Keep Going by Austin Kleon – Book Summary & Highlights

Focus on the present

• Stop worrying too much about the past or the future

• Establish a routine, stick to it most days, break from it once in a while for fun

• Finish each day and be done with It

   

• Turn on airplane mode and disconnect from the world

• Reconnect with yourself and your work

• Learn how to say no; don't fear missing out

   

Stay light and play

• Focus on the actions and processes; don't worry about labels or identities

• Try new things or do some bad work for fun

• Hang out with kids

   

Make gifts

• Make something special and give it away

• Volunteer your time and teach how to do what you do

• Enjoy the act of giving as a form of expression and connection

   

Find the extraordinary in the ordinary

• Slow down and start drawing what you see

• Pay attention to what you pay attention to

• Go back through your work to see the bigger picture

   

Don’t let your work consume or harm you or others, but use it as a way to make life better for yourself and others.

Embrace uncertainty

• Be open to new ideas and perspectives

• Allow yourself to be changed

• Read old books

   

Tidy up

• Don’t worry too much about the results; have fun

• Keep things ready for when you want to work

• Make art that tidies, mends, and repairs

   

Exercise your body and mind: get outside every day, and explore the world on foot.

Recognize that creativity has cycles, be patient in the off-seasons, and cultivate your seeds into something lasting.