"How to steal like an Artist" (Austin Kleon)

"How to steal like an Artist" by Austin Kleon is being released in March 2012. I read his blog about it. I want it. I possibly even NEED it.

Why?

Cos it's true, and it makes me snigger.

But stealing!

Plagarism? copyright infringement?

No.

Not if you steal like an artist!

I list the ways I've fallen off my wheels to a friend. "You should write a book about it!" she laughs.

Ah ha! I steal the idea....and a year later: "You know you've been pushing it when..." (Ok, I drew the book more than wrote it)

Which itself is entirely stolen from life. Things people say, situations I've been in, things I've nearly done. None are original because they all happened - or nearly happened long before my pen hit paper. I drew it through my eyes but still, the inspiration for page 73 is clearly the suited business man who farted in my face. (ok, ok, it wasn't deliberate - I just wheel with my nose at an unfortunate height)

Someone commissioned a blog header  - and somehow it triggered sparks in my brain. I stole the sparks and out popped a new website header.

Artistic inspiration doesn't come from some ethereal alternative imagination full of things never thought before - it comes from what is infront of me, and my friends and family all know: Anything they do or say may be end up as stickmen.

Stickmen.

I draw stickmen. Yes - like those doodles bored teens have been doing for years in chemistry textbooks across the land. Clearly I stole the idea from society.

Stickmen.

Am I an artist? Who cares. But I reckon I'm learning to steal like one. And once I have Austins book I'll steal even better.

And incase you are wondering, I don't pay royalties. There is no way face-farter is ever getting money for that page.