Show your work by Austin Kleon

Yes, I am back blogging.. It’s been around 2 years since I’ve written my last technical blog post. I do have a shameless excuse that I was busy :)..

Well, Why did I start writing again?

I recently gifted myself an Amazon Kindle which indeed is the best $269 I’ve spent recently. I already read 5 books and believe me reading books is giving me more happiness than a 90ml scotch peg on a Friday evening.

Show your work — Austin Kleon

The book that excited me to start writing this post is “Show your work — by Austin Kleon”, This book changed the way I thought about sharing my ideas, learnings, notes etc.. How? Continue reading…

First I would like to thank Austin Kleon for writing this master piece (Show your work), there isn’t anything excited me more than reading this book in 2021. Kudos and thanks for “Changing lives”

My Key takeaways

• You have to be findable: The world is changing and moving online, you cannot silently make & learn stuff and keep it with you, share it so that people “like you” can find you.. Your work must be findable.
• Share your thoughts, particularly your process and work online.
• You don’t need to be an expert to share knowledge, You as a beginner can help other beginners by sharing your knowledge. By sharing your work/knowledge you attract other people who care about the same stuff you do.

Insight: Imagine your next boss doesn’t need to read your resume as he/she already reads your blog.

Chapters

1. You don’t have to be genius: Sometimes amateurs have more to teach us than experts, they understand beginner mind. The genius doesn’t, so you don’t have to be a genius. Try to find something you want to learn, create a process, share your process online, share your successes and mainly failures so that it helps others who are in the same path.
2. Think process, not product: Creative people are very rare, they were specialized and focussed on sharing the product in the pre-digital era. The internet has changed this, people are more interested in the “behind the scenes” or process instead of the outcome. Document your process, take photos, write a notebook, blog post etc.
3. Share something small everyday: Get yourself a personal domain name (I am yet to do this :)), share something that is helpful, interesting, entertaining to people like you.
4. Open your cabinet of curiosities: If you can curate stuff for others, share the stuff, good things will happen. However, when you are sharing other people work then you want to credit them.
5. Tell good stories: Always look to tell a good story, you’ll become more effective at sharing you and your work with good stories. Talk about yourself in parties or gatherings, Think of it as a chance to connect with someone who might be interested in your work.
6. Teach what you know: Teaching doesn’t take your knowledge, it really adds more and makes you more effective and you get more education in return.
7. Don’t turn in to a human spam: If you want to get, you have to give. If you want to be noticed, you have to notice. Shut up and listen once in a while, avoid becoming a human spam who doesn’t listen. “The vampire test — whatever excites you, go do it. Whatever drains you, stop doing it — Derek Sivers”
8. Learn to take a punch: When you share stuff, you may get criticized, this is natural — learn to take it.
9. Sell out: Even if you don’t have anything to sell right now, maintain a “mailing list”, give away free stuff online, collect the emails of people who enjoy reading, they may be your future customers.
10. Stick around: Don’t quit — Keep doing your work, keep sharing. Take sabbaticals. Don’t be afraid to change things, start from beginning again.

Thank you Austin Kleon, I’ve followed your “sell out” chapter-9 in vice-versa and joined your newsletter :)

Will stick around ….