Show Your Work!: 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered

Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon is the essential follow-up to Steal Like an Artist, focusing on the crucial next step in the creative process: sharing your work with the world. This practical guide teaches creators how to document their process, build an audience, and get discovered while maintaining authenticity and building meaningful connections.

Kleon begins by explaining the importance of sharing your creative process and work:

Discovery: Help people find you and your work
Connection: Build relationships with your audience and peers
Learning: Learn from feedback and interactions
Opportunities: Open doors you didn’t know existed
Community: Contribute to and benefit from creative communities

The New Creative Economy

Digital Age: The internet has changed how creators share and get discovered
Process Over Product: People want to see how you work, not just the final result
Authenticity: Being real and transparent builds trust and connection
Generosity: Sharing knowledge and resources creates opportunities

The Mindset Shift

From Hoarding to Sharing: Move from keeping work private to sharing openly
From Perfection to Process: Focus on sharing your journey, not just perfect results
From Competition to Collaboration: See other creators as potential collaborators
From Scarcity to Abundance: Believe there’s enough success for everyone

1. You Don’t Have to Be a Genius

The Scenius Principle: You don’t have to be a genius to contribute to creative communities.

What is Scenius?

Collective Intelligence: The intelligence of a whole community
Shared Knowledge: Information and ideas that belong to everyone
Collaborative Creativity: Working together to create something greater
Supportive Environment: Communities that nurture and support creativity

How to Contribute

Share Your Process: Document how you work and think
Ask Questions: Engage with others and learn from them
Provide Feedback: Help others improve their work
Celebrate Others: Support and promote other creators

2. Think Process, Not Product

The Documentation Principle: Share your creative process, not just the finished work.

Human Connection: People connect with the human behind the work
Learning Value: Others can learn from your methods and mistakes
Authenticity: Shows the real work behind polished results
Engagement: Process content often gets more engagement than finished work

Sketches and Drafts: Show your work in progress
Tools and Methods: Share what you use and how you use it
Mistakes and Failures: Be honest about challenges and setbacks
Inspiration Sources: Share what influences and inspires you

The Consistency Principle: Small, regular shares are more effective than occasional big reveals.

Builds Habits: Creates a consistent creative practice
Increases Visibility: Regular presence keeps you in people’s minds
Improves Skills: Practice makes you better at sharing
Creates Momentum: Small wins build confidence and motivation

Work in Progress: Photos, sketches, or updates on current projects
Inspiration: Things that inspire or influence you
Tools and Resources: What you’re using or learning
Behind the Scenes: Glimpses into your creative process

4. Open Up Your Cabinet of Curiosities

The Collection Principle: Share your influences, inspirations, and the things you collect.

What is a Cabinet of Curiosities?

Personal Museum: A collection of things that interest and inspire you
Influence Archive: Documentation of what shapes your work
Learning Repository: Resources and references you’ve gathered
Inspiration Source: Things that spark your creativity

Curate Thoughtfully: Select and organize your collections
Add Context: Explain why things matter to you
Update Regularly: Keep your collections current and relevant
Invite Interaction: Ask others to share their collections too

5. Tell Good Stories

The Narrative Principle: Learn to tell compelling stories about your work and process.

The Power of Storytelling

Human Connection: Stories create emotional connections
Memorability: People remember stories better than facts
Engagement: Good stories capture and hold attention
Meaning: Stories give context and meaning to your work

Elements of Good Stories

Conflict: Challenges and obstacles you’ve overcome
Character: Your personality and perspective
Setting: The context and environment of your work
Resolution: How problems were solved or lessons learned

6. Teach What You Know

The Education Principle: Share your knowledge and skills with others.

Why Teach What You Know?

Reinforces Learning: Teaching helps you understand better
Builds Authority: Establishes you as knowledgeable in your field
Creates Value: Provides real value to your audience
Generates Opportunities: Teaching often leads to other opportunities

How to Teach Effectively

Start Simple: Begin with basic concepts and build up
Use Examples: Show real examples from your work
Be Patient: Remember what it was like to be a beginner
Encourage Questions: Create space for discussion and learning

7. Don’t Turn Into Human Spam

The Authenticity Principle: Be genuine and avoid becoming a self-promotion machine.

