Keep Going is a short book written and illustrated by Austin Kleon. The subtitle is: “10 Ways to Stay Creative in Good Times and Bad”.
Notes
- Kleon says he wrote the book because he needed to read a book answering the question of how to keep going with creative work. The book is a list of what’s helped him.
- The topics include: the benefit of routines, paying attention to what we pay attention to, finding a balance between connection and disconnection, and spending time outdoors.
Reflections
The chapter I found most thought-provoking was number 3: “Forget the noun, do the verb”, which means to spend time making art rather than focusing on being seen as an “artist”, an “author” or a “creative”. There’s a discussion here about ways to maintain a playful attitude to work, including by creating some small works that won’t be shared with anyone else. I’ve personally found that thinking of some works as experimental can be a useful way to maintain momentum without worrying too much about whether the results are good or what a possible audience might think.
Category: Notes and Reflections