You know how people are always asking, Have you read any good books lately? I’m happy to say, YES! I HAVE!!! If you want to give your creative life a boost read this book! It’s inspiring and informative and just plain fun to read. Kleon says... So you might as well embrace influence. Kleon suggests remixing and reimagining, promoting imitation and copying, which when pushed one step further becomes emulation. Johnny Carson tried to be Jack Benny. David Letterman tried to be Johnny Carson. Conan O’Brien tried to be David Letterman. In their failure, they became themselves. SUGGESTIONS: Educate Yourself: Google Everything Surround yourself in books Be curious about the world you live in Collect and Store Good Ideas: Carry a notebook and a pen wherever you go Take pictures with your phone camera Do the work you want to see done: Write the book you want to read Draw the art you want to see Play the music you want to hear Use your hands: There is nothing like feeling your hand move across the page. Handwriting is a form of art; it’s like drawing, which is why I was saddened to read, Handwriting Just Doesn’t Matter. I strongly disagree. Art can be done on computer but how sad it would be if we stopped using our hands. I do all my first drafts with a pen and paper. My brain works differently somehow (more linear) when I write on a computer. More Advice: Don’t worry about  Imposter Sydrome. We all suffer from it. Take on the Fake It Til You Make It  mantra. Show up and do your best work!! There are so many valuable tips in Steal Like An Artist. And they work! Take it from me, I stole from Kleon’s book and got this blog post.