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Keep Going: 10 Ways to Stay Creative in Good Times and Bad
by
The world is crazy. Creative work is hard. And nothing is getting any easier!
In his previous books—Steal Like an Artistand Show Your Work!, New York Times bestsellers with over a million copies in print combined—Austin Kleon gave readers the key to unlock their creativity and then showed them how to share it. Now he completes his trilogy with his most inspiring work yet.
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In his previous books—Steal Like an Artistand Show Your Work!, New York Times bestsellers with over a million copies in print combined—Austin Kleon gave readers the key to unlock their creativity and then showed them how to share it. Now he completes his trilogy with his most inspiring work yet.
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Kindle Edition, 224 pages
Published
April 2nd 2019
by Workman Publishing Company
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Depends on your controversy but I am going to say no for the most part.
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I love me some Klein motivation! While “Show Your Work” is still my favourite of this trilogy, many of the things in this book resonated with me. The two things I’ve taken away from it the most are: 1/ At the end of a day be happy with what you accomplished and don’t beat yourself up for what you didn’t finish, and 2/ it’s important to take note of what we pay attention to... those are the things we care about, that excite us, and should be the things we put our energies into! We should also be
...more
5 Stars
What a time to read this book, am I right? With Covid-19 casting a cloud of doom and gloom on our lives its no wonder that I can't fathom being creative. The most I can do is go from one screen to another with what feels like the emotional equivalent of elephant standing on my heart.
These are dark times people. Mentally at least, and definitely economically. Uncertainty looms at every corner and we're afraid to turn on the news incase it gives us another log to throw on our fire of mis ...more
What a time to read this book, am I right? With Covid-19 casting a cloud of doom and gloom on our lives its no wonder that I can't fathom being creative. The most I can do is go from one screen to another with what feels like the emotional equivalent of elephant standing on my heart.
These are dark times people. Mentally at least, and definitely economically. Uncertainty looms at every corner and we're afraid to turn on the news incase it gives us another log to throw on our fire of mis ...more
Austin Kleon's books are injections of motivation laced with sanity. A reminder that you don't need anyone's permission to do what you want to do, you just need to keep on your path. I'm sure I'll read this one 10 more times this year. Simple and highly inspirational. I love that he's shredding the idea that one's passion or hobby should be turned into a vehicle to make money.
...more
Austin says he wrote this book because he needed to read it. He is certainly not the only one; this book is an inspiration to any of us who want to live a creative life and let, well, life get in the way. It's practical, it's funny, it's inspirational, it's like a friend of yours wrote a book and you're having an awesome time reading it.
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4 1/2 to 5 stars
A new book from Austin Kleon about how to stay creative.
I am taking away a lot from this book:
(1) "How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." Annie Dillard
(2) Make lists.
(3) Disconnect from the world to connect with yourself.
(4) Build a bliss station.
(5) Play.
(6) Slow down.
(7) I subscribed to Kleon's weekly newsletter.
(8) I hope to go see him when he visits Houston soon.
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I am taking away a lot from this book:
(1) "How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." Annie Dillard
(2) Make lists.
(3) Disconnect from the world to connect with yourself.
(4) Build a bliss station.
(5) Play.
(6) Slow down.
(7) I subscribed to Kleon's weekly newsletter.
(8) I hope to go see him when he visits Houston soon.
...more
Ok this is the second book by Kleon that I'm reading. Oh God! This man speaks my heart out.
Don't be fooled by the title and consider that this book is something made for a "creative person". This is all about how to be creative in everything. ...more
Don't be fooled by the title and consider that this book is something made for a "creative person". This is all about how to be creative in everything. ...more
"The creative life is not a linear journey to a finish line, it’s a loop—so find a daily routine, because today is the only day that matters."
There are some people who read widely and distill some of humanity's accumulated wisdom into digestible nuggets. Austin Kleon is one such person. This little book is a gentle reminder of things we already know, and yet often do not do. Whether you think of yourself as creative or not (and you so are), pick this one up and get your mojo on. This is one I wi ...more
There are some people who read widely and distill some of humanity's accumulated wisdom into digestible nuggets. Austin Kleon is one such person. This little book is a gentle reminder of things we already know, and yet often do not do. Whether you think of yourself as creative or not (and you so are), pick this one up and get your mojo on. This is one I wi ...more
Currently reading and loving every second of it! Super inspiring & thought-provoking!
I got a letter of rejection yesterday. It's interesting to note where my mind goes when getting these letters. Sometimes it lights a fire in me, that I must get better or produce more! But other times, like this time, it kills my motivation.
Right now I'm at this beautiful hotel in Oregon. It's based on wonderful authors and has a determination to bring it's inhabitants into retreat. Here, I am forced to consider my own mind in rejection. And I needed help.
