How to Be a Thief: Content Creation is Easy If You Know How to Steal

“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”

 - Ecclesiastes 1:9

I’m a professional content creator and brand strategist. I make a living coming up with fresh, new innovative material for my clients. But the truth is, I’ve probably never had an original thought in my life. And neither have you.

Why? Because originality is a myth. Everything we think and do as creatives is inspired by our lived experience in the form of the clothes we wear, the food we eat, the music we listen to and the books we read, the places we’ve visited, and so on. Everything that already exists works its way into our brains and informs our thoughts and creative expression. 

Before you let this bum you out, take a deep breath and rethink it. This is genius of Biblical proportions, as in Ecclesiastes 1:9, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”

All creative work builds on what came before it. So, you’re never starting from scratch. It’s important to recognize this truth, because once you do, “the truth will set you free.” (Another quote lifted from the Bible.)

Stealing 101

I didn’t understand the concept of creative thievery until I stumbled upon the work of artist and author Austin Kleon, whose book, Steal Like an Artist destroyed the originality myth for me. In his book, he offers 10 transformative principles to boost creativity. The book opens with Kleon quoting Pablo Picasso, who famously said, “Art is theft.” Kleon explains this truth well and encourages creative people to “steal” ideas—not to outright copy them and pass it off as their own, which would make a person more a**hole than artist—but to collect inspiration from various sources, make it their own, and innovate from there.

The wheel already exists. Grab the wheel, bedazzle it the way you want it, and roll that baby out into the world. This, my friends, is creativity, with a side of thievery. Take what’s out there and make it your own.

Here are a few simple tips to help you get started as a proper creativity thief:

                  Ask, “Who and what do I love?” Make a list of things that light you up. Maybe your list includes heavy metal music, Marvel comics, porcelain teacups, buttered popcorn, or unicorns. Next, ask, “Why?” What is it about a thing’s sound, appearance, texture or taste? What emotions come up? Write this down in a journal. You’re getting good intel on what physical, visual, and auditory cues likely to throw creative sparks. It’s neuro-sciency. It works. And it’s fun.

                  Start a “swipe file.” In addition to journaling, take photos and load them on a Pinterest board and save them to albums on your phone. Keep an “idea” folder on your desktop, with quotes from your favorite authors and lyrics from songs you love. 

When it’s time to write a blog or plan a podcast or create whatever art you do, don’t sit and blankly stare at the ceiling waiting for inspiration. Do what proper creative thieves do and start by visiting your journal and swipe files for a hit of inspiration. 

Just remember to give credit where it’s due. And keep creating. Someday someone will be crediting you as their source of inspiration.

One more thing: if you don’t already have a copy of Austin Kleon’s Steal Like an Artist, I encourage you to add it to your library, along with his other books, Show Your Work! and Keep Going. The three are available as a trilogy. I have the physical copy and the audiobook. 

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