November 12, 2014 
I was in need of a quick self directed creative workshop, so I downloaded a copy of “Steal Like an Artist” by Austin Kleon for my Kindle App. I missed the tactile nature of a book and kinda missed out on the groovy pics and graphics that seem to always work better in the print version.
Kleon subscribes to a philosophy of artistic development founded on “fake it ’til you make it” – learning from others who are already doing a great job in your preferred creative pursuits. I found my head nodding in agreement throughout the concise volume.
Kleon recommends becoming a curator of ideas and then using them to influence and guide your work.
“Don’t steal the style, steal the thinking behind the style. You don’t want to look like your heroes, you want to see like your heroes.”
I find great inspiration in looking at the work of great photographers and then dissecting the image to identify what it is that I like about it. These are the lessons to take with you on your next shoot. And make sure that you review your actual results against what you planned to learn!
The book is an extremely quick read – I got through it, including making annotations, in an hour or so – which was exactly what I was looking for. Maybe it is all The Simpsons and Family Guy episodes that have reduced my attention span?
The most important lesson I took out of it was to get back to my notebooks more often. Over the last two months I have been preparing for the Urbanity Exhibition and have probably slacked off a bit on planning, reviewing, and learning.
You can check the book out at Kleon’s website here :
Inconspicuosity 
I saw this at the bookstore the other day and wondered…thanks for the review!
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I liked it – it is very “sound bite” orientated. So if you are looking for depth bs a quick shot in the arm, beware!
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Noted!
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We bought this a couple of months ago for exactly that purpose – dipping in for a quick shot in the arm or inspiration. You summed it up beautifully!
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