Show Your Work!

Show Your Work!” by Austin Kleon is a breath of fresh air for anyone who’s ever struggled with self-promotion, impostor syndrome, or the fear of being “too ordinary” to share. This book doesn’t just inspire—it liberates. Kleon’s biggest message? You don’t have to be a genius. You just have to be generous. Share your process, your journey, your behind-the-scenes. Let people in. That’s how connection is built—and how careers grow. What I loved most is how accessible the book is. It’s short, sharp, and designed like a creative notebook—perfect for flipping through when you need a boost. Each chapter offers real, practical wisdom: 🔹 “Think process, not product” 🔹 “Share something small every day” 🔹 “Stick around” Whether you’re an artist, designer, writer, architect-artist (like me), or anyone creating something meaningful—this book is your permission slip to be seen.

This book lay a very easy framework for how to make your creative work noticed in this digital era, what you should do, and what you should avoid to build great audience. This book offers invaluable advice and inspiration to individuals looking to unleash their creativity and establish a meaningful connection with their audience. The book very easily answers below questions that everyone has in mind. How to make an online presence and share creative work? What to share and what not to share? How to manage online criticism and thrive in this digital world? The book is very precise and can be read in a single go. All ideas are very beautifully elaborated with the help of supporting stories and illustrations. It's a must read for artists, writers, entrepreneurs, and anyone seeking to showcase their work in today's digital age.

I suggest Read Steal like an artist before this book. I will build a basic foundation to you. Thank you.

Should read all 3 books of the series by Austin Kleon

This book taught me a lot of things, including how to find happiness in our imperfect world, how to stay connected to others through your work, and how to always remember that you can't be perfect in everything and that all you can do is learn and unlearn. Comparison to someone else's journey destroys your uniqueness,and reading something was exactly what I desired in 2023. I spent a lot of time last year comparing myself to others and setting unrealistic personal and professional goals, none of which were met. Always have goals that make you happy and are unique to your personality. Life is not a competition! It is your responsibility to live it fully, and the only way to do so is to be yourself. Taking breaks and sabbaticals to do what you love is just as important as working non stop in a 10x10 cubicle. I recommend both the book and the blog to everyone out there. This is a small book, but it is something we definitely need. In today's world, where everyone is rushing towards a goal they are unsure of, this book will give you the feeling of being satisfied and happy with who you are while also inspiring you to achieve more by setting realistic imperfect goals and ensuring that you live your own unique life rather than a copy of others.

Nice book

Easy read with some good and doable points mentioned. Not like the repetitive self-help books. Recommended for a quick read.

Ha, this book what shall i say. This is the one I have been waiting to get for a long time. Being a not outspoken person but interested in creative arts, and not showing my work outside, after reading this, it makes my mind to open and think why shouldn’t I share my work to the outside world. Highly recommending this book to those artists or entrepreneurs or people in any other field, who cannot come out of their own shell because of various reasons. There are some important get aways from that book, which I will be sharing in the next post. What can I say about this book? This is the one I've been looking forward to for quite some time. As someone who isn't outspoken but is interested in creative arts and hasn't shown my work outside, reading this makes me open my mind and wonder why I haven't shown my work to the outside world. This book is highly recommended for artists, entrepreneurs, and people in other fields who, for various reasons, are unable to break free from their shell.

Mr. Kleon’s premise for the book is that artists do not need to actively self-promote. Instead an artist can create conditions where their work is findable. He believes the best approach to being findable is to generously share your work and, in particular, your process of working, with others. In a world of social media and the Internet, the barrier to establishing a place to share one’s work is low and therefore, quite doable for any artist. What I liked about his book is Mr. Kleon provides an approachable method for becoming findable. As I read through the pages, I felt his encouragement and permission to share; to put art out into the world. I particularly liked his advice about dealing with criticism: focus on feedback from the people who have done this type of work or from those people whose opinion you value and ignore the rest. The drawings and illustrations are unique and quirky, making the book a pleasure to read. He calls himself a writer who draws - which is an apt description. What did I dislike? Perhaps my criticism is more of a difference in opinion. As someone with a background in marketing, I disagree with Mr. Kleon when he says you should not ask for likes or for friends on social media. If the artist won't ask or at least invite people to look at their work, how can anyone know about what the artist does? Social currency in the form of "Like" or "Retweet" in social media is a powerful influencer. It means more people will come see the work. Creatives send invitations to book launches and art show openings all the time and not always to people they know. As Mr. Kleon notes it is not about becoming human spam but once in a while the artist should extend the invitation. Folks may not know there is a party going on if they are not invited. I’d recommend this book to anyone who does the hard work of creating art.

This is a simple but inspiring book on why to show your work. If you’re like me, a Gen-Xer… you were told: - Show your answers not your workings - Always put your best foot forward - Never show your weakness The world has changed, people want to know the the process, the behind the scenes, the outtakes and bloopers. A great little book to challenge one to show their work!

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Any person, in any field, who creates for themselves and others would benefit from this book. It's the push and encouragement you need to remove all self doubt when imposter syndrome strikes.

Great book!!! This was super insightful and gave me a lot of good tips. Now I want the other 2 in the “trilogy”