Show Your WORK!
BY AUSTIN KLEON
“There are a lot of destructive myths about creativity, but one of the most dangerous is the “lone genius” myth: If you believe in the lone genius myth, creativity is an antisocial act... [but] creativity is always, in some sense, a collaboration, the result of a mind connected to other minds.”
WHAT DID I THINK?
An inspiring and accessible book that sets out why you should learn in public.
How strongly I recommend it: 7/10
NOTES
Why should you “Show Your Work!”?
Share what you love, and the people who love the same things will find you.
You may not be a good judge of your own work. Klein writes: "Science fiction writer Theodore Sturgeon once said that 90 percent of everything is crap. The same is true of our own work. The trouble is, we don’t always know what’s good and what sucks."
By making a commitment to learn something in public, you'll create accountability and support networks for yourself.
10 Principles
You Don’t Have to Be a Genius.
The amateur often has the advantage over the expert because they are willing to try anything and have nothing to lose.
“In the beginner’s mind, there are many possibilities,” said Zen monk Shunryu Suzuki. “In the expert’s mind, there are few.”
Think Process, Not Product.
Become a documentarian of what you do. “What are you working on?” Stick to that question and you’ll be good.
Not just about the end product.
Share Something Small Everyday.
Open Up Your Cabinet of Curiosities.
Your influences are all worth sharing because they clue people in to who you are and what you do—sometimes even more than your own work.
Tell Good Stories.
Human beings want to know where things came from, how they were made, and who made them. 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.
Bios are not the place to practice your creativity. We all like to think we’re more complex than a two-sentence explanation, but a two-sentence explanation is usually what the world wants from us. Keep it short and sweet.
Teach What You Know.
Don’t Turn Into Human Spam.
Learn to Take a Punch.
You want feedback from people who care about you and what you do. Be extra wary of feedback from anybody who falls outside of that circle.
Sell Out.
Even if you don’t have anything to sell right now, you should always be collecting email addresses from people who come across your work and want to stay in touch. Why email? You’ll notice a pattern with technology—often the most boring and utilitarian technologies are the ones that stick around the longest.
Stick Around.
The people who get what they’re after are very often the ones who just stick around long enough. It’s very important not to quit prematurely.
Other Learnings
What should I do? "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."
Networking: Don't waste time "networking", spend time taking advantage of the network by sharing what you're working on.
Community & Feedback Loops: "If you want fans, you have to be a fan first. If you want to be accepted by a community, you have to first be a good citizen of that community."
The Vampire Test: "It’s a simple way to know who you should let in and out of your life. 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."