"Show Your Work" is a book by Austin Kleon. I've read another of his books in the past about being creative, and this one has a similar vibe.
Though the book is quite short, with just 131 pages according to the Kindle version, it packs 131 pages of inspiration.
In it, Austin encourages people to produce and share something every day. So, I guess this is my contribution for today – a quick review. I appreciate his perspective on the importance of just getting something out there.
However, it reminds me of one of my recurring challenges, which I mentioned in an earlier post titled "What": I often don't know what to write about.
Often, I think, "No, nobody will want to read that." But maybe they do? Maybe you do? Inspired by this book, I'll be writing more short pieces on Engineering Leadership, Product Management, Productivity, and on creating my own tools or side projects.
I probably won't post daily here because I don't want to clutter the place with superficial content, but I'll aim to share more on Twitter (X) as well.
Some Quotes From The Book
Mediocrity is, however, still on the spectrum; you can move from mediocre to good in increments.
I love this one. Over time, I've realized the value of sharing work that isn't necessarily polished to perfection. When I started a YouTube channel about finance, I quickly learned that repeated iterations lead to improvement.
Even for professionals, the best way to flourish is to retain an amateur’s spirit and embrace uncertainty and the unknown.
Exactly! This resonates with the book's overarching theme. Step into the shoes of an amateur. You don't need to be a globally recognized expert on a topic to speak about it. Just dive in.
Talk about the things you love. Your voice will follow.
I'll wrap up with this quote. It addresses my dilemma of often not knowing what to write about. The solution? I'll keep writing until I find that voice.
