How to Stay Creative with Bestselling Author Austin Kleon: Part One

Welcome back to another special edition of The Writer Files focused squarely on creativity and how to keep the creative juices flowing under duress. New York Times bestselling author, Austin Kleon, returned to talk about his journey, a wariness of technology, and his new book.

"Writers aren't born, they are made." - Austin Kleon

Austin Kleon has been deemed “one of the most interesting people on the Internet” (The Atlantic Magazine), and he is “a writer who draws,” best known for illustrated creativity manifestos Steal Like an Artist and Show Your Work!

His latest, Keep Going: 10 Ways to Stay Creative in Good Times and Bad (Amazon), is the third book in his "box set." It offers ten simple, timeless, practical "...rules for how to stay creative, focused, and true to yourself — for life." Important messages for writers.

His work has been translated into over twenty languages and featured on NPR’s Morning Edition, PBS Newshour, and The Wall Street Journal. Mr. Kleon speaks about “creativity in the digital age” for organizations as varied as Pixar, Google, SXSW, TEDx, and The Economist.

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In Part One of this two part file Austin Kleon and I discussed:

• How to stay inspired in crazy times
• Why life is hard and creative work is harder
• How to think of creativity like the movie Groundhog's Day
• Why you should stay mindful and 'practice in public'
• The importance of lists, rituals, routines, and writing every day
• And the authors that have shaped Austin's skepticism of technology and his creative journey

Show Notes:

This podcast is produced solely by yours truly and New Media Dojo, my production moniker, and I'm incredibly thankful to you for your continued listenership and loyalty.

Please leave us a comment or question and visit the archives at writerfiles.fm where I humbly ask you to support the show with an anonymous, secure donation to help us keep going with more great writerly content.

For listeners who donate $25 or more and leave me a message, I will include your name and the type of writing you're working on, on air or in the show notes. Just head over to writerfiles.fm and click the Donate button.

Thank you, sincerely – Kelton

• Support The Writer Files with a secure PayPal donation
• How to Stay Creative with Bestselling Author Austin Kleon: Part Two
• AustinKleon.com
• Keep Going: 10 Ways to Stay Creative in Good Times and Bad by Austin Kleon (Amazon)
• Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon
• Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon
• How Bestselling Author Austin Kleon Writes: Part One
• Daily Rituals: How Artists Work by Mason Currey
• 'The Writer's Brain' on Productivity vs. Creativity: Part One
• How WNYC Podcast Host and Author of 'Bored and Brilliant' Manoush Zomorodi Writes
• Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman  (Amazon)
• The Real World of Technology by Ursula M. Franklin
• Austin Kleon on Twitter
• Kelton Reid on Twitter

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