The Problem with Spam

Inauthenticity: People can sense when you’re not being real
Over-Promotion: Too much self-promotion turns people off
Lack of Value: Spam provides no real value to your audience
Damaged Relationships: Can harm relationships with your community

How to Stay Authentic

Be Genuine: Share what you actually care about
Provide Value: Focus on helping others, not just promoting yourself
Listen and Respond: Engage with your audience, don’t just broadcast
Show Vulnerability: Be honest about challenges and struggles

8. Learn to Take a Punch

The Resilience Principle: Develop thick skin and learn to handle criticism and rejection.

Why Criticism Hurts

Personal Investment: Creative work is deeply personal
Fear of Judgment: Worry about what others think
Perfectionism: Desire to please everyone
Imposter Syndrome: Feeling unworthy of success

How to Handle Criticism

Separate Feedback from Self: Don’t take criticism personally
Look for Truth: Find useful feedback in criticism
Ignore Trolls: Don’t engage with mean-spirited comments
Focus on Growth: Use criticism as an opportunity to improve

9. Sell Out

The Commercial Principle: Don’t be afraid to make money from your creative work.

The Stigma of Selling Out

Artistic Purity: The myth that art and commerce don’t mix
Fear of Compromise: Worry that making money will corrupt your art
Judgment from Others: Criticism from those who think you should work for free
Imposter Syndrome: Feeling unworthy of financial success

How to Sell Out Gracefully

Value Your Work: Don’t undervalue your creative output
Be Transparent: Be honest about commercial relationships
Maintain Standards: Don’t compromise your values for money
Diversify Income: Have multiple revenue streams

10. Stick Around

The Persistence Principle: Success takes time, so stay in the game for the long haul.

Why Persistence Matters

Success Takes Time: Most overnight successes take years to build
Building Relationships: Trust and connections develop over time
Skill Development: Mastery requires consistent practice
Opportunity Recognition: You need to be present when opportunities arise

How to Stick Around

Set Long-term Goals: Think beyond immediate results
Build Sustainable Habits: Create routines you can maintain
Stay Curious: Keep learning and growing
Take Care of Yourself: Maintain your physical and mental health

Building Your Online Presence

Choosing Your Platforms

Start Small: Pick one or two platforms to focus on
Match Your Style: Choose platforms that fit your content and personality
Consider Your Audience: Go where your audience already is
Be Consistent: Show up regularly on your chosen platforms

Creating Compelling Content

Visual Appeal: Use images and design to make content engaging
Clear Communication: Write clearly and concisely
Authentic Voice: Develop and maintain your unique voice
Value First: Focus on providing value to your audience

Engaging with Your Community

Respond to Comments: Engage with people who interact with your work
Ask Questions: Invite discussion and feedback
Share Others’ Work: Support and promote other creators
Be Generous: Give more than you take

The Art of Storytelling

Finding Your Stories

Personal Experiences: Share your own journey and experiences
Behind the Scenes: Show the real work behind polished results
Learning Moments: Share what you’ve learned and how you learned it
Challenges and Triumphs: Be honest about struggles and successes

Crafting Compelling Narratives

Start Strong: Hook your audience from the beginning
Build Tension: Create interest through conflict or questions
Show, Don’t Tell: Use specific details and examples
End Meaningfully: Provide resolution or insight

Using Different Story Formats

Written Stories: Blog posts, social media captions, newsletters
Visual Stories: Photos, videos, infographics
Audio Stories: Podcasts, voice notes, interviews
Live Stories: Speaking, workshops, events

Monetizing Your Creative Work

Multiple Revenue Streams

Direct Sales: Selling your work directly to customers
Services: Offering creative services to clients
Teaching: Workshops, courses, mentoring
Licensing: Licensing your work for use by others

Building Your Brand

Consistent Identity: Develop a recognizable visual and verbal identity
Clear Message: Know what you stand for and communicate it clearly
Quality Standards: Maintain high standards in everything you do
Authentic Voice: Stay true to your values and personality

