This book, Show Your Work by Austin Kleon, dramatically transformed my perspective on sharing content online.
This is the first non-fiction and personal development book I read, and I found it so short and sweet. I read this full book in 3 shots only, though it was the first time I read a self-development book, it feels so motivating, intuitive, and practical at the same time. It broadens my horizons in a variety of ways.
Highlights from 10 Chapters:
- You don’t have to be a genius:
The best way to get started on the path of sharing your work is to think about what you want to learn, and make a commitment to learning it in front of others.
It sounds a little extreme, but in this day and age, if your work isn’t online, it doesn’t exist. We all have the opportunity to use our voices, to have our say, but so many of us are wasting it. If you want people to know about what you do and the things you care about, you have to share. - Think process, not product:
Whether you share it or not, documenting and recording your process as you go along has its own rewards: You’ll start to see the work you’re doing more clearly and feel like you’re making progress. And when you’re ready to share, you’ll have a surplus of material to choose from. - Share something small every day:
The day is the only unit of time that I can really get my head around. Seasons change, and weeks are completely human-made, but the day has a rhythm. The sun goes up; the sun goes down. I can handle that.
Once a day, after you’ve done your day’s work, go back to your documentation and find one little piece of your process that you can share. Where you are in your process will determine what that piece is. Just remember: Don’t show your lunch or your latte; show your work.
Of course, don’t let sharing your work take precedence over actually doing your work. If you’re having a hard time balancing the two, just set a timer for 30 minutes. Once the timer goes off, kick yourself off the Internet and get back to work.
- Open up your cabinet of curiosities:
There’s not as big of a difference between collecting and creating as you might think. A lot of the writers I know see the act of reading and the act of writing as existing on opposite ends of the same spectrum: The reading feeds the writing, which feeds the reading.
“You’re only as good as your record collection.” —DJ Spooky - Tell good stories:
Words matter. The stories you tell about the work you do have a huge effect on how people feel and what they understand about your work, and how people feel and what they understand about your work effects how they value it. Always keep your audience in mind, value their time. Be brief. Learn to speak. Learn to write.
Strike all the adjectives from your bio. If you take photos, you’re not an “aspiring” photographer, and you’re not an “amazing” photographer, either. You’re a photographer. Don’t get cute. Don’t brag. Just state the facts. One more thing: Unless you are actually a ninja, a guru, or a rock star, don’t ever use any of those terms in your bio. Ever. - Teach what you know:
Teaching doesn’t mean instant competition. Just because you know the master’s technique doesn’t mean you’re going to be able to emulate it right away.
Teaching people doesn’t subtract value from what you do, it actually adds to it. When you teach someone how to do your work, you are, in effect, generating more interest in your work. - Don’t turn into human spam:
How many people waste time and energy trying to make connections instead of getting good at what they do, when “being good at things is the only thing that earns you clout or connections.
Make stuff you love and talk about stuff you love and you’ll attract people who love that kind of stuff. It’s that simple. - Learn to take a punch:
When you put your work out into the world, you have to be ready for the good, the bad, and the ugly. The more people come across your work, the more criticism you’ll face. Learn how you can punch: Relax & breath, Strengthen your neck, and keep moving. Every piece of criticism is an opportunity for new work, and finally, keep your balance.
If you have work that is too sensitive or too close to you to be exposed to criticism, keep it hidden. But remember what writer Colin Marshall says: “Compulsive avoidance of embarrassment is a form of suicide.” If you spend your life avoiding vulnerability, you and your work will never truly connect with other people. - Sell out:
People need to eat and pay the rent. “An amateur is an artist who supports himself with outside jobs which enable him to paint,” said artist Ben Shahn. “A professional is someone whose wife works to enable him to paint.” Whether an artist makes money off his work or not, money has to come from somewhere, be it a day job, a wealthy spouse, a trust fund, an arts grant, or a patron.
Don’t be afraid to charge for your work, but put a price on it that you think is fair.
Yet a life of creativity is all about change—moving forward, taking chances, exploring new frontiers. “The real risk is in not changing,” said saxophonist John Coltrane. “I have to feel that I’m after something. If I make money, fine. But I’d rather be striving. It’s the striving, man, it’s that I want.”
Be ambitious. Keep yourself busy. Think bigger. Expand your audience. Don’t hobble yourself in the name of “keeping it real,” or “not selling out.” Try new things. If an opportunity comes along that will allow you to do more of the kind of work you want to do, say Yes. If an opportunity comes along that would mean more money, but less of the kind of work you want to do, say No. - Stick around:
So don’t think of it as starting over. Think of it as beginning again.
Realizations & Impressions:
Sharing stuff will no more an issue, there were a lot of queries and confusion earlier, which is getting so obvious by reading this book.
Favorite Quotes:
“I like to work while the world is sleeping, and share while the world is at work.” —Austin Kleon
“One day at a time. It sounds so simple. It actually is simple but it isn’t easy: It requires incredible support and fastidious structuring.” —Russell Brand
“Do what you do best and link to the rest.” —Jeff Jarvis
“Whatever excites you, go do it. Whatever drains you, stop doing it.” —Derek Sivers
“It’s all about paying attention. Attention is vitality. It connects you with others.” —Susan Sontag
“Work is never finished, only abandoned.” —Paul Valéry
Conclusion:
The world has altered dramatically. It’s no longer sufficient to simply create and hope that others will find it. You must be findable. Think of your work as a never-ending process. You can share your process in a way that attracts others.
Imagine if your next boss didn’t have to read your résumé because he already reads your blog. Imagine being a student and getting your first gig based on a school project you posted online. Imagine losing your job but having a social network of people familiar with your work and ready to help you find a new one. Imagine turning a side project or a hobby into your profession because you had a following that could support you.
Or imagine something simpler and just as satisfying: spending the majority of your time, energy, and attention practicing a craft, learning a trade, or running a business, while also allowing for the possibility that your work might attract a group of people who share your interests.
All you have to do is show your work.