Austin Kleon Books

Steal Like an Artist (2012) will help you unlock the secret to creating great art: theft. No artist creates their work in a vacuum: all art is influenced by the art that came before it. Steal Like an Artist teaches you how to “steal” from the work of your heroes, and use it to create something new and unique. It also provides important advice on using the internet to launch your career, so others can enjoy your creativity!

• Artists or other creative types
• Anyone struggling to find inspiration
• Any artist who needs advice on launching their career

Full of practical tips, techniques and strategies for fostering creativity, Keep Going (2019) provides readers with a wide variety of ways to persevere in the face of difficulties with their creative work. While the text is written primarily with professional and non-professional artists in mind, the ideas are applicable to anyone whose job or pastime requires creativity. 

• Artists looking for inspiration  
• Creative professionals and hobbyists feeling stuck in a rut 
• Teachers, entrepreneurs, activists and anyone else whose work could use a boost of creativity

Show Your Work! (2014) is your guide to becoming findable. It’s about leveraging your network instead of wasting time “networking” in the traditional sense. Filled with actionable advice, it shows how to let others into your process by being productive, open, and generous – and outlines the benefits you’ll receive in return.

• Creatives who want to get noticed – but hate self-promotion
• Artists who’d like to build an audience but don’t know where to start
• Anyone trying to cultivate a like-minded creative community