📖 Overview
Austin Kleon is an author and artist known for his books on creativity and artistic practice, most notably "Steal Like an Artist," "Show Your Work!," and "Keep Going." His work combines elements of visual art, writing, and creative philosophy to explore how people can develop sustainable creative practices.
His first book "Newspaper Blackout" established his distinctive style of creating poetry by redacting newspaper articles with a permanent marker. This artistic technique gained significant attention and led to his subsequent exploration of creative processes and artistic development in his later works.
Kleon's books have been translated into over twenty languages and have appeared on New York Times bestseller lists. He maintains an active online presence through his blog and newsletter, where he shares insights about creativity, art, and writing.
His speaking engagements at organizations and conferences focus on creativity in the digital age and the intersection of analog and digital creation methods. Kleon's work emphasizes the importance of influence, creative community, and maintaining artistic practice in contemporary culture.
👀 Reviews
Readers connect strongly with Kleon's straightforward, practical advice about creativity. His books receive praise for their brevity, visual style, and actionable steps.
What readers liked:
- Clear, concise writing that can be read in one sitting
- Mix of illustration and text that makes concepts memorable
- Focus on taking action rather than theory
- Personal, conversational tone
One reader noted: "It's like having a mentor in book form - simple but profound advice that actually gets you creating."
What readers disliked:
- Some find the content too basic or obvious
- Criticism of repetition across his books
- Complaints about short length relative to price
- Arguments that ideas are repackaged from other sources
Ratings across platforms:
Goodreads:
- Steal Like an Artist: 4.1/5 (197,000+ ratings)
- Show Your Work!: 4.1/5 (68,000+ ratings)
- Keep Going: 4.2/5 (21,000+ ratings)
Amazon:
- Steal Like an Artist: 4.6/5 (5,800+ reviews)
- Show Your Work!: 4.6/5 (2,900+ reviews)
- Keep Going: 4.7/5 (1,400+ reviews)
📚 Books by Austin Kleon
Steal Like an Artist (2012)
A guide explaining how artists can learn from their influences and use them to create original work.
Show Your Work! (2014) A book about self-promotion for people who dislike self-promotion, focusing on sharing creative work and building an audience.
Keep Going (2019) A collection of methods and insights for maintaining a sustainable creative practice when facing obstacles.
Newspaper Blackout (2010) A collection of poems created by redacting newspaper articles with a permanent marker, leaving select words visible to form verses.
The Steal Like an Artist Journal (2015) A workbook companion to Steal Like an Artist containing creative exercises and prompts for readers.
Show Your Work Journal (2016) An interactive journal designed to help readers document their creative process and share their work with others.
Show Your Work! (2014) A book about self-promotion for people who dislike self-promotion, focusing on sharing creative work and building an audience.
Keep Going (2019) A collection of methods and insights for maintaining a sustainable creative practice when facing obstacles.
Newspaper Blackout (2010) A collection of poems created by redacting newspaper articles with a permanent marker, leaving select words visible to form verses.
The Steal Like an Artist Journal (2015) A workbook companion to Steal Like an Artist containing creative exercises and prompts for readers.
Show Your Work Journal (2016) An interactive journal designed to help readers document their creative process and share their work with others.
👥 Similar authors
Hugh MacLeod - Creates art on business cards while writing about creativity and entrepreneurship through his blog Gaping Void. His book "Ignore Everybody" shares similar themes to Kleon about creative authenticity and building a sustainable creative practice.
Maria Popova - Founded Brain Pickings (now The Marginalian) exploring creativity, art, and science through interconnected ideas and cultural synthesis. Her writing style combines deep research with philosophical insights about the creative process, similar to Kleon's approach.
David Bayles - Co-authored "Art & Fear," examining the practical and psychological challenges artists face in their work. His focus on the day-to-day reality of making art aligns with Kleon's emphasis on sustained creative practice.
Oliver Burkeman - Writes about productivity and creativity from a philosophical perspective in books like "Four Thousand Weeks." His work explores themes of time management and creative focus that complement Kleon's ideas about establishing creative habits.
Elle Luna - Wrote "The Crossroads of Should and Must" about choosing creative work over conventional paths. Her combination of visual elements with written insights mirrors Kleon's multimedia approach to exploring creativity.
Maria Popova - Founded Brain Pickings (now The Marginalian) exploring creativity, art, and science through interconnected ideas and cultural synthesis. Her writing style combines deep research with philosophical insights about the creative process, similar to Kleon's approach.
David Bayles - Co-authored "Art & Fear," examining the practical and psychological challenges artists face in their work. His focus on the day-to-day reality of making art aligns with Kleon's emphasis on sustained creative practice.
Oliver Burkeman - Writes about productivity and creativity from a philosophical perspective in books like "Four Thousand Weeks." His work explores themes of time management and creative focus that complement Kleon's ideas about establishing creative habits.
Elle Luna - Wrote "The Crossroads of Should and Must" about choosing creative work over conventional paths. Her combination of visual elements with written insights mirrors Kleon's multimedia approach to exploring creativity.