Austin Kleon Newspaper Blackout Poem
We can pick our teachers and we can pick our friends and we can pick the books we read and the music we listen to and the movies we see, etcetera. You are a mashup of what you let into your life.
— Austin Kleon
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I wrote here on the blog a couple of years back about Austin Kleon and his book, Steal Like an Artist. It is a book that I would recommend to anyone interested in pursuing a creative outlet, particularly the younger set. It’s just a neat little book filled with solid concepts that will inject some new insight into any endeavor.
I must point out that the stealing part is not actual theft nor imitation but readily admitting and using the influences that you have in your life, as the quote about points out. In the video below, Kleon describes the difference between imitation and influence.
I should say more about Kleon and his Blackout Poetry, such as the example above which is the focus of his own work, but I am going to let the video below tell the story. It’s a nice primer into the basics of Steal Like an Artist. For more info on the book or to read Kleon’s always informative blog, click here.
Redtree Times 
When I first heard about this fellow and heard the phrase “steal like an artist”, I wasn’t exactly thrilled. It all carried some pretty negative connotations.
Now that I’ve put a bit more time into my writing, I’ve become more understanding of his point, and far more sensitive to the way my own work is influenced by others. Maybe it’s time to watch the video and see what he has to say.
Yes, I remember your objection on the first blog post to the term. But it really comes down to using your influences in your own way rather than imitating them.
On Mon, Jan 13, 2014 at 2:21 PM, Redtree Times
This is fantastic! A discovery for me. I steal like an artist every time I pick up one of my guitars…..
Clay- It’s a great little book. It gives stealing a good name.