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Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon Book Review & Highlights

Show Your Work!

Austin Kleon | ISBN: 076117897X & 978-0761178972 | Rating: 10/10

Austin Kleon’s incredible book Steal Like an Artist paved the way for his equally good Show Your Work! In Steal Like an Artist, Austin showed us how we could pull inspiration from everything around us. It gave us 10 examples of how we can be more creative as artists and creatives.

Show Your Work! is more of a companion book than a sequel to Steal Like an Artist. It explains why creatives need to show their work if they want to be “discovered.” In it, Kleon gives 10 examples of how we can share our creativity to grow an audience of passionate fans.

The reason you should read this along side Steal Like an Artist is, while Steal tells you how to boost your creativity, Show Your Work tells you how to share it. Both elements are necessary for living the optimum creative life.

If you start sharing your work from the beginning, there’s a timeline of your progress as an artist. There’s proof of your growth as an artist and everything it took to get to where you are.

It’s a way for fans to connect with you more deeply as you discover your own creative expression. It acts as a living creative journal of your progress.

With all that being said, here are my thoughts on each section of the book:

Charlotte Eriksson (The Glass Child) on Facing Obstacles, Knowing Yourself and Your Fans, and The Importance of Your Why – Cracking Creativity Episode 66

January 3, 2017 / Kevin Chung / 0 Comments

Charlotte Eriksson grew up in a house where athletics were emphasized. The arts weren’t celebrated and you weren’t supposed to express your feelings. Her family didn’t grow up listening to music, so she didn’t really discover it until she was 16 years old. That’s when a friend introduced her music that touched her life.

From that moment on, she knew she wanted to be a musician. She knew she wanted to spend her life creating that same magical feeling for other people. And at the age of 18 Charlotte moved to London to pursue her dream. Since that moment, she has released several albums, toured all over Europe, and has published three books.

In this episode, Charlotte talks about facing obstacles, knowing yourself and your fans, and the importance of knowing your why.

Dr. Matthew Horkey and Charine Tan on Having Experiences, Investing in Yourself, and Being a Better Communicator – Cracking Creativity Episode 64

November 22, 2016 / Kevin Chung / 0 Comments

Dr. Matthew Horkey and Charine Tan were both on extremely successful career paths. Matt was working for a seven-figure chiropractic business and Charine was offered a lucrative management position at her company. On the outside, everything looked great. But internally, they both felt they were living a life of complacency.

The tipping point came when they took a sabbatical to wine regions around the world. That’s when something struck Charine. She believed they could build a business around wine and travel. So they built up enough run way to quit their jobs and started their journey as the Exotic Wine Travelers.

In this episode, learn why experiences are better than having things, why you should invest in yourself, and why communication is the most important skill you can learn.

Nicolas Cole on Learning from Everything You do, the Importance of Helping Others, and the Benefit of Marketing- Cracking Creativity Episode 63

November 1, 2016 / Kevin Chung / 0 Comments

Nicolas Cole looks like someone out of a fitness magazine, but it hasn’t always been that way. When he was growing up, he was sick almost every day. By the time he was 17 years old, he weighed less than 100 pounds. He missed school a lot and didn’t have many friends. So he turned to World of Warcraft.

World of Warcraft became his escape from life. He played so much that he was one of the top players in the entire game. That is until he was faced with a tough decision. He could either continue to pursue his video game career on his own or receive his parents’ help and go to college. He chose college.

It was at this point that Nicolas took the principles from gaming and applied them to fitness. He went from less than 100 pounds to 170 pounds by gamifying his workout routines. He also wrote about his fitness routines and his journey on Quora and became one of its top writers.

In this episode find out why you should learn from everything you do, why you should help others, and why marketing is not your enemy.

Kaitlyn Guay on Creative Growth as an Evolution, Finding Beauty an Gratitude, and Overcoming Resistance – Cracking Creativity Episode 61

Kaitlyn Guay on Creative Growth as and Evolution, Finding Beauty an Gratitude, and Overcoming Resistance – Cracking Creativity Episode 61

September 27, 2016 / Kevin Chung / 0 Comments

Kaitlyn Guay grew up wanting to be in Broadway. She grew up in a household where she wasn’t allowed to watch TV and could only watch movies on the weekends. She grew up in a cultural bubble where she entertained herself by writing poems and song lyrics for fun.

