Steal Like An Artist - a book by Austin Kleon

10 years later, Steal Like an Artist is now available in a deluxe hardcover edition, with a bigger trim size, ribbon bookmark, sketchbook endpapers, and a brand-new afterword.

To get a copy, head to your local independent bookstore or buy a copy online.

If you’d like a signed and personalized copy, order from Bookpeople here in Austin, Texas.

A peek inside:

Classic edition

Buy it now in paperback or ebook

Audiobook

About the book

Download the cover, author photo, and flip through the book in the blogger kit.

ISBN: 9780761169253 | Foreign Translations | Ordering FAQ

When I was asked to talk to students at a community college in upstate New York in 2011, I sat down and wrote a talk based on a list of 10 things I wished I’d heard when I was starting out:

Steal like an artist.
Don’t wait until you know who you are to get started.
Write the book you want to read.
Use your hands.
Side projects and hobbies are important.
The secret: do good work and share it with people.
Geography is no longer our master.
Be nice. (The world is a small town.)
Be boring. (It’s the only way to get work done.)
Creativity is subtraction.

The text and slides from the talk “rocked the creative world” (GalleyCat) and went viral. I expanded the post into a book-length work stuffed full of brand-new writing and illustrations, published by Workman Publishing in February 2012.

The book now has over half a million copies in print and has been translated into over twenty-seven languages.

Praise for the book

Amazon.com Top Best-Selling Book of 2012

Brain Pickings Best Art Books of 2012

2012 Goodreads Choice Awards Nonfiction

“Brilliant and real and true.”
—Rosanne Cash

“Immersing yourself in Steal Like An Artist is as fine an investment in the life of your mind as you can hope to make.”
—The Atlantic

“Filled with well-formed advice that applies to nearly any kind of work.”
—Lifehacker.com

“Equal parts manifesto and how-to, Steal Like An Artist aims to introduce readers to the idea that all creative work is iterative, no idea is original and all creators and their output are a sum of inspirations and heroes…”
—Forbes

“The book is filled with engaging anecdotes and helpful tips taken from Kleon’s experience learning to walk on his own creative feet.”
—Fast Company

“Skip about 10 years of trial and error as an artist.”
—Christopher Moore

“You can flip through this book in 30 min and be inspired by it for weeks…. I highly recommend it for anyone who is interested in making art. It provides a helpful reminder that inspiration is everywhere.”
—Jason Segel

“Beautiful.”
—Chris Anderson, curator of TED

“Alarmingly cute.”
—CNN

“A short, easy, very personal read that’s packed with practical tips to help kickstart creativity.”
—Business Insider

“ Breezy and fun and yes, scary. Scary because it calls your bluff.”
—Seth Godin

“Engaging, inspiring and practical advice on becoming a successful artist, advice that applies well beyond artistic pursuits… This is a quick, easily digestible read that is particularly relevant in today’s digital world.”
—School Library Journal