This Is What Modern Art (And A Quirky Book) Teaches Us About Creativity.
A Review and Reflections of Austin Kleon’s Steal Like An Artist
Confession, I don’t get modern art.
Check out this renowned piece painted in 1915 by Kazimir Malevich titled Black Square
To my untrained eyes, it is, most definitely, a black square.
My first reaction — WHY?
Is this is also art? I think about my primary school days where I coloured in shapes with black crayon.
Sure, maybe the colour isn’t as uniform (or elegant) as this art piece, but it comes pretty close, right?
I think to myself; “I could do that too”. “Why am I not framed up like he is?”
Artist Craig Damrauer has the perfect rebuttal for me — “Because you didn’t”.
When Malevich released this piece of work into the world at that time, art critics were sharply divided.
Is this considered art?
But, Malevich did not care about how people reacted to his work.
He just continued creating.
I then learned why the Black Square was such a big deal in the art world at that time
“The Black Square arrived at a time when Russian art crowds, although used to seeing cubist and futurist works, would never have seen a work like this. The artistic revolution Malevich was bringing about seems to reflect the social revolution that was happening. Malevich didn’t intend for the Black Square to be a representation of a real thing, but a symbol of a dawning new age.”
Validation is for Parking, Not For Artists
Therein lies one of the key lessons of Austin Kleon’s book Steal Like An Artist.
“Ironically, really good work often appears to be effortless. People will say, “Why didn’t I think of that? They won’t see the years of toil and sweat that went into it.”
In an artistic culture used to seeing other kinds of work at that time, Malevich’s work was revolutionary.
What if he had listened to his peers who told him this was a stupid idea? What if he had caved under pressure from those who criticised his work?
We may not have seen the introduction of abstract art into the world. Who knows?
He did not, because he was busy putting in the work.
“Nothing is Original, So Get Influenced”.
As creatives, maybe one of our biggest dreams is to come up with something revolutionary that will change the world.
This puts immense pressure on us. We worry so much about being derivative that we became too scared to put our work into the world.
Well, Kleon essentially goes “fuck that, no you don’t”.
“What a good artist understands is that nothing comes from nowhere. All creative work builds on what came before. Nothing is completely original”. “Every new idea is just a mashup or a remix of one or more previous ideas.”
Some may read this as depressing. But it can also be a freeing — it’s granting you permission to create freely without the pressure of being original.
It’s almost like a sigh of relief from the relentless self-critic in your head.
Stealing: There’s A Right Way To Do It
“If you steal from one, it’s plagiarism, if you steal from many, it’s research”.
But, there is a right way to steal from your influences. Don’t just steal the content or style of your influence’s work.
Find out what you love about the style, break it down and try to find the thinking and motivations behind the style. After which, emulate and adapt their work to your own.
That’s how you put your own spin on your influence’s work, yet producing something that’s unique enough to call your own.
“In the end, merely imitating your heroes is not flattering them. Transforming their work into something of your own is how you flatter them. Adding something to the world that only you can add.”
A Perk Me Up
Steal Like An Artist reads like a perk-me-up for the tired and searching creative soul.
Ironically (or perhaps to drive home his point), none of Kleon’s tips or ideas are particularly original or groundbreaking.
You can probably find similar ideas in other books directed to artists like Real Artists Don’t Starve, or in other creativity books out there. What makes it engaging is Kleon’s unassuming writing voice and unique way of presenting.
Remember that feeling as a child where everything was fascinating?
Even simple acts of pouring water or playing with flour was intriguing.
This book manages to reignite that spark of childlike curiosity at the world out there. It encourages you to look at the things around you — things that maybe you already dismissed as mundane, but should still spark wonder.
Always be reading. Go to the library. There’s magic in being surrounded by books. Get lost in the stacks. Read bibliographies… Collect books, even if you don’t plan on reading them right away. Carry a notebook and pen with you wherever you go …
And oh, those accompanying illustrations! Heck, he makes fascinating art and poems out of selectively blacking out text with a Sharpie. How cool is that?
To me, that is the perfect example of making the mundane exciting again — by taking your own spin on things and putting your creations out into the world.
In a way, Kleon leads by example.
Go Forth And Create
You’re ready. Start making stuff
If you’ve lost your creative voice along the way or it is in danger of being bogged down by the weight of your insecurities, fears, and self-doubts, you are not alone.
For instance, I wonder if my work is good enough to be out there.
‘What ifs’ start spinning around in my head, nagging me and threatening to drag me under the swamp of insecurity.
Kleon understands this. And to solve this, he advocates action.
A lot of it.
“It’s the act of making things and doing our work that we figure out who we are”.
Read Steal Like An Artist if…
- You’re feeling down about your work and identity as a creative person
- You’re curious about where original work comes from
- You’re looking for a beautifully illustrated book with lots of feel-good, yet practical and actionable advice
Go forth and create. The world needs your voice.
PS: I still don’t understand modern art, but I guess I can see the significance of it…