Was it fate that made me pick up this b ...more
Right now I'm at this beautiful hotel in Oregon. It's based on wonderful authors and has a determination to bring it's inhabitants into retreat. Here, I am forced to consider my own mind in rejection. And I needed help.
Was it fate that made me pick up this b ...more
Mar 23, 2019
Nicolet Groen
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2019-bookshelf
I've seen Austin Kleon's books hundreds of times when finding my next book to read and I must admit; I never felt the urge to buy and or read one. NetGalley gave me the opportunity to review this book as an educator and decided to give it a go.
Once I started, I couldn't stop. It's a short book with an incredible amount of depth. As a photographer en photography educator, I read my fair share of books from self-help and happiness to entrepreneurship and more photography-related writings. This bo ...more
Once I started, I couldn't stop. It's a short book with an incredible amount of depth. As a photographer en photography educator, I read my fair share of books from self-help and happiness to entrepreneurship and more photography-related writings. This bo ...more
I LOVED this! It’s full of helpful tips to harness your creativity but also offers a piece of comfort. I feel like it’s one of those books that I will keep going back to & rereading often.
I love the cover & the font used. The little comics are quirky and I enjoyed the quotes.
I’d definitely gift this to people!
I love the cover & the font used. The little comics are quirky and I enjoyed the quotes.
I’d definitely gift this to people!
Jun 19, 2020
صفية
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
life-for-the-alive,
creativity
A book about hope...
Hope that it's okay to have more time, be selfish, isolate yourself (not eternally that is) ... etc ... Many times I sent the writer virtual hugs for sharing his thoughts ... Thank You !
I guess that this should be your go to writer if you are interested in making art, understanding creativity (first-hand) or simply aspiring to live a fuller life.
I believe that being an artist is not tied to a specific type/category of disciplines, rather it's just hitting a sort of "nirvana" ...more
Hope that it's okay to have more time, be selfish, isolate yourself (not eternally that is) ... etc ... Many times I sent the writer virtual hugs for sharing his thoughts ... Thank You !
I guess that this should be your go to writer if you are interested in making art, understanding creativity (first-hand) or simply aspiring to live a fuller life.
I believe that being an artist is not tied to a specific type/category of disciplines, rather it's just hitting a sort of "nirvana" ...more
It's a self-help/pep talk kind of book for anyone who enjoys doing creative things. Even though I have a love/hate relationship with books that give pep-talks, I find this one quite interesting and helpful. Not the kind of "look yourself in the mirror and repeat (I'm awesome) until you become one," but practical tips and stories, which we actually do most of the time but don't know how beneficial they are for the creative process and progress.
Some excerpts:
• “What would you do if you were stuck ...more
Some excerpts:
• “What would you do if you were stuck ...more
Jan 01, 2020
Emelie Gaughan
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2020-collection
I was on a roll on this first day of the year and was really feeling the non-fiction, inspirational, short books on my shelf.
Last year, I was began teaching a class on Creativity in the Organization as a part of the Leadership training that all of our employees attend at the County. So, when I found out that Austin Kleon, the author of Steal Like An Artist and Show Your Work, had recently published a book on this topic, I was all over it!
The book is broken down into 10 main suggestions with ab ...more
Last year, I was began teaching a class on Creativity in the Organization as a part of the Leadership training that all of our employees attend at the County. So, when I found out that Austin Kleon, the author of Steal Like An Artist and Show Your Work, had recently published a book on this topic, I was all over it!
The book is broken down into 10 main suggestions with ab ...more
This is much more of what I needed in my own creative life (or lack thereof) than the previous Kleon book I read, Show Your Work!: 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered
Main takeaways:
- The Groundhog Day perspective: "What would you do if you were stuck in one place, and every day was exactly the same, and nothing that you did mattered?...It's the question we have to answer to advance the plot of our lives."
- Verb > Noun: "Let go of the thing you're trying to be (the noun), and foc ...more
Main takeaways:
- The Groundhog Day perspective: "What would you do if you were stuck in one place, and every day was exactly the same, and nothing that you did mattered?...It's the question we have to answer to advance the plot of our lives."
- Verb > Noun: "Let go of the thing you're trying to be (the noun), and foc ...more
A must-read!
I was lingering between a 4 and a 5 star, just wondering how much I enjoyed this and would I even retain it in the long term or come back to it? But that’s the beauty of Kleon’s series, I suppose. You can read them in their entirety or simply pick out pages and browse through them randomly before you sleep. Extremely readable, poignant in its simplicity and creatively charged.
Jan 15, 2020
Cauchy09
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
nonfiction-and-stuff
Good pithy reminders on how to clear nonsense out of life and make room for more good stuff.
