I’ve been really frustrated this week. Thanks to COVID-19 and our need to stay home, there are no appointments to run to, no activities for my kids to attend. I should have more time to get things done…
But I’m not. And I have been extremely cranky about it. Ask the children.
Thank goodness this was also the week I decided to finish Austin Kleon’s book Keep Going: 10 Ways to Stay Creative in Good Times and Bad. It’s a fun little book, literally, with lots of pictures and drawings, plenty of inspirational quotes, and, most importantly, concise advice about how to stay creative, no matter what is going on in life. Lately on social media, Kleon has been touting his book as the perfect manual for working from home, and he’s not wrong.
Keep Going is a bold font, five by five inch book I plan on keeping handy for reference and reminders- an easy, quick read to pick up when I find myself slipping down a slide of self-doubt and negative thinking. Keep Going shares ten tips for keeping our minds and souls open to the creative process. Kleon doesn’t just say what to do; he explains why it’s important and how to do it. My two favorites: “Forget the noun, do the verb”, and “Demons hate fresh air”. Want to know what those mean? Read the book!
The best message Kleon shared with me through the pages of Keep Going: I need to stop worrying about being productive, and focus instead on doing good things with my time. Things like turning off my phone, taking walks, observing nature, looking for interesting juxtapositions, and allowing myself to falter and change. I realize none of this sounds like earth shattering revelation, yet Kleon’s style is so fresh and succinct, he makes it easy to not just read, but also to actually live his very important message.
Here’s how Kleon closes his book, with words I need to memorize and repeat to myself daily!
Worry less about getting things done. Worry more about things worth doing. Worry less about being a great artist. Worry more about being a good human being who makes art. Worry less about making a mark. Worry more about leaving things better than you found them.
Austin Kleon, Keep Going
Keep Going doesn’t just tell me how to be more creative, it gives me permission to indulge my creativity, now and always, because it will help me be a better person. 😉
Keep Going is the perfect read for this time of quarantine. Its also a great gift. If you want to sample more of Kleon’s work, visit his website and check out his weekly newsletter. In it, he shares quick thoughts and links to cool things that inspire the senses. Through it I’ve discovered some interesting Spotify playlists and inspiring articles to read.
Are you familiar with Kleon’s work? What books and people inspire you to be creative in good times and bad?
Thanks for getting creative with me!
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