Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative (Austin Kleon)

Make stuff every day. Know you’re going to suck for a while.

when people give you advice, they’re really just talking to themselves in the past.

“Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work.”

“Telling yourself you have all the time in the world, all the money in the world, all the colors in the palette, anything you want—that just kills creativity.” —Jack White

Who you marry is the most important decision you’ll ever make. And “marry well” doesn’t just mean your life partner—it also means who you do business with, who you befriend, who you choose to be around.

Establishing and keeping a routine can be even more important than having a lot of time. Inertia is the death of creativity. You have to stay in the groove. When you get out of the groove, you start to dread the work, because you know it’s going to suck for a while—it’s going to suck until you get back into the flow.

“Everything that needs to be said has already been said. But, since no one was listening, everything must be said again.”

You’re only going to be as good as the people you surround yourself with.

If you ever find that you’re the most talented person in the room, you need to find another room.