Day 96 of The 100 Day Project: Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon

Creativity isn’t born—it’s built. Steal ideas, remix them, and find your voice. Steal Like An Artist shows you how.

Creativity Isn’t About Originality—It’s About Influence

When you hear “steal,” you might think of theft. But in Austin Kleon’s Steal Like an Artist, it becomes a liberating call to action. Kleon reframes “stealing” as collecting inspiration. Borrowing ideas, methods, and energy from the artists you admire and building upon them.

Nothing is entirely original. Every idea is a remix of what’s come before. The challenge is to blend what inspires you into something uniquely yours. It’s about standing on the shoulders of giants, so you can see and go further.

10 Rules to Live a Creative Life

The book outlines ten guiding principles for embracing your creativity. Some of the most powerful include:

Steal like an artist – Learn from those you admire and build upon their ideas.
Write the book you want to read – Don’t wait for someone else to create what you need. Toni Morrison agrees. She once said, “If there's a book you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it”
Use your hands – Step away from the screen and engage physically with your creativity.
Be boring – A stable life gives you the energy and space to make bold work.

Each chapter is a short, powerful lesson wrapped in anecdotes, quotes, and actionable advice. This is not a sit-down-and-study book. It’s a reference you’ll return to often.

Everything Has Been Said—Say It Again, Differently

One quote Kleon shares is, “Everything that needs to be said has already been said. But, since no one was listening, everything must be said again.” This echoes Goethe’s wisdom: “Everything has been thought of before, but the problem is to think of it again.”

These ideas speak to the timeless nature of creativity. You don’t need to invent from thin air. Instead, retell, reinterpret, and reframe through your unique experiences and lens.

Emulate Your Heroes to Discover Your Voice

Kleon encourages you to study the lives and methods of your heroes. Not to imitate their outcomes, but to understand their thinking. What made them tick? What routines did they follow? And what fears did they overcome?

This practice is especially powerful because it creates a bridge between admiration and action. As you walk in their footsteps, you’ll carve out your own creative path.

Work on Side Projects—and Let Boredom Fuel Brilliance

A surprising piece of advice: Be boring. Routine and consistency give you the headspace to do meaningful work. It’s not glamorous, but the quiet repetition builds momentum.

Kleon also celebrates the power of side projects. These “non-serious” explorations often become major turning points. They let you experiment, build skills, and even create additional income streams.

Creativity Happens at the Intersection

One of the most resonant messages in the book is to discover the nexus where disciplines intersect. I often suggest to readers to explore outside your specialization and blend fields. Genius often emerges from intersections, art and science, business and design, logic and intuition.

For readers of AOLLA, this idea reinforces a core principle. Real leadership happens when you expand your lens. Interdisciplinary thinking isn’t optional, it’s essential.

You Don’t Need Permission—You Need to Start

Steal Like an Artist isn’t a manual on art. It’s a permission slip to start. Kleon insists you don’t need to be fully formed to begin. Just get going. Keep a notebook of ideas. Share your work. Let curiosity and practice guide you forward.

If you’re waiting to feel “ready,” this book offers a powerful nudge. You’re ready enough.

Final Thought: Remix, Create, Repeat

Steal Like an Artist teaches you that creativity isn’t magic. It’s a process. Influence becomes fuel. Side projects become pivots. And your unique voice emerges not in isolation, but in the remix of everything you’ve absorbed.

Let go of the pressure to be original. Instead, start where you are, use what you love, and build something new.

📚 Want to turn reading into leadership?
👉 Join AOLLA: https://AOLLA.info

If you want access to my Bookish Notes, please consider joining my membership site, the Art of Learning.

This post contains affiliate links and The Invisible Mentor® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details, see here.

Categories: : creativity and influence, self-expression through remixing ideas, cross-disciplinary inspiration