This book was recommended in a video by productivity YouTuber by Ali Abdaal and spurred me to take the leap and start this blog.

In the video above Ali talks about the fears that prevented him from starting a blog, something that he had always wanted to do. He didn't know what to write about, worried about what other people would think (especially his family), and doubted his own expertise and ability to create something 'original.' He says "Show Your Work" by Austin Kleon helped him to overcome these fears. Prompted by Ali's video, I read the book and will summarize my main takeaways below.

Write and the ideas will come

The book is quite short, clocking in at just over 200 pages, but it feels shorter given the large font size. Even then, some passages do feel like filler, but the book contains enough nuggets of wisdom to make it worthwhile. I had similar fears to Ali, particularly related to the question of what exactly I should write about. This inevitably led to procrastination, as I put off writing while I searched for stand-out topics. But, paradoxically, this is precisely the wrong way around. You don’t find great ideas and then write about them; you write to find great ideas. The very act of putting your ideas into writing will allow you to clarify exactly what it is you want to write about. As Austin Kleon puts it, “the only way to find your voice is to use it,” and you do that by writing about what you love.

Flow and stock

One of the big takeaways from Show Your Work is that you can easily find things to write about by simply talking about what interests you; in particular, projects you are working on, or skills you are learning. Then document your process and share it with the world. For example, if you are learning how to cook, you could start by sharing pictures of the healthy breakfast you are eating everyday. Austin Kleon refers to this daily sharing - Instagram pics or tweets - as your “flow,” your daily content. You can then collect and refine this into your “stock,” more durable content such as blog articles or YouTube videos. By simply posting and sharing snippets of the things that interest you and the projects you are working on you will generate ideas and produce content that interests others. Create your daily “flow” and your “stock” will soon follow.

Put yourself out there

If you’re just starting out, Kleon recommends “sharing your influences and what inspires you.” That could be the books you are reading, the music you are listening to, or a new diet regime. He also cautions against the desire to self-edit too much, encouraging the reader to “have the guts to own all of it.” People want to read stuff that comes from the heart and not a sanitized version of what you think or believe. I believe most of this impulse to self-edit comes from a fear of embarrassment. We worry what people will think if we actually reveal our true selves. This point is underlined in a later chapter in the book, where Kleon states that “If you spend your life avoiding vulnerability, you and your work will never truly connect with other people.”

Learn how to tell stories

Once you've started sharing your thoughts and ideas with the world, you need to learn how to draw readers in and keep them coming back, and you achieve that through storytelling. Kleon says that "a good story is tidy, sturdy, and logical." Nearly all stories involve a hero (you) on a quest to achieve something, and who despite opposition goes after it, and arrives at a conclusion. If you remember this basic structure as you share you work, you will be well positioned to tell compelling stories.

Conclusion

This book provides a great motivational push for anyone who wants to start a blog, a YouTube channel, or any other way of sharing their story with the world. The main thing I learned from this book was to stop overthinking things and just begin writing. You don't need to have a fully-formed idea of what your project is about, you just need to start. By putting out content regularly, you will begin to get an idea of what paths you want to pursue. I also really liked the idea of sharing daily tidbits of your life, which you can then collect and combine to produce more substantial content. Lastly, the author's reminder that to truly connect with people you need to be vulnerable and true to yourself, is something that I will strive to put into practice.