Practical Architecture book review: Keep Going by Austin Kleon

Image: My Morning Routine

10 ways to stay creative in good times and bad

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about design projects being a continuous opportunity for creativity and how thinking that the creative part is all over when the concept is decided is dangerous. Creativity: it all happens at the concept stage, right?

If we are to maintain the energy and determination necessary to seek out those creative opportunities, then we will probably need some strategies to keep us motivated.

‘Keep Going - 10 ways to stay creative in good times and bad’ will be a big help, regardless of what you’re working on and the stage of your project.

I enjoyed Kleon’s previous two books, ‘Steal Like an Artist’ and ‘Show Your Work’. I also subscribe to his weekly newsletter.

I think it’s fair to say I’ve become an Austin Kleon fan.

Kleon refers to himself as a writer who draws and makes art with words and books with pictures. He is famous for creating poetry by redacting newspaper articles, which means his poems are part found, part created.

His most recent book, ‘Keep Going’, builds on the themes of his earlier work, which concentrated on 'things that nobody told you about creativity’ and ‘ways to share your work and get discovered’. This time, the focus is on preparing yourself for the creative endeavour, recognising that there will be highs and lows, productive periods and fallow times.

Keep Going maintains the format of the previous books in that it is small, light on words and well-illustrated.  It’s a quick read with plenty of quotes and examples from other masters of their craft. Consequently, it should be appealing to both architects and students of architecture.

The book's purpose is to outline the things that keep Austin going. But it’s written so anyone can adapt those ideas to keep themselves going. It’s primarily written for artists and people who do creative work, but I think it is just as applicable to anyone undertaking challenging work that involves complex problem-solving and anyone who is trying to get better at what they do. Which probably means all of us.

Establishing a daily routine

In the first chapter, Kleon references the well-known film Groundhog Day, emphasising that you must establish a daily routine. He argues that creativity is not linear, and even if you’ve been successful on one project, you will still need to return to the beginning before starting the next.

He recognises that ‘truly’ prolific’ artists have a ‘daily practice’. While most things are outside our control, the one thing that we can rely on is how we spend our days. But 'there is no perfect, universal routine for creative work’, and Kleon advises us to ‘spend some time observing your days and your moods’ in order to arrive at a schedule that works for us.

‘What your daily routine consists of is not that important …stick to it most days, break from it once in a while for fun, and modify it as necessary’.

“Relying on craft and routine is a lot less sexy that being an artistic genius. But it is an excellent strategy for not going insane”.

Christoph Niemann

Somewhere to disconnect

Kleon argues that ‘you must retreat from the world long enough to think, practice your art, and bring forth something worth sharing with others’. To do this, he advises creating a 'bliss station’. Somewhere special ‘to disconnect from the world so that we can connect with ourselves’. This could be a dedicated and familiar space or place, but it could also be a special hour if that isn't possible.  

And put your phone away.

Do everything you can to avoid the distractions of daily life. At least for a time. ‘It’s not sticking your head in the sand. It’s retaining some of your inner balance and sanity so you can be strong and do your work’.

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes - including you”.

Anne Lamott

Giving things extra attention

Kleon reminds us that it’s tempting to think that we’d be able to do better work if we had a better life, but in reality, ‘you don’t need to have an extraordinary life to make extraordinary work.’

We need to pay special attention to the world around us. ‘When your job is to see things other people don’t, you must slow down enough to look.’ This is not easy in our current culture of speed, and Kleon suggests that ‘slow looking’ drawing and photography allow us to focus.

“Pay attention to what you pay attention to”.

Amy Krouse Rosenthal

So, what does the book mean for early career architects?

Well, it’s entirely possible that you already do some things that Kleon mentions. You will have been doing creative work throughout your education, but now things intensify at work. You have a living to make, a lot to learn and a career to develop. No doubt things are also happening in your personal life too.

To be able to do what you want will require focus, strategy and the maintenance of ambition. What Austin Kleon tells us is not necessarily earth-shattering news, but his recommendations together serve as inspiration and reminders to help us keep the faith. 

Even when the good times are with you, Kleon’s book could help you achieve more. When times are less good, you might want to pull out ‘Keep Going’ to help you get back on track.

“Worry less about making a mark. Worry more about leaving things better than you found them”.

Austin Kleon