Steal Like an Artist
Austin Kleon
Summary
A great short read that talks about being a creative and that all of your ideas are really just taking from your influences
Rating: 4/5
Notes
Steal ideas and make them better
We are shaped and fashioned by what we love
Always study and never stop reading
Keep writing down notes in your phone about ideas that pop into your head
Don’t overthink about anything, just start doing it
Don’t just steal from one person, steal from every one of your influences
It is our failure to become our perceived ideal that ultimately defines us and makes us unique
Write about that you like and do what you want to see done
Think about setting up multiple work stations: an analog with no electronics and a digital station
Never forget to wander and take a walk, you’ll never know what can happen
Enjoy your obscurity while it lasts; use it
Enjoy the moments in between because that’s where the best ideas come from
If your the most talented person in a room, leave the room
Choose what to leave out
Notes from 2nd time I read it:
Everything that needs to be said has already been said. But since no one was listening, everything must be said again - andre gide
Whether you’re in school or not, it’s always your job to get an education
Write the book you want to read
The work you do while you procrastinate is probably the work you should be doing for the rest of your life
Have a hobby: something that is creative just for you
Enjoy your obscurity while it lasts, use it
So good work and share it with people
Write fan letters to those you admire
Who you marry is the most important decision you’ll ever make
Creativity is subtraction
***
Buy the book here
Free E-book download here
Make Something Wonderful
Steve Jobs
Summary
The life of Steve Jobs in his own words
Rating: 5/5
Notes
Make something wonderful and put it out there
‘You appear, have a chance to blaze in the sky, then you disappear’
When you’re a stranger in a place, you notice thing you don’t otherwise (Jobs after India trip)
Whenever you start with nothing, always shoot for the moon. You have nothing to lose.
You never achieve what you want without falling on your face a few times
Never be afraid to fail. You never achieve what you want without falling flat on your face a few times
We are never taught to listen to our intuitions, to develop and nurture them. But if you do pay attention to these subtle insights, you can make them come true
Creativity equals connecting previously unrelated experiences and insights others don’t see
Believe that some of what you follow with your heart will come back and make your life richer. And it will. And you will gain even firmer trust on your instincts and intuitions
Make your avocation your vocation. Make what you love your work.
The journey is the reward. The reward isn’t in the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, it’s in crossing the rainbow
To find A+ talent, if experienced, look at their track record and results
The world we know is a human creation and we can push it forward
The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do (read whole ad ‘here’s to the crazy ones)
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit - Aristotle
Hire people better than you are
You can’t plan to meet the people who will change your life
It’s impossible to connect the dots looking forward, but they make sense looking backwards so you have to trust the dots will somehow connect in your future
Everything around you that you call life was made up by people no smarter than you
***
Buy the book here
Free E-book download here
