Steal This Book

I'm much better at meeting someone else's deadline than my own. That's a good thing when it comes to retaining clients. It's a bad thing when I need to keep the creative juices flowing in order to keep the clients happy. My deadlines usually are related to the things I want to get done that don't pay anything in dollars and cents.

An important part of my job is keeping an eye out for inspiration. (Equally important is tapping the inspiration!) Needless to say I was quite happy to come across the little book "Steal Like an Artist" by Austin Kleon. It's a fun and easy read.

Kleon gives 10 ways to unlock creativity. I really like the fact that the book is simply worded and doesn't reveal anything new. A review of the basics, which, according to my dad, is something that professionals do all the time. My dad was referring to professional athletes and movie stars, people like that. I was about 10 at the time but his words stayed with me. It's about time I put them into practice.

My biggest challenge is #9, Be Boring (It's the only way to get work done.). I really need to work on that. Doing the necessary mundane things and showing up regularly is not my forte. I'll work on it.