Uncovering the Key Creativity Lessons: A Comprehensive Book Summary of 'Keep Going' by Austin Kleon

Author Austin Kleon has a way of conveying powerful messages in a concise and easy-to-understand manner. This book is about being consistent in your creative endeavors, whether the times are good or bad. Moreover, the author gives practical tips on how to fuel your creativity. This book is the second part of the three-part series, and I suggest going through these books in order.

This article will discuss the central themes of this book and add some of my touches. Following the author's footsteps, I will stay concise in my writing and deliver meaningful information without beating around the bush.

This is part one of a four-part article; I will extract central key themes from the fantastic book Keep Going by Austin Kleon. In each of these four parts, I will focus on the top five takeaways of the 20 takeaways from this book.

Consistency Is The Key To Peak Creativity

The author suggests that we stick to a routine no matter how our day goes. A creative life isn't about moving from one point to another; it's more about following a loop, starting from zero after every project. We should focus on how our days look, and life will take care of itself.

The routine also reduces mental fatigue. The paradox of choice suggests that people with more choices often do nothing. Have you ever scrolled through Netflix, passing thousands of movies and series, only to be unable to decide what to watch? That's precisely what the paradox of choice is. Routine eliminates the overwhelming number of options about what must be done daily and clarifies your tasks.

Focus on finishing each day and be forgiving if you don't do your "best." You always have a new day to focus on and give your best effort. The whole idea of consistency revolves around sticking to your routine for longer. Of course, the quality of your day matters, but the time you stick to your routine is more important than the quality of individual days.

"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives" - Annie Dillard

Keep Going

Have A Proper Workspace / Worktime

The author argues that having a proper workspace is crucial. This space should be far from distractions like news, mobile phones, social media, etc. Some people might not have the luxury of a separate workspace for their creative work. For them, a workspace can even mean a dedicated time of day for creative work—even at the dining table!

Don't be Attached Too Much To Outcomes

Creativity is not a noun but a verb. If you do creative work, you don't earn the title of being creative for life. You must earn it every day by continuously working on new, innovative projects. The book suggests thinking of creative work as play. Have you ever seen a child engaged in creative activities like drawing or writing? The child doesn't care about the result—an actual finished drawing (the noun)—but about the act of drawing itself (the verb).

We're often too attached to the outcome of our work in terms of likes or views. Instead, we should focus on making things for their own sake (for ourselves). This way, we'll never feel burnt out and can sustain our creative lives longer.

Do Not Follow The Money

This might seem counterintuitive, but we lose essence when we monetize our work. Learn to gift people with your art. The author argues that this is the best and most authentic way to be creative. You never know when a gift for one person will become a gift for the entire world.

The central idea is to stay connected with your hobbies and work; it's not always essential to monetize everything. For example, if you have a friend who excels at knitting, we typically suggest they sell their work online, but why can't we enjoy the art without attaching finances to it?

Usually, what we love and what sells are two different things, and we should prioritize what we love over what sells.

"God walks out of the room when you're thinking about money" - Quincy Jones

Pay Attention

We constantly think we lack good ideas for creative work, but the author suggests that everything we need to begin our project surrounds us—we need to pay attention.

Slowing down and drawing things to see the beauty in our surroundings is essential. While drawing, you're paying attention to things you usually ignore. Johann Sebastian Bach, the legendary classical composer, spent almost his entire life in a small part of Germany and took only 3-4 trips in his lifetime. Yet, he composed amazing cantatas every week for many years.

"Tell me to what you pay attention and I will tell you who you are" - José Ortega y Gasset

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