Recently, I was gifted this book called Steal Like an Artist by Sejal Sud. As someone who is interested in creative work, I started reading it. Today, I am going to be reviewing the book and telling you if this is a book worth reading.
The basic idea of this book is that you should become a thief, well not exactly. As an artist, you often worry about inspiration and where your ideas come from. Do not worry, you can steal your ideas. Not plagiarize your ideas. Do not pawn off someone else’s work as your own. Instead, add onto other people’s ideas. Believe it or not, nothing is completely that person’s idea.
For example, take Facebook. It is one of the most well known social media platforms, but the idea was not original. In the early 2000s, MySpace was popular. Only after that did platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter get made. Many songs take inspiration from each other as well. They simply add their own spice to it.
Another idea from the book is that you should write what you like. There is always a movie or a book that you enjoy. Maybe the next movie has not come out yet, or you did not like how it was written or directed. You start adding your own tweaks to it and begin writing a book. Guess what? That is called fan fiction, and over 100 million people read it. You do not have to start with an idea that is completely yours. You can write what you like.
You can also start with what you already have. You do not need all the professional gear that everybody else has. You can begin with something simple that you have at home. If you want to become a filmmaker, you can start with a basic digital camera, or even your phone. Phones have become so good these days that you can record really good video on them, as long as you learn how to use them.
Whatever you do, just start posting it on the internet. Whether you are drawing or writing poems, you can begin by sharing your work online. Most people, including myself, have asked how do I become popular, and how do I get people to like what I do? When you are unknown, nobody really cares, and that is true. Nobody will care if you mess up or make mistakes, because barely anyone will see the content you post, except maybe your friends and family. So the secret formula is just two steps. First, make good content. There is no shortcut to this. You have to spend time and put your best effort into your work. Second, share it on the internet. As you continue to share good content, more people will start seeing it. That is the secret formula.
This is something my father has helped me do as part of my homeschooling. Whether I make a simple blog post or take photos, I post them on social media or Bluesky. You can see my Bluesky here: https://bsky.app/profile/jerryg.xyz. Some of my posts have done really well, while others have barely gotten any views.
It is also important to have a few hobbies. You do not necessarily need to make money from them. They should simply help keep you going. If you only work and work, you will eventually burn out and need a break that could last a week or even a month. Instead, having hobbies allows you to recharge your brain and have fun, especially on weekends. Sometimes, these hobbies can even take off and grow into something bigger.
I have a few creative hobbies that do not make me any money right now. I like playing the guitar, and I enjoy cooking. These help me recharge my mind and have fun.
Anyway, that’s it for this post, see you guys next time!
