Show Your Work - Part 1

 

I loved reading “Show Your Work” by Austin Kleon. This book and his other book, “Steal Like An Artist”, go hand in hand and can unleash your creative side in a great way. I learnt a lot reading this book and below are some of the major insights I got from the book.

1.   Be an Amateur

“That’s all any of us are: amateurs. We don’t live long enough to be anything else.” - Charlie Chaplin

Amateurs have a great avenue for exploring their ideas and aren't bound to years of experience and knowledge like experts. I think even if you're an expert in something, by adopting the amateur mindset, you become more open to learning new things. You aren't afraid to experiment with new and crazy ideas

It is always better to contribute something rather than nothing. The world is changing at a rapid pace turning all of us into amateurs. By adopting the amateur mindset we can flourish. Amateurs also use what is in their disposal to do the work.

2.  Think Process, not Product

Human beings are genuinely interested in what human beings do. By constantly sharing your work, you can form a great relationship with your potential customers.

By religiously document your work, you will have a lot of "b-roll" that you can often show to people. People are very interested in how things come into play, how various things connect in order to form the final product

3.  Share Something Small Everyday

“Build a good name. Keep your name clean. Don’t make compromises. Don’t worry about making a bunch of money or being successful. Be concerned with doing good work . . . and if you can build a good name, eventually that name will be its own currency.” - William Burroughs

Most professional people have built in sharing their work as part of their routine. Instead of hiding your work, you should share it online.. share the process of how you go about doing your work, the tips and tricks etc

A daily dispatch is better than a resume as it shows what you're working on right now. However, do not share everything..only share what you're willing to have copied from

You should enjoy what you like without giving a damn about what people think. There's no such thing as guilty pleasures.

We should give credit where it is due. Don't "steal" without attributing the artists you stole your ideas from.

“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”. -Austin Kleon

If you want to be better at sharing your work, you must become a better storyteller. The emotion, insight, inspiration behind various works have a greater effect when sharing as they serve as an origin of your work. Work with background stories are received better than work without as people can resonate with your work

A good pitch is set up in three acts: The first act is the past, the second act is the present, and the third act is the future. The first act is where you’ve been—what you want, how you came to want it, and what you’ve done so far to get it. The second act is where you are now in your work and how you’ve worked hard and used up most of your resources. The third act is where you’re going, and how exactly the person you’re pitching can help you get there

4.  Teach What You Know

“The impulse to keep to yourself what you have learned is not only shameful, it is destructive. Anything you do not give freely and abundantly becomes lost to you. You open your safe and find ashes.”  —Annie Dillard

A good way to share your knowledge is to teach others what you know. Be it formal like classes or informal like mentoring, either way you are spreading your knowledge and in some cases, wisdom to others. The more you teach, the better you become at it. Moreover, people feel closer to your work because you’re letting them in on what you know

 

5.  Shut Up and Listen

It's better to listen than to be heard. Focus on an attitude of giving, wanting collaboration instead of me!me! attitude. You have to remember people want to be heard as everyone is narcissitic. Be a fan of someone's else work and contribute in your own way maybe by pointing out areas they can improve on, what you liked about their work etc.

Don't waste time on getting clout you should instead be working on your craft diligently and the clout will come. The clout that actually comes are the ones who are interested in your work.

You should stop worrying about how many people follow you and how you can get more followers. Those who are genuinely interested in your work will follow you.

This is the end of part 1, go to part 2 to finish up the review.