Artful Reading Book 4

Steal Like An Artist ... 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative.

Author - Austin Kleon

Publisher : Workman publishing - New York

ISBN 978-0-7611-6925-3

This little book may not be big in size but it certainly packs a lot into it.

Austin Kleon divides his book into 10 Chapters and they are listed on the back cover as well as inside the book, I will share them here with you to give you a true flavour of what lies within the covers.

1. Steal like an artist.
2. Don't wait until you know who you are to get started.
3. Write the book you want to read.
4. Use your hands.
5. Side projects and hobbies are important.
6. The secret: Do good work and share it with people.
7. Geography is no longer our master.
8. Be nice. ( The world is a small town.)
9. Be boring. ( It's the only way to get work done. )
10. Creativity is subtraction.

The author points out that this book is not just for artists and I totally agree with him. It a motivational book to get everyone's creative juices flowing. He gives you strategies to use in your everyday life be it whilst you are sat at your desk creating art, writing a book or just surfing the Internet.

Many quotes are used through out the book are always used in context. One I loved was by the cartoonist, Lynda Barry, "In the digital age, don't forget to use your digits!" Austin Kleon emphasises this by adding, Your hands are the original digital devices. Use them.

I found myself wanting to put some of his ideas into practice straight away and look forward using them all at some point in the future in my art and in my life in general.

The style the book is written in makes it easy and fun to read and if you visit Austin Kleon website :

AUSTIN KLEON is a writer who draws. You will see how creative he is and you will also enjoy a good read.

I read the book in one sitting but I have gone back to it many times since, just to read again some of the great quotes and ideas.

I would certainly recommend this book to anyone, if you feel that your creative mojo has gone walk about this book will help you find it. I can see why it was a New York Times best seller.

For my art I have used a technique I have 'Stolen' from AndySkinner.org . I have been lucky enough to have been on a few of Andy's classes and the last one I went to was using a Gelli plate for making your own mono prints. This is one of the prints I produced at the workshop. I have added some of my own quotes using a technique that I have previously used in my art journalling and a smilar technique Austin Kleon used when writing his first book Newspaper Blackout, a book of poems.

Every poem he wrote was made with newspaper article and a permanent marker, therefore, it did not feel like work but more like play.

The circle was created using a paper doily.

This is a quote to remind me I can create art!

These words were cut from magazines.

I have used Deco art acrylic paints.

Silhouette using Andy's stencil.

Finally at the begining of this month I went to the Alexandra Palace Scrapbook and Stamping show and who should I meet there but the lovely Darcy who set up the Artful Readers Club. It was great to meet you Darcy and even get share your yummy cupcakes.

Darcy and me.

Next month I plan to read Earth's Elders: The Wisdom of the World's Oldest People.

Thanks for visiting.

 

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