Austin Kleon - Show Your Work

Today I was shown an SXSW Keynote video featuring Austin Kleon as a speaker, presenting his views on creativity and sharing influence. Kleon is an artist and writer based in Austin, Texas, USA who's work is primarily concerned with creativity in today's world and how to harness it, share it and keep it alive.

Kleon's talk focuses on the ideology of their being two major identities within our lives and creative practices. He allegorises the industry as a 'monster movie' in which there are Vampires and Human Spam.

Vampires are those who suck the energy out of the people around them, later using this energy for themselves and their own practices.

Human Spam are the people who want to be listen to, but don't want to listen to others. The people who want the support of others, but do not support anyone else themselves.

Both these types of people, according to Kleon, believe to become known and produce their masterpieces as 'geniuses' they must work in solitude waiting for creativity to strike.

Though geniuses may have the most acclaimed work, creativity is in short supply to them. Klein suggests that there is a new way for designers to become and stay more creative than ever - by becoming part of a Scenius. A scene of people, collaborating, sharing, contributing to a wider purpose. These groups of people take and swap ideas from one another, allowing conversation and inspiration to manifest itself into new, shared ideas that ultimately yield greater work, and also self progression.

Watching the talk made me realise that you don't have to be a genius to become known and gain recognition, but instead through collaboration, listening to others and sharing ideas the work you produce will undoubtedly reach more people through a network of like-minded practitioners and therefore open doors of opportunity and development.