Have you read the book Steal like An Artist by Austin Kleon?

This book talks about the 10 things nobody told you about being creative. It is also a book about coming up with creative ideas. It doesn’t matter if you’re an author or a content creator, this book is definitely a must read.

Here are some of my favorite takeaways I also think you should take to heart if you want to practice that creative side of you.

1. Nothing is Original – When something is called “original”, 90% of the time, it is simply because they do not know the reference or the source. People often burden themselves with the pressure of believing that in order to find success in life, you need to do something original, have a career that is unique, or start a business that no one has ever done before.So what can you do?

   Rather than trying to come up with anything new, think about how you can remix, alter, and improve current ideas so that you may build on and progress them. All creative work builds on what came before it.

2. Use Your Hands – To excite all sections of your mind, we have two working modes: digital and analog, and I believe that modern creatives are losing sight of the latter.

   So what can we do about it?

   Schedule time away from the computer and internet to use your hands. Write, draw, build, craft — do anything physical that creates a physical tangible outcome.

3. Do good work and put it where people can see it – Create excellent work, keep improving, and share it with as many people as possible. The world doesn’t necessarily care about what you think. While there will always be naysayers, sharing our work with others allows us to meet like-minded people we might not have met otherwise.
   
   
4. Write the Book You Want To Read – The best advice is not write what you know, but write what you like. The same applies for your life. Whenever you’re at a loss for what move to make next, ask yourself, “What would make a better story?”

   By doing this, you don’t just practice your creativity but you will also learn more about yourself. Your preference, strengths, and weaknesses. Self-discovery is essential in promoting creativity.

5. Do Not Wait Until You Know Who You Are To Get Started – Start before you are ready- The truth is, you’ll never feel ready. We are who we create ourselves to be. Life is about CREATING OURSELVES, not about “finding ourselves.”
   
   
6. Side Projects And Hobbies Are Important – It is good to have a lot of projects ongoing at once so you can bounce between them. When you get sick of one project, you can move over to another. Having a hobby also develops creativity, and it is a must that this hobby is something you shouldn’t try to make money from or get famous. You do it because it makes you happy. A hobby is something that always gives, but doesn’t take.
   
   
7. Geography Is No Longer Our Master – Build your own world. Surround your work area, bedroom, office with books and objects you love. Put up posters or paintings on the walls. With this new world, engage in some self-imposed solitude and captivity.Alternatively, try to leave home. Our minds get too comfortable in everyday surroundings. We need to make it uncomfortable. Spend some time in another land, among people that do things differently from you. Travel makes the world look new, and when the world looks new, our brains work harder to process ideas.
   
   
8. Everything is a Remix – We’re the average of the top five persons with whom we spend the most time. We are also the sum of our inspirations and role models.
   
   
9. Creativity is Subtraction – In today’s time where looking for an answer to a question is as simple as doing a quick search on Google, we are often over-flooded with concepts and ideas. Because of this, nothing is more paralyzing than the idea of limitless possibilities. In this age of information abundance, those who get ahead are the people who can figure out what to leave out, so they can concentrate on what is genuinely important to them.
   
   

   Ironically, placing constraints on your ideas actually brings you freedom. It is often what an artist chooses to leave out is what makes the art interesting. What makes human life interesting isn’t just what we’ve experienced, but also what we haven’t experienced.

10. Take care of yourself – Take yourself out to restaurants. Take long showers. Eat a healthy breakfast every morning, go exercise, and rest well every night. It takes a lot of energy to be creative. You won’t be prepared for when creativity strikes if you don’t have the energy for it.