Austin Kleon's "How to Steal Like an Artist"

If you've been under an Internet rock you might have missed the explosion of support behind local artist Austin Kleon's recent talk at Broome Community College in Binghamton, New York. "How to Steal Like an Artist (and 9 Other Things Nobody Told Me)" is a surprisingly short presentation considering how much information it shares, and it covers just about everything anyone with a creative drive cares about. Stealing, inspiration, work ethic, advice, untruths (1 + 1 = 3, it's demonstrable) and pretending are all discussed with equal attention, and some of the advice might surprise you.

What makes Kleon's talk so worthwhile isn't just its Internet-friendly visual-meets-educational vibe, its brisk and confident explanation of something far more complex than meets the eye -- it's that the unmasked honesty and completely common man attitude towards art is shockingly refreshing. Even for those who consider art, make art, consider themselves appreciative of art - the swift acceptance of the need to steal, be inspired, work when it matters, pretend until it is true (Patti Smith is an example here) are all embraced and assumed to be milestones of becoming great.

Read it, and share it. It's full of quotes that will inspire you throughout your day and during your creative endeavors. Our favorite bit? "Art that only comes from the head isn’t any good. Watch any good musician and you’ll see what I mean."