So I read this book really fast.  Now I think I need to write about it so that I don’t forget it.  I also have some stuff to say about it, I think.

Let’s start with the title and premise of the book.  Much of the early parts of the book have to do with using ideas from other people’s work.  (Hence the title, eh?)  There are numerous ways that he explains and re-explains this, but the gist is this: you can’t really “copy” what other people are doing, so don’t worry about “plagiarism.”  You use other people’s ideas to get a better sense of what they do, then you start to break away and do things your own way.

Kleon gives the example of Kobe Bryant, who copied many of his moves from other players he admired.  He learned quickly, though, that he couldn’t do everything the same way, because he was a different player with a different body.  He had to adapt to make those moves successful, and the adaptations are what made the moves his own and helped him develop his own approach and his own style.

Beyond this point is where it starts to get more interesting.

Here are some of my favorite major points from later in this (short) book:

• “Don’t wait until you know who you are to get started. . . There’s this very real thing that runs rampant in educated people.  It’s called ‘imposter syndrome.’  The clinical definition is a ‘psychological phenomenon in which people are unable to internalize their accomplishments.’  It means that you feel like a phony. . . Guess what: None of us do.”
• “Write the book you want to read,” not the cliche “write what you know.”
• “Use your hands.  Step away from the screen.”
• “Side projects and hobbies are important. . . I think it’s good to have a lot of projects going at once so you can bounce between them.  When you get sick of one project, move over to another, and when you’re sick of that one, move back to the project you left.  Practice productive procrastination.”
• “Be nice.  (The world is a small town.)  Make friends.  Ignore enemies.”
• “Be boring.  (It’s the only way to get work done.)”
• “Creativity is subtraction.  Choose what to leave out.”

Most of these are the “main points,” or chapters.  I’m a big fan of “use your hands.”  I’ve experimented – as a writer and teacher – with different ways to do this.  But I think most teachers recognize that kids learn better, or at least differently, when they are doing physical activities.  As a writer, I like to use paper to feel closer to the words.  It works better for shorter but more important things – like speeches, poetry, or thank-you notes.

The book is short, and has a lot of good advice.  It’s worth a look, in my opinion.  If you want to understand creativity, how it works and where it comes from, I still think that Steven Johnson’s book, WHERE GOOD IDEAS COME FROM, is the best resource out there.