While she wanted to be an artist and entertainer, those around her thought it would be too risky, so she became a musical teacher. This allowed her to share her passion for the arts with others. That is until a severe case of Chronic Lyme Disease forced her to change her path. Instead of letting the disease break her, she leveraged it into creating a young adult book series and jewelry line.

In this episode, learn why creative growth is an evolution, how to find beauty and gratitude in every day life, and ways you can overcome Resistance.

Adam James Butcher on Sharing Your Work, the Importance of Habits and Routines, and Why Artists Need to Sell – Cracking Creativity Podcast Episode 60

September 13, 2016 / Kevin Chung / 1 Comment

Adam James Butcher didn’t take the traditional path towards becoming a full-time artist. He went to university to study sculpture, but never pursued sculpting as a career.

For a while, he created art in an alley and worked as a sandwich maker, but realized it wasn’t right for him. So he became the head of art for London schools.

During his time teaching, schools began using iPads to allow kids to create art. This was a pivotal moment in Adam’s career. After seeing his students work so well with technology, he began painting himself. Adam did so well with his digital art that he was able to move to Mexico to sell his digital art full time.

In this episode, Adam talks about why you should share your work, the value of habits and routines, and why selling is crucial for your business.

Andrea Dantas on Learning, Leaning in to Your Why, and Doing Work that Matters – Cracking Creativity Episode 59

August 30, 2016 / Kevin Chung / 0 Comments

Andrea Dantas could have ended up poor and broke in Brazil. Her father went bankrupt when she was a child and her mother struggled to feed two kids. Her one saving grace was her love for acting.

Andrea left Brazil to study acting in Australia. While she was able to get a tourist Visa, she had trouble getting a work Visa. So her mother smuggled her money by putting it inside books she sent through the mail. While she survived on a diet of canned beans, she was still happy because she was learning and doing what she loved.

She has been able to build a successful career in acting through years of studying, performing, and working in multiple countries.

In this episode, learn why you should never stop learning, why you should always remember your why, and what it takes to do work that matters to you.

Ginger Kern on Engaging Your Playfulness, Helping Others and Ourselves, and Travel as a Rite of Passage – Cracking Creativity Episode 57

July 26, 2016 / Kevin Chung / 2 Comments

Ginger Kern knew she wanted to leave her childhood home in the Midwest even when she was a young. She grew up reading books on adventure and mythology, which fueled her desire to get away.

So, when she had the opportunity to visit her family in Germany, she jumped on it. Even though she didn’t speak German and her family didn’t speak English, she was hooked on travel and living abroad. This was the beginning of her life fueled by travel, adventure, and a desire to help other people do the same.

In this episode, Ginger talks about embracing your playful side, taking rites of passage, and transforming herself and others.

My Thoughts on Podcast Movement 2016

July 18, 2016 / Kevin Chung / 0 Comments

We should all have aspirations of getting better. When we rest on our laurels, we lose the ability to make an impact in our lives and with our audience. That’s why I went to Podcast Movement in Chicago a couple of weeks ago. We can learn a lot from the top people in our industries, and Podcast Movement was no exception.

Since I began my podcast, I’ve received nothing but positive feedback, but it would be foolish to stay stagnant. Going to Podcast Movement has inspired me to take my podcast to the next level.

There were a lot of great speakers, and even more fellow podcasters, who made the conference worthwhile. Here are some of the highlights from my weekend at Podcast Movement:

Chris Dessi on Building a Personal Brand, Becoming a Tastemaker, and Defining Success – Cracking Creativity Episode 56

July 17, 2016 / Kevin Chung / 0 Comments

Chris Dessi was fired three times in two years, but that didn’t stop him from building a successful career. Instead of letting those setbacks get him down, he leveraged them into building his own business, writing multiple books, appearing on TV, and running his own summits. In this episode, learn about the power of a personal brand, being a taste maker, and defining success.