Keep Going
Austin Kleon and I tend to write about very similar subjects, but to completely different audiences. I follow his blog and read his books. More than once I’ve deleted drafts of posts, because he just posted the same thing.
So, I look forward to reading new books from Austin. His latest, Keep Going, did not disappoint. If you follow him, the book is a distilled and clarified version of the best concepts he’s written about over the past few years. If you don’t follow him, this book is the the last book in a trilogy about living a life filled with creativity, and it leaves you on a high note.
My favorite chapters involve being creative while also being a parent. His experiences learning from his children’s creativity mirror my own.
His evangelization of bliss stations, furthered in the book, prodded me to make one of my own.
Yes, this is really what my home office looks like (there’s rows of books behind the desk above a “digital desk”). I keep it this clean because I’m a neat freak, and because my brain can’t get as crazy as I want it to if I’m distracted. Neat and orderly on the outside creates a bundle of sparking neurons on the inside. Everyone’s different. This is what works for me.
While the first book encouraged you to create by taking from your influences, and the second book encouraged you to share things worthy of taking, the third book encourages you to maintain and enrich that symbiosis throughout the rest of your life.
I’ll save any spoilers for the countless interviews Austin will be doing on podcasts in the next few months. Until then, go pre-order the book (or books). You’re going to love it. And if you see Austin, be sure to ask him, “What’s next?”