be vulnerable.
[bq] “Become a document of what you do.”
3. Share Something Small Every Day
Try to share every day. Look through your notes and see what might be worth sharing of that day’s process.
There is a big difference between sharing and oversharing.
Use the “so what? test”: Ask yourself before sharing, is this useful? Or entertaining? Or…?
Flow is the daily updates you share, stock are the things you share that are as relevant in a few months or years as they are now. The key is to maintain the flow while working on the stock in the background.
Secure your own space on the internet (a domain). Other services/devices might vanish and your presence along with them. So having your own space protects against that and gives full freedom to express yourself.
Turn your name into a brand associated with high quality work. Don’t compromise or sell out for short term profit. The name will eventually turn into its own currency.
4. Open Your Cabinet of Curiosities
[q] “The problem with hoarding is you end up living off your resources. Eventually you’ll become stale. If you give away everything you have, you are left with nothing. This forces you to look, to be aware, to replenish… Somehow the more you give away, the more comes back to you.”
- Paul Arden
Jonathan Lethem on writing: “I’m basically a curator.” Reading fuels writing, which fuels more reading.
Think what inspires us, what do we read, listen to, think about, put on our fridge, etc? Then share that. Even if our work isn’t that great (yet), our taste is.
Look for inspiration in places other people aren’t willing or able to go.
Don’t give in to the pressure to self-edit too much. Share honestly. That’s what will make people connect with you.
Always attribute/credit other people’s work you share.
5. Tell Good Stories
The story you tell about your work is as important as the work (e.g. art forgery not as valuable as an original, even if they are exactly identical).
[bq] “Work doesn’t speak for itself.”
Usual structure of (creative) work: An initial problem, the work done to solve it, and the solution. It’s like storytelling, and we should learn to tell our stories better.
When someone asks you what you do or when writing a bio, be as simple and honest as possible.
6. Teach What You Know
[bq] “Teaching doesn’t mean instant competition.”
Just showing someone how something is done doesn’t mean they’ll immediately develop the skill you put countless hours in developing.
Think about what you can teach and share with the world about your process or what you learned. Try to teach as soon as you lean. It connects people to your work and also improves your own learning.
7. Don’t Turn Into Human Spam
[bq] “If you want to be a writer, you have to be a reader first."
True artists look for feedback and collaborators, which requires listening to your fans and looking at other people’s work.
You want your fans hearts, not just their eyeballs. The quality of your fans is more important than their quantity.
You want to be interesting, and that requires being interested.
[bq] “Make stuff you love and talk about stuff you love and you’ll attract people who love that kind of stuff. It’s that simple.”
"The Vampire Test”: If spending time with someone or something drains your energy and leaves you exhausted, it’s a vampire. Avoid this person at all costs.
Find those who have the same passion as you and share openly. The share/praise their work and form a tight-knit community with them.
8. Learn to Take a Punch
The more you share, the more you encounter criticism.
The more you take, the more you realize it can’t hurt you.
Roll with it. In your next work, emphasize that part certain people hated even more.
[bq] “Having your work hated by certain people is a badge of honor.”
First, evaluate who the criticism came from. Never feed the trolls.
9. Sell Out
Don’t believe in the starving artist cliche. Your art should make money and that doesn’t have to compromise its quality.
You can ask for donations, use crowd-funding for new projects, or simply offer something people can buy.
Even if you don’t have anything to sell (yet), start an email list.
Pay it forward and give back once you made it.
10. Stick Around
Don’t quit prematurely if things look difficult! Just keep going. It’ll pay off.
Avoid writers block and similar issues by simply never stopping to create. Just keep up the momentum. One project done? Great, immediately start the next one.
If you do take a break, make it conscious, like a sabbatical.
Let your mind relax, e.g. with exercise, and ideas will come!
[q] “Anyone who isn’t embarrassed of who they were last year probably isn’t learning enough.”
- Alain de Botton
Change course some time and try something new. It’s not starting over. You bring your existing experience to a fresh area.
[q] “Books are made out of books”
- Cormac McCarthy