“Immature poets imitate,” wrote poet T.S. Eliot; “mature poets steal.” The path to success isn’t always based on coming up with your own unique ideas. Sometimes the best route is to follow someone else’s approach. From the book Steal Like an Artist, by Austin Kleon (Workman), here’s how to harvest good ideas from the sources around you:
• Pick a handful of thinkers to emulate. Instead of trying to immerse yourself in an entire subject, select two or three representatives to study at a time. The effort will be less daunting, and you’ll get a good view of the issues and ideas swirling around the topic. Find out where they’re coming from and how they see the world, and use that to inform your perceptions.
• Change the scenery. Don’t just sit at your computer when you’re trying to generate ideas. Get out into the world: Move around, observe your surroundings, record your impressions without worrying about how logical they may be, and then spend some time assembling your thoughts around the experiences you’ve collected.
• Widen your perspective. Avoid taking a narrow focus in your work—or your life. Explore different interests and passions. Most of the time your various activities will complement each other, and you’ll be able to use what you learned in one area on a different project. Keep your eyes and your mind open to the resources around you.