Five Interesting Lessons I've Learned so Far From "Show Your Work!"

A few weeks ago, I was feeling uninspired and stuck. My grad school tasks and art commissions overwhelmed me. It felt like I wasn't going anywhere. I needed to find something to spark some inspiration in me, so I had to get myself unstuck.

If you're a productivity nerd like me, you've probably heard of Ali Abdaal. I watched one of his Youtube videos where he talked about the three books that changed his life. One book particularly stood out to me. It's this book called, "Show Your Work!" by Austin Kleon. So, I thought I'd give it a try.

Reading it has been inspiring to say the least. I wouldn't be writing this blog on this website and domain if it wasn't. It's so good that I had to slow down my reading and write meticulous book notes. So here I am, halfway through the book, sharing five lessons I've learned so far.

🤔 You don't have to be a genius.

Historical geniuses like Einstein and Picasso didn't produce their work in isolation. They belonged to a scenius — a group of creative people who share, copy from and offer ideas to each other. Yet, sceniuses are not exclusive to the experts or masters. Even amateurs can contribute something.

Being an amateur is an asset, so wear it. Pursue the work you love and care about. Experiment, take risks and forget about being an expert. All you need is to think about what you want to learn and learn it in the open. Share your process, successes, failures, or whatever. It's better to contribute something than nothing. Sharing the stuff you love attracts other people who love the same thing.

Raw enthusiasm is contagious.

📽️ Think process, not product.

Before the digital era, people only cared to share their products. Little did they know that human beings want to see the people behind the product. Now, we can exhaust technology to share our process and connect with our audience. Even when you think you have nothing to show, you must realize that there is art in what you do. You just have to present it the right way. Take people behind the scenes and document what you do. Write your thoughts down, take pictures, shoot videos. You just have to make stuff.

👐🏽 Share something small everyday.

The small things you share each day compounds over time. You'll find patterns in these small bits you share. Gather these patterns and make them bigger, expanding them to larger stuff. For instance, tweets can turn into blog posts which can turn into book chapters.

A daily dispatch of the things you share shows what you're working on right now. You can share anything, but not everything. Remember that you're sharing out of generosity. So, before sharing anything, make sure it's at least helpful or entertaining.

Consider registering a domain name and start carving out your space online. Having your own website is like having a self-invention machine. You can do whatever you want with it and fill it with the stuff you love.

Whether people show up or they don't, you're out there, doing your thing, ready whenever they are.

🌈 Open up your cabinet of curiosities.

We can share the stuff we like, our inspirations, things we consume, or people we look up to. Don't hoard your influences, share them to give people a glimpse of who you are. You're allowed to like what you like. Own the things you enjoy and you'll attract people who enjoy those things too.

Share as you may, but don't forget to give credit where it's due. Give proper attribution by helping people dig deeper into your influences. Tell people about the work, who made it, how, when, and where it was made, why you're sharing it and why should people care about it. Don't be lazy and go the extra mile of providing links to the original source.

Great attribution is all about providing context. It's putting museum labels.

🎢 Tell good stories.

Your work doesn't speak for itself. You must learn how to tell good stories about your work. How you tell stories about your work hints at how people will feel, understand and value it. Steal story structures and keep your audience in mind. Storytelling doesn't come naturally to everyone, but you'll get better the more you do it. Don't be afraid to talk about yourself. It's an opportunity to connect with someone. Empathize with your audience.

Anticipate blank stares. Be ready for more questions. Answer patiently and politely.