Introduction

“Show Your Work!” is a transformative book written by Austin Kleon, an artist and writer known for his innovative approach to creativity and professional development. Published in 2014, this book serves as a guide for artists, writers, and other creative professionals who want to gain recognition and build a following for their work. Kleon’s central thesis is that by openly sharing your creative process and engaging with your audience, you can create opportunities and build a sustainable career in the creative fields.

Summary of Key Points

1. You Don’t Have to Be a Genius

  • Creativity is often misunderstood as a solitary, genius-driven process
  • In reality, creative work is built on the shoulders of others
  • Scenius: the communal form of genius
  • Embrace the idea of being an amateur - someone who pursues work for love, not money
  • Share what you’re learning, not just what you know

2. Think Process, Not Product

  • Focus on documenting your work journey, not just the final product
  • Share your process to make your work more approachable and interesting
  • Document don’t create: turn the documentation of your process into new work
  • Use social media and blogs to share your day-to-day creative journey
  • Build a “So What?” test to determine what’s worth sharing

3. Share Something Small Every Day

  • Establish a daily sharing habit
  • Start a blog or use social media platforms to share snippets of your work
  • Don’t wait until you have a fully formed idea to share
  • Flow of ideas: small daily shares can lead to bigger projects
  • Use a daily dispatch to maintain consistency in sharing

4. Open Up Your Cabinet of Curiosities

  • Share your influences and what inspires you
  • Create a personal folklore: the set of things that have shaped who you are
  • Use attribution: always credit your sources and inspirations
  • Build a genealogy of ideas: show how your work relates to others'
  • Curate and share interesting finds with your audience

5. Tell Good Stories

  • Develop your storytelling skills to make your work more engaging
  • Structure your sharing around a narrative arc
  • Use authentic vulnerability: share struggles and failures, not just successes
  • Craft a human-centered story that resonates with your audience
  • Embrace the “vampire test”: only share stories that energize you

6. Teach What You Know

  • Share your knowledge generously with others
  • Teaching helps you learn and understand your craft better
  • Create tutorials, workshops, or online courses
  • Use the “explain it to a kindergartner” method to break down complex ideas
  • Build trust and authority in your field through teaching

7. Don’t Turn Into Human Spam

  • Avoid oversharing or constantly self-promoting
  • Focus on providing value to your audience
  • Be a connector: introduce people who might benefit from knowing each other
  • Practice the art of listening and engaging in genuine conversations
  • Use the “stock and flow” model: balance in-depth content with quick updates

8. Learn to Take a Punch

  • Prepare for criticism and negative feedback
  • Develop a thick skin while remaining open to constructive criticism
  • Avoid the troll toll: don’t engage with malicious critics
  • Use criticism as fuel for improvement
  • Remember that being criticized is a sign that you’ve made an impact

9. Sell Out

  • Embrace the idea of selling your work
  • Create opportunities for your audience to support you financially
  • Develop multiple streams of income from your creative work
  • Be transparent about your business model
  • Remember that selling doesn’t diminish your artistic integrity

10. Stick Around

  • Persistence is key in building a creative career
  • Keep showing up: consistency is more important than talent
  • Embrace the idea of a life’s work rather than a single masterpiece
  • Build relationships and collaborate with others in your field
  • Stay curious and continue learning throughout your career

Key Takeaways

  • Sharing your creative process is as important as sharing the final product
  • Consistency in sharing, even small things, builds an engaged audience over time
  • Teaching what you know deepens your own understanding and builds authority
  • Embrace storytelling to make your work more relatable and engaging
  • Criticism is a sign of impact; learn from it but don’t let it stop you
  • Selling your work is a natural part of a creative career, not a compromise
  • Building a sustainable creative career requires persistence and adaptability
  • Generosity in sharing knowledge and connections can lead to unexpected opportunities
  • Authenticity and vulnerability in your sharing create stronger connections with your audience
  • Your creative journey is ongoing; focus on continuous improvement rather than perfection

Critical Analysis

Strengths

  1. Practical Approach: Kleon’s advice is highly actionable, providing readers with concrete steps they can take to improve their visibility and career prospects.

  2. Accessibility: The book’s conversational tone and simple language make it accessible to creatives at all levels, from beginners to seasoned professionals.

  3. Paradigm Shift: By encouraging openness and sharing, Kleon challenges the traditional notion of the solitary, secretive artist, promoting a more collaborative and community-oriented approach to creative work.

  4. Psychological Insight: The book addresses many of the psychological barriers that prevent creatives from sharing their work, such as fear of criticism and imposter syndrome.

  5. Adaptability: While the book was written with artists and writers in mind, its principles can be applied to almost any field that involves creativity and innovation.

Weaknesses

  1. Oversimplification: Some critics argue that Kleon’s approach oversimplifies the complexities of building a creative career, potentially giving readers unrealistic expectations.

  2. Digital Focus: The book heavily emphasizes online sharing and social media, which may not be as relevant or appealing to all creatives, particularly those working in more traditional mediums.

  3. Potential for Overwhelm: The constant emphasis on sharing and self-promotion might be overwhelming for introverted creatives or those who value privacy.

  4. Limited Depth: While the book covers a wide range of topics, some readers might find that it doesn’t delve deeply enough into any single aspect of creative career development.

  5. Cultural Bias: The book’s advice is largely based on Western, particularly American, notions of self-promotion and career development, which may not translate well to all cultural contexts.

Contribution to the Field

“Show Your Work!” has made a significant contribution to the field of creative career development by democratizing the process of building an audience and gaining recognition. By emphasizing the importance of process over product, Kleon has helped shift the focus from the myth of the solitary genius to a more collaborative, community-oriented approach to creativity.

The book has sparked debates about the role of social media and personal branding in creative careers. While some embrace Kleon’s approach wholeheartedly, others argue that it promotes a culture of oversharing and constant self-promotion that can be detrimental to the creative process.

Despite these debates, “Show Your Work!” has undeniably influenced how many creatives approach their careers in the digital age. Its emphasis on generosity, authenticity, and consistent sharing has helped many artists and writers build sustainable careers and find their audiences.

Conclusion

“Show Your Work!” by Austin Kleon is a valuable resource for anyone looking to build a creative career in the digital age. Through its accessible prose and practical advice, the book offers a roadmap for creatives to gain visibility, build an audience, and create opportunities for themselves.

Kleon’s approach challenges traditional notions of artistic genius and secrecy, instead promoting a culture of openness, sharing, and collaboration. While some may find this approach overwhelming or overly focused on self-promotion, many readers have found immense value in Kleon’s strategies for building a sustainable creative career.

The book’s strengths lie in its actionable advice, psychological insights, and paradigm-shifting approach to creative work. However, readers should be aware of its potential oversimplification of complex career issues and its heavy emphasis on digital platforms.

Overall, “Show Your Work!” offers a fresh perspective on creative career development that is well worth exploring for artists, writers, and other creative professionals seeking to make their mark in an increasingly connected world.

Show Your Work! can be purchased on Amazon. I earn a small commission from purchases made using this link.