Keep Going by Austin Kleon
The final book of Austin Kleon’s trio is Keep Going, a book about sustaining your creative endeavors over time. I really enjoyed the first two of his books, Show Your Work and Steal Like and Artist, and for this reason knew I needed to read this one too.
Here are my main thoughts and important takeaways:
Take one day at a time.
Have a schedule and stick to it.
Lists bring order to the chaotic universe. A list gets all your ideas out of your head and clears the mental space so you’re actually able to do something about them.
When feeling blue, go for a walk in nature.
Disconnect with the world to connect with yourself.
Airplane mode can be a way of life.
Learn how to say no (I need to work on this one).
You are allowed to change your mind.
The Dunning-Kruger effect- You don’t know what you don’t know.
When in doubt, tidy up.
Demons hate fresh air. To exercise is to exorcise.
Plant your garden.
Creativity has seasons, just like life.
This, too, shall pass.
Every day is a potential seed that can grow into something beautiful.
None of us know how many days we’ll have, so it’d be a shame to waste the ones we get.
“There is art left to be made in this world.” - Anthony Bourdain
This was a short read and overall very enjoyable. I finished the book feeling inspired to continue my creative endeavors into the new year of 2024. I highly recommend reading the entire Austin Kleon trio.
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