And then, another mind refreshing book from Austin Kleon. His book is always an easy reading yet a strong one. This book is nicely organized. The non-traditional representation of contents is the unique side of Kleon's book. Like Kleon tells about himself that he is a writer who draws.
...more
Aug 10, 2020
Khansaa
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favorites,
self-development
I love how this book makes me feel like a human. Most "motivational" books treat you like a robot, like how to be productive all the time. This book? It will tell you to take a nap and go easy on your life. It will guide you to enjoy the process and worry less about getting there.
...more
A motivational/best practices guide for artists and writers. Not quite as “game changing” as his first book, though there’s a lot to like here.
I am IN LOVE with this book.
It could very easily end up being my favourite book of the year, even at this early stage.
I think there's something about the world that we live in that just needs more positivity. More hope. And somehow in the short 200 or so pages in 'Keep Going' I feel revived and ready to take on the world anew.
I tend not to take these sorts of tip/self-help books so seriously, but THIS? My folks, THIS was brilliant. I feel so enlightened and inspired by not only Austin's words b ...more
It could very easily end up being my favourite book of the year, even at this early stage.
I think there's something about the world that we live in that just needs more positivity. More hope. And somehow in the short 200 or so pages in 'Keep Going' I feel revived and ready to take on the world anew.
I tend not to take these sorts of tip/self-help books so seriously, but THIS? My folks, THIS was brilliant. I feel so enlightened and inspired by not only Austin's words b ...more
I loved this book. Probably even more than Steal Like An Artist. It's all about how to Keep going with a creative life, hence the title. I love Austin's clear approach and fabulous advice. There are so many gems in this little book that after that first read through I will be back at it again. I've been taking a social media break and now that I am back I don't know if I want to be. This little book gave me such great advice on navigating it all and still doing your own art. Ways to unplug and d
...more
One of those books you should have always on your night-stand to (re)read a little bit every day.
This is the first book by Austin Kleon that I read, and I absolutely recommend it, specially if you are an artist of any kind (although I found that some of the advice or experiencies he shared were easier to relate to if you work with your hands, drawing, moulding, doing collage...).
Along with tips for artists, there are also general life recommendations (less screens, walk more to think better!), a ...more
This is the first book by Austin Kleon that I read, and I absolutely recommend it, specially if you are an artist of any kind (although I found that some of the advice or experiencies he shared were easier to relate to if you work with your hands, drawing, moulding, doing collage...).
Along with tips for artists, there are also general life recommendations (less screens, walk more to think better!), a ...more
3.5 stars. Similar in style, tone, and content to Kleon's previous two books, but updated to feel extremely relevant in 2019. He talks about creating art when you feel hopeless, and the challenge of creating in a digital world full of distractions and constant feedback in the form of likes and followers. Not revolutionary but good and timely reminders.
...more
Jan 15, 2020
Nathan Albright
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
challenge-2020
The author notes at some point during this book that he began this particular book with a series of blog posts relating to creativity, and that can easily be believed. As a mixture of text with some graphic elements to spice up the materials, the author has clearly done a good job at winning over the audience with a mixture of sound advice and good humor. As someone who has read a lot of books on creativity I can say that most of these books are not very enjoyable to read, not least because of
...more
The creative life is not a linear journey to a finish line, but rather a loop
Life is short and art is long
Creativity is both about connection and disconnection
It’s important to connect with others to be inspired and gather ideas, but it’s important to disconnect from the world and retreat to a place where you can think about those ideas and bring forth something worth sharing with others
The greatest need of our time is to clean out the enormous mass of mental and emotional rubbish that clutters ...more
Life is short and art is long
Creativity is both about connection and disconnection
It’s important to connect with others to be inspired and gather ideas, but it’s important to disconnect from the world and retreat to a place where you can think about those ideas and bring forth something worth sharing with others
The greatest need of our time is to clean out the enormous mass of mental and emotional rubbish that clutters ...more
I had earlier read Steal like an Artist by the same author and loved every bit of it. Keep Going is a practical, inspiring, humorous and informative guide to how to stay creative in good times or amidst all the chaos and bedlam. I've shared images of a few things that struck a chord with me. Bottom line, do what you love, love what you do, make money or don't make money out of it, it's your choice. But just choose to be happy. If anything you love to do wrecks havoc in your mind, it is NOT worth
...more
Keep Going literally keeps Kleon’s momentum going from the 2 previous books in the “trilogy”. It serves as a tremendous pep talk. While reading I found myself making mental notes about how I need to read this book again soon (and I wasn’t even finished yet). Pick it up, read it all or just a small bit—and then keep going, that’s what it’ll make you want to do.
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I’m a writer who draws. I make art with words and books with pictures. Author of
Steal Like An Artist
and other bestsellers. Visit my website: http://austinkleon.com/
...more
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