Pricing Your Work

Value-Based Pricing: Price based on the value you provide
Market Research: Understand what others charge for similar work
Confidence: Believe in the value of your work
Flexibility: Be willing to adjust pricing as you learn

Building Creative Communities

Finding Your People

Online Communities: Join groups and forums in your field
Local Groups: Connect with creators in your area
Conferences and Events: Attend industry gatherings
Social Media: Use platforms to find and connect with like-minded people

Contributing to Communities

Be Generous: Share knowledge and resources freely
Support Others: Encourage and help fellow creators
Ask Questions: Engage with others and learn from them
Celebrate Success: Acknowledge and celebrate others’ achievements

Creating Your Own Community

Start Small: Begin with a small group of committed people
Set Clear Expectations: Establish guidelines and norms
Foster Engagement: Create opportunities for interaction
Lead by Example: Model the behavior you want to see

Overcoming Common Obstacles

Start Small: Begin with sharing to close friends and family
Focus on Process: Share your journey, not just perfect results
Remember Your Why: Keep in mind why sharing matters to you
Practice Regularly: The more you share, the easier it becomes

Comparison and Imposter Syndrome

Focus on Your Journey: Compare yourself to your past self, not others
Acknowledge Your Progress: Celebrate how far you’ve come
Remember Everyone Starts Somewhere: Even successful people were beginners
Seek Support: Talk to others about your feelings

Time Management

Prioritize: Focus on the most important sharing activities
Batch Work: Group similar tasks together
Use Tools: Leverage technology to make sharing easier
Set Boundaries: Don’t let sharing consume all your time

Dealing with Criticism

Separate Feedback from Self: Don’t take criticism personally
Look for Truth: Find useful feedback in criticism
Ignore Trolls: Don’t engage with mean-spirited comments
Focus on Growth: Use criticism as an opportunity to improve

Success Stories and Case Studies

Individual Creators

Bloggers: People who built audiences through consistent sharing
Artists: Visual artists who documented their process
Musicians: Musicians who shared their creative journey
Entrepreneurs: Business creators who built communities around their work

Community Builders

Online Groups: People who created thriving online communities
Local Networks: Organizers who built local creative networks
Event Creators: People who brought communities together in person
Collaborative Projects: Teams that worked together to create something bigger

Business Success Stories

Product Launches: Creators who successfully launched products
Service Businesses: People who built successful service businesses
Educational Programs: Teachers who created successful courses and workshops
Collaborative Ventures: Partnerships that created new opportunities

Emerging Trends

Video Content: The growing importance of video in creative sharing
Live Streaming: Real-time sharing of creative process
Virtual Reality: New ways to share immersive experiences
Artificial Intelligence: Tools that help creators share more effectively

Adapting to Change

Stay Curious: Keep learning about new platforms and tools
Experiment: Try new ways of sharing and connecting
Focus on Fundamentals: Don’t get distracted by trends
Maintain Authenticity: Stay true to yourself amid change

The Role of Technology

Digital Tools: Leveraging technology to share more effectively
Social Platforms: Using social media to build communities
Content Creation: Tools that make sharing easier and more engaging
Analytics: Understanding what works and what doesn’t

Conclusion

Show Your Work! provides a comprehensive guide to sharing your creative work effectively and building an audience while maintaining authenticity and building meaningful connections. The book emphasizes that sharing is not just about self-promotion, but about contributing to creative communities and helping others.

Key takeaways from the book include:

Share your process, not just your products
Be consistent and generous in your sharing
Tell compelling stories about your work
Teach what you know to others
Stay authentic and avoid becoming spam
Learn to handle criticism and rejection
Don’t be afraid to make money from your work
Persistence is key to long-term success

Most importantly, the book reminds us that sharing your work is not just about getting discovered, but about building meaningful connections, contributing to creative communities, and helping others on their creative journey. By sharing generously, authentically, and consistently, you can build an audience, create opportunities, and make a positive impact in your creative field.

“The best way to get started on the path to sharing your work is to think about what you want to learn, and make a commitment to learning it in front of others.” — Austin Kleon

Publication Details

Book Information

About This Book

The Philosophy of Sharing Your Work

Why Share Your Work?