Books Unfold : Book Review: Keep Going by Austin Kleon

Do you do creative activities such as writing, painting, crocheting, graphic designing, or even vlogging?

If you do, perhaps you are aware that, aside from the joy and deep satisfaction that comes with creative work, there is also frustration that can stop you from continuing your work.

Austin Kleon, a bestselling author, knows well how sometimes we just want to give up when inspiration is nowhere to be found.

In his book, Keep Going, he shared the ten things that helped him keep going with his work every day. He invites the readers to rethink creativity, see the value of having a daily routine and breaks, and consider the simple rules for a good, creative life.

Austin Kleon is a writer and an artist who makes art with words and books with pictures. Keep Going is the third book of his series which is about how to unlock creativity. The first two books are Steal Like an Artist and Show Your Work! which are also a hit. He’s a New York Times Bestselling Author, he sold nearly two million copies translated into more than 30 languages, and he’s featured in NPR’s Morning Edition, PBS Newshour, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.

Book Description

Keep Working. Keep Playing. Keep Creating.

In his previous books Steal Like an Artist and Show Your Work!, both New York Times bestsellers, Austin Kleon gave readers the keys to unlock their creativity and showed them how to become known. Now he offers his most inspiring work yet, with ten simple rules for how to stay creative, focused, and true to yourself—for life.

The creative life is not a linear journey to a finish line, it’s a loop—so find a daily routine, because today is the only day that matters. Disconnect from the world to connect with yourself—sometimes you just have to switch into airplane mode. Keep Going celebrates getting outdoors and taking a walk (as director Ingmar Bergman told his daughter, ”The demons hate fresh air”). Pay attention, and especially pay attention to what you pay attention to. Worry less about getting things done, and more about the worth of what you’re doing. Instead of focusing on making your mark, work to leave things better than you found them.

Keep Going and its timeless, practical, and ethical principles are for anyone trying to sustain a meaningful and productive life.

Source: Goodreads

Discussion Questions

Who is this book for?
What was the secret to keep writing when it's tough?
What can lead you to your best work?
What kind of list did Leonardo da Vinci make every day?
How come that creativity is also disconnection?
What are the three key elements of discovery?
What are the ten ways to stay consistent with your creative work?
What is the relationship between creativity and good life?
How does the Internet affect creativity?
What ideas from the book would you apply in your daily life? Explain how they would help you.

Quotes

What I Loved The Most

The book is straightforward. No long case studies, no fluff, no unnecessary info-dumping. You can read it in one sitting and get inspired right away when you are in a slump or have writer’s block or mental roadblocks in general. This book gives you ways to bounce back.
The tips are doable as they don’t require drastic changes in your routine. Instead, Kleon focuses on small, simple steps that you can apply right away. To encourage consistency and persistence, he suggests ten ways to keep going by building a daily routine that is not dependent on the success or failure of your work, taking a break from distractions such as social media, and reading old books that hold insights to life’s common problems. Creativity is not about waiting for inspiration but showing up and doing the work even when you don’t feel like it.
The book is fun to read. Austin Kleon incorporated his unique way of presenting his ideas through drawings and blackout poetry, created by blacking out text in an article with a permanent marker to reveal a new idea. It was fun seeing his art.

What I Loved The Least

There’s nothing in this book that I dislike. The purpose of the author is to share the things that he learned from other people on how to keep going with your creative work, and he was successful in fulfilling this purpose.

Summing-Up

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

Creativity is our tool to make new things and make sense of things. It is our way to add meaning and color to our lives. But sometimes, it’s hard to find the motivation to be consistent. Austin Kleon’s question was “How to keep going?”, and he wrote a book to answer that question.

Austin Kleon is a writer who also makes art. This combination gives his ideas a unique and creative twist, which is evident in his book, Keep Going, the third installment of his series about creativity. The first book is Steal Like an Artist and the second is Show Your Work!. These books have sold millions of copies, making Kleon a bestselling author.

Keep Going is a short, easy-to-read book that you can finish in one sitting. I think it’s designed to be this way so that when you are not feeling inspired, you can grab it, read a few pages, and hopefully help you feel motivated to get back to your creative work.

There are ten tips given in the book that could help you bounce back from a slump. Some of them are creating a daily routine, tidying up when you are stuck, and going for a walk to clear the mind. These ways are simple to do and don’t require big changes in your routine that’s why this book is a great tool for writers and artists. But according to Kleon, this book is also useful for those who need to be productive every day including students, entrepreneurs, and activists, and I agree with him.

The factor that makes this book special is the integration of Kleon’s art. He is known for his blackout poetry where he takes a newspaper article, covers some words with permanent ink, and leaves other words that could create a poem. The poems were fun and interesting with little kernels of wisdom hidden inside them. He also added lists and comics that talk about the topics discussed in the book and shared pictures that show his personality like his workspace and other artwork. Keep Going showcases Kleon’s uniqueness as a writer and as an artist.

I can see myself grabbing this book again when I am pinned by doubt or feeling stuck. If you are a writer, an artist, or doing creative work, Keep Going is for you. It reminds you why you are doing your work and gives you the simple things you can do to fulfill your purpose, no matter what challenges come your way. The book is your key to turning on the car and driving forward even if the road is rough.