Austin Kleon On How To Stay Creative In Chaotic Times

Author Austin Kleon gave this keynote for the first time a few weeks back at the Bond Conference in San Francisco and I was fortunate enough to be in attendance for it. Kleon, a self-described “writer who draws,” discusses the ten things that help him stay creative when life gets crazy or he’s feeling burned out. If you’re a writer, film maker, podcaster, or “artist” of any sort, do yourself a favor and watch this talk. I saw it live and have re-watched it twice already. Kleon’s strategies are invaluable if you’re struggling to get started or feeling stuck in your current situation. My favorite is #3: Forget the noun, do the verb.

“If you let go of the thing you’re trying to be (the noun) and you focus on the actual work you need to be doing (the verb),” Kleon says, “it will take you some place further and far more interesting.”

+ I had a chance to chat with Kleon for a few minutes before the conference kicked off and he shared this Tweet of his—What I Like About Running—with me. (Note: Kleon is a big proponent of walking.)