The Creative Secret No One Talks About

In partnership with

In today’s email (966 Words | 3 Min 52 Sec read):

Today’s Read

Overview

Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon is a creative manifesto that encourages us to rethink the way we approach originality.

Kleon’s big idea? Nothing is truly original.

All creative work is a combination of previous ideas—it's how you remix them that makes your work stand out. Get the book here.

The Concept of Stealing (But Not Copying)

Kleon doesn’t mean “steal” as in theft. He’s talking about borrowing ideas, styles, and techniques from others to inspire your own work. Every great artist, writer, or creator you admire has taken influence from those who came before. In fact, Kleon says:

"Every artist gets asked the question, 'Where do you get your ideas?' The honest artist answers, 'I steal them.'"

The key here? Steal like an artist. It’s about taking bits and pieces from multiple sources, combining them, and making something new. Don’t copy—transform.