I stole borrowed this book from a co-worker. I love it so much, though, that I’m purchasing my own copy. (Yeah, you heard me, Austin Kleon; I’m buying you a cup o’ joe. Who knows…maybe we’ve sat next to one another in an East Austin eatery and never even knew it. That weirds me out a bit, but I’m guessing we’ve never actually eaten/worked side-by-side otherwise I would’ve broken the invisible ice by saying something like, “I prefer neon index cards over white ones. Here…try ’em.”)

Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative, by Austin Kleon, is a delightful jewel of a read. I gobbled it up in about 30 minutes, but I’m purchasing the book to read again. And again. I won’t quote the entire work. No, you need to visit your local bookstore or library and get the book for yourself. Yes, it really does have that much goodness within it. And, it’s not all text. Hooray!

Much of Kleod’s advice is already part of my life and routine. I gleaned some new tips, though, which I am excited to implement. And, I had to literally put the book down a few times to pause and think about some things he says about creativity and work and the mashup of life. I’m sure I’ll still be thinking about them over the next few days, as well. You’ll definitely see the influence of Steal Like an Artist on Nursetopia, and I’m already working on the suggested reading Kleod provides near the end.

Whether you consider yourself a “creative” or not, I promise this book is worth your time.