Book Summary: Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon
Whoever you are and whatever you do, share what you do with the world.
We don’t want human spam, but people love to see the inner workings of the creative mind. Think process not product. Share little snippets from your work. Over time, your accumulated body of content will get people invested in your work and in you. You will attract followers who share your interests and benefit from your work. Let people join you on whichever journey you are on.
Insights
Sharing your work enables you to attract an audience of people who care about what you care about.
Carving out a space for yourself online is one of the best possible investments you can make with your time.
You are probably a lot more self-conscious about sharing things online than you should be. You might feel uncomfortable to share but your followers won’t think badly of you for it. They’ll find it interesting, motivating and helpful.
Application
Share your thoughts, processes and work output with people online. Share your reading list. Point to reference materials. Create tutorials for others to use. Teach what you know.
Take people through your process. Show them the ‘behind-the-scenes’ action of your work. Let your work tell a story.
Get your own domain name and create a website as your own personal space for you to show your work. Build an email mailing list.
One question
What’s the primary fear holding you back from sharing your work online?
