Keep Going by Austin Kleon: This little book is great, the perfect inspirational pick me up book, just to keep you focused and to keep you going. It has 10 ways to stay creative in good times and bad.

Sometimes you just have to get on with it and just KEEP GOING. I listened to a great podcast with Nicholas Wilton interviewing Austin Kleon. It reminded me of another interview I heard a few years ago with Ekaterina P over on @createmagazine and I have his books so I thought it was a great sign or reminder to get me to have a re- read of KEEP GOING, just at a time I’m feeling like I need it. Anyway, it’s fab, short and sweet, too the point and easy. The perfect little pick me up to get your creative juices flowing and ideas sparking once again.

It is based on a list - 10 ways to stay creative in good times and bad. And if you like lists - his newsletter is great - another list where he shares - 10 things he thinks are worth sharing, there is always something inspiring.

I remember a couple of years ago him saying that when we read a book at one time in our lives and then read it in another we take in different things that we might not have noticed before. We see or pick different things that connect with us because of where we are in within our own life and in my case and many of your’s within our creative, artist journey.

My favourite take away on reading it this time is:

‘Forget the Noun and Do the Verb’

He says:

Lots of People want to be the noun without doing the verb. They want the job title without doing the verb. Let go of the thing you are trying to be (the noun) and focus on the actual work you need to be doing (the verb. Doing the verb will take you someplace further and far more interesting.

For me then I guess it’s all in the process. To show up and play without the pressure of the barriers and constraints we put ourselves in- the heavy weight of pressure to get to the final picture to what it should be. Instead, isn’t it better to trust the process, to let go and get lost in the making, that’s where the real art lies, in the good and bad and the finished piece is a bonus, the by product if you like.

The other thing I liked was the talk of creatives having certain rituals and routines to assist their getting into creativity and finding the flow. It reminded me that I used to do my morning pages that I have let slip by and it’s promoted me to get back on it because for me it’s an incredibly powerful and simple tool that just helps with everything creatively.

If you haven’t already go and check out Austin Kleon’s interviews and books and get onto his newsletter 😍

& KEEP GOING!