Steal Like An Artist - Austin Kleon

Take time to be bored. One time I heard a coworker say, “When I get busy, I get stupid.” Ain’t
that the truth. Creative people need time to just sit around and do nothing. I get some of my best
ideas when I’m bored, which is why I never take my shirts to the cleaners. I love ironing my
shirts—it’s so boring, I almost always get good ideas. If you’re out of ideas, wash the dishes.
Take a really long walk. Stare at a spot on the wall for as long as you can. As the artist Maira
Kalman says, “Avoiding work is the way to focus my mind.”
Take time to mess around. Get lost. Wander. You never know where it’s going to lead you.