book review # 21 Steal like an Artist

Book review #21 Steal Like an Artist 

“the only art I”ll ever study is stuff that I can steal from”

This nice small cartoonish book has packed something much stronger than it looks. With 140 pages but not so many letters, anyone can finish it within less than an hour. 

It talks about how to unlock your creativity in a down-to-earth manner (yep, there are  books that talk about creativity like something godsend). The book itself is very pure and sample. Nonetheless, I do not agree with all the ideas written in it but as the writer said on the back === “Y.M.M.V” which, according to him, means your milage may vary. In other words, the writer told us to feel free to take what you can use and leave the rest. Which is exactly what I did. 

Let’s go through the book a little

It started by giving the idea that nothing is actually original, all of the work (not just art) are copied from sources. I like how the writer define the difference between copy and plagiarism. The definition of the the title “steal like an artist” is the fact artists have a way copying idea that create not destroy. Unlike many people nowadays that their so called “ copy” actually destroy as it gets away, just like plague. 

Now things start to get interesting, the book challenged you that you shouldn't wait for anything and start your dream right in moment of uncertainty when it seems like all things around you can collapsed like house of card. Give yourself a try, we only have one life to live. Normally, it will turn out not to bad. 

And when you achieve it, it’s very important to share it to others or else it wouldn’t be an achievement at all. 

The rest of the book is somewhat inspiring (i would say that I agree to about 80% of the content). However, even though it’s against what you believe, it’s still nice to read. Isn’t that the beauty of differences? 

This book should is what I classified as a self-help-inspirational-generated book where I’m sure that everyone will find pieces of the persons we want to be. it’s good to have it by your bedside just to cheer you up a little when bad day comes.

it’s cost a little bit more than a nice lunch, I think you should give it a try 

8.5/10

Cheers 

Tab

MrRawit: Book Review # 20 : Winning at Innovation ตีกรอบให้...

MrRawit: Book Review # 20 : Winning at Innovation ตีกรอบให้...: Book Review #20 Winning at Innovation  by Fernando Trias de Bes and Philip Kotler Pablo Picasso once said that innovation,...

Book Review # 20 : Winning at Innovation ตีกรอบให้งาน creative ของคุณ

Book Review #20 Winning at Innovation 

by Fernando Trias de Bes and Philip Kotler

Pablo Picasso once said that innovation, like creativity, is 1 percent inspiration and 99 per cent perspiration

These days we are talking about creative culture, creative class even creative Thailand  but it seems that we forgot to mention one very important fact that creativity ideas without a workable scope will eventually flop. Since, we are trying very hard to create the creative environment but if we don’t know how to cultivate, it seems to be such a waste time and energy. 

I believe many people define the word “ creative” to be something like t-shirt, jeans, macbook, coffee parlor and retro environment. Well, hate to break the news, but we all know now that it’s not true. Those activities or characters might generate ideas but implementation process of those ideas are much more complicated and most of those “creative” don’t even think about it.

This is the reason why new product successful rate is less than 20% 

Everyone can think, only a handful can actually make it happen. I have experienced it in an expensive way. I hired a lot of people that I used to believe they can innovate a new products for me based on their “creativity” characters but it turns out that they do have so many ideas but unable to make it even to the paper not to mention the actual products.  

This book will give us what is very important in the process of searching for innovative products or services. It deliberately put all of the processes into a “framework”. Think of it as a map of innovation process of a company. Something we seriously need it. 

One might argue that innovation shouldn’t have any kind of border or framework because it might diminish the creativity capability. 

I personally think the opposite, I think that with certain known limitations it will make us even better at creativity. It focuses things. 

Thinking of a pieces art, the classic and well-accepted ones, the artists which known to  have unlimited creativity still have to set up some borders for their work. For example, certain types of colors they will use or material they chose to work. What will  happen if Michelangelo decide to put graffiti paint on Statue of David?

Sure, they are some very absurd art which do not confined in these framework but frankly most of them do not get very well recognized. 

The innovation process even become much more complicated when it comes to a company which has a lot more people involve. Therefore, some kind of borders are definitely a must. Not to mention that, in the end, all of the innovative products and services that considered to be a “success” have to create some kind of monetary benefit to the company. A great product that do not sell can hardly be considered as an innovative produce right? 

I’d spend about 8 hours this weekend to finish this 250 pages book, it’s a time well-spent, it feels like university all over again only this time there is nothing force me to read this book. This is yet another book that I categorized to be a somewhat similar to a textbook yet much more applicable in a life business. It has come in time that I really need some framework on all of my new projects scheduled to launch next year. Right after I finish this book, I have made some models based of the idea of this book that I intend to share with my team on the next working day. I also intend to use the framework learn from the book on my actual new projects, I’m sure that it will help me save time and resources. 

The book presents you with a very detailed model and how to construct it. What I like most about this book is that there are many tools listed that you chose from. For example, I’m very surprise to see the words “blue ocean” in this book. The authors do not only confine the methods of innovation from their models/tools but selected other well-known tools from other sources as well. 

The drawback of this book is perhaps that the examples listed only come from couple cases which is used repeatedly. When I read books I personally like examples from various cases in various industries even the one I don’t know. It’ s not the case in this book though. 

Generally, this is a very good book. Another recommended books fro all executives. 

9/10 

Cheers

Rawit