Austin Kleon at Flax

Last week Austin Kleon give a talk to an SRO crowd of creative-looking people at the art store Flax. His new book, Show Your work, reframes self-promotion as social sharing & is aimed at those wanting to promote themselves better. It's a somewhat cartoony book combining words & pictures & looks like a fast read.

Mr. Kleon comes across as a friendly inspirational speaker for the Millennial Generation. He drew pictures on a flip chart to illustrate his slogan-like points, such as "Your work does not speak for itself" & "Share your process." We learned about the genius -- the stereotypical lone creator -- vs. the "scenius," which is a network of people stealing & then sharing one another's ideas. Mr. Kleon warned us not to become human Spam, & said if you want to meet someone, don't email them. Instead, shine a spotlight on them.

In the Q & A, Mr. Kleon earnestly provided helpful & pragmatic answers. Flax employees offered cookies & beverages to attendees. A man who saw me taking notes sidled up beside me & whispered, "Why buy the book when you can just write it all down?"

§ Book Signing with Austin Kleon
Tue, April 1, 5:30pm – 7:00pm
Flax