I love reading books for creative people because I believe (quite firmly!) that all entrepreneurs are artists. They may not be able to paint worth a damn, but entrepreneurs create beautiful things, even if it has no aesthetic value.

And some of us entrepreneurs are creatives too--artists, writers, musicians, knitters--the list goes on and on.

And just like a sculptor should show her work, so too should an entrepreneur.

Austin Kleon outlines 10 ways an artist can show her work, and I would argue that every one of these tips works for entrepreneurs too:

1) You don't have to be a genius
2) Think process, not product
3) Share something small every day
4) Open up your cabinet of curiosities
5) Tell good stories
6) Teach what you know
7) Don't turn into human spam
8) Learn to take a punch
9) Sell out
10) Stick around

I especially love this quote about being part of a "scenius"--where a group of creative individuals birth great ideas, and how online communities can foster a scenius.

"Online, everyone--the artist and the creator, the master and the apprentice, the expert and the amateur--has the ability to contribute something." p. 12

A short, powerful book! Highly recommend to artists and entrepreneurs, and everyone in between. ( )

This book landed in my lap at just the right time. I recently had a conversation with a friend about sharing techniques and the behind-the-scenes progress of our work. Maybe we're both old school, but we marvel at people who can share their "professional secrets" openly, without fear of their competition getting ahead based on that hard-earned knowledge.

Kleon's take on showing your work is rooted in the spirit of generosity and openness. He encourages artists to show every part of their process, because hey, maybe someone else could learn something too. This is so different from the way I've been taught to operate, and it's definitely going to require a mindset shift.

While I didn't find this book as thought provoking as STEAL LIKE AN ARTIST, I came away with a few great tidbits I can apply immediately, which is always a plus. I found it a quick, motivating, inspiring read, and I will definitely read more of Kleon's work in the future. ( )

I loved Austin Kleon's previous book, "Steal Like An Artist", and this book is even better. These chapters in particular had me hooked - Identify your fellow knuckle ballers
- The Vampire Test
- Talk about yourself at parties ( )

I only wish I'd written it myself.
I shared [b:Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative|13099738|Steal Like an Artist 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative|Austin Kleon|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1388177651s/13099738.jpg|18272194] with a friend. She bought her own copy and this title as well and shared it with me.

Kleon continues serving up simple yet profound ideas in ways both wise and design-clever. The book format and content structure work so well I'm hoping to emulate them in a book of my own.

"If, after hanging out with someone you feel worn out and depleted, that person is a vampire. If, after hanging out with someone you still feel full of energy, that person is not a vampire. ... Vampires cannot be cured. Should you find yourself in the presence of a vampire...banish it from your life forever." ( )

I've always had the feeling of "why would I share my work and interests?! The internet is full of everything. It's better to come up with something spectacular to share."

This book goes against this and it started to change my mind.

The most useful things (for me) from the book can be found in this blog post. ( )