& Austin Kleon

Austin Kleon is a renowned American author, artist, and speaker known for his insightful works on creativity in the digital age. Born on June 16, 1983, in Circleville, Ohio, Kleon grew up in a family that valued education; his father was an associate professor at Ohio State University, and his mother was a school counselor and later a principal. He graduated as a valedictorian from high school and attended Miami University, where he studied creative writing, philosophy, and English literature[1][2].

Career and Works

Kleon began his career as a librarian in Cleveland, Ohio, where he started blogging and posting his poems. He later became a web designer and worked for the University of Texas Law School. His breakthrough came with the publication of Newspaper Blackout in 2010, a collection of poems created by redacting newspaper articles with a permanent marker[1][2]. This was followed by Steal Like an Artist (2012), a manifesto for creative people that encourages embracing influences and remixing ideas to find one's unique voice[3][4]. Show Your Work! (2014) guides artists on sharing their creative process, while Keep Going (2019) offers advice on maintaining creativity during challenging times[3][4].

Achievements and Influence

Kleon's books have been translated into over 20 languages and have been widely praised for their practical advice and inspiring message. He has spoken at prestigious events like [TEDx], [SXSW], and The Economist's Human Potential Summit, sharing his insights on creativity and digital media[1][2]. His work has been featured in major publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The New Yorker[2][5]. Kleon's philosophy emphasizes the importance of embracing obscurity as a creative freedom and staying open to new opportunities by focusing on verbs rather than nouns[6].

Personal Life

Kleon resides in Austin, Texas, with his wife and two sons. He is known for his private nature but shares his creative process and inspirations through his weekly newsletter. His hobbies include reading, drawing, playing the guitar, and gardening[2]. Kleon's work continues to inspire creatives worldwide, offering a fresh perspective on how to navigate the challenges and opportunities of the digital age.

Sources
[1] Austin Kleon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_Kleon
[2] Austin Kleon Biography 2025 - Books Resume https://booksresume.com/austin-kleon-biography/
[3] Books by Austin Kleon https://austinkleon.com/books/
[4] List of books by author Austin Kleon - ThriftBooks https://www.thriftbooks.com/a/austin-kleon/218745/
[5] Austin Kleon Brand Page | Hachette Book Group https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/imprint/workman-publishing-company/page/workman-brands/austin-kleon/
[6] Austin Kleon on the Gift of Obscurity - Literary Hub https://lithub.com/otherppl-shell-4/
[7] Books by Austin Kleon (Author of Steal Like an Artist) - Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/2985039.Austin_Kleon
[8] About - Austin Kleon https://austinkleon.com/about/
[9] Austin Kleon - Advice to Writers https://advicetowriters.com/interviews/2012/3/23/austin-kleon.html
[10] Book Buzz: Interview with Austin Kleon - Writing Barn https://thewritingbarn.com/book-buzz-interview-austin-kleon/
[11] The old way - Austin Kleon https://austinkleon.com/2021/02/14/the-old-way-and-the-new-way/
[12] 099: Austin Kleon on the Challenges of a Creative Career [Podcast] https://goinswriter.com/austin-kleon/
[13] That first book - Austin Kleon https://austinkleon.com/2017/11/04/that-first-book/
[14] Austin Kleon - Wikipedia https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/Austin_Kleon_2015.jpg?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiYoMvSopqMAxWJF2IAHbnNK3oQ_B16BAgBEAI
[15] Austin Kleon, author of Steal Like an Artist – Cool Tools - Kevin Kelly https://kk.org/cooltools/austin-kleon-author-of-steal-like-an-artist/
[16] Austin Kleon is a writer who draws. https://austinkleon.com
[17] Episode #31: Austin Kleon - The Art of Being Productively Lazy https://thinkgrowprosper.com/blog/austin-kleon
[18] Author Austin Kleon biography and book list - Fresh Fiction https://freshfiction.com/author.php?id=25313
[19] Austin Kleon - Wikipedia https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ed/Austin_Kleon_2015.jpg/640px-Austin_Kleon_2015.jpg?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjb2MbSopqMAxXlfDABHVvLJrIQ_B16BAgEEAI
[20] Austin Kleon - Wikipedia https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/Austin_Kleon_2015.jpg?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiEkvbTopqMAxUFRzABHQkqOVEQ_B16BAgBEAI
[21] What do you guy's think about Austin Kleon's books "Steal like an ... https://www.reddit.com/r/graphic_design/comments/8asfiv/what_do_you_guys_think_about_austin_kleons_books/
[22] Austin Kleon (Author of Steal Like an Artist) - Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2985039.Austin_Kleon
[23] My reading year 2024 - Austin Kleon https://austinkleon.com/category/reading/my-reading-years/
[24] Austin Kleon: Books I Like https://books.austinkleon.com
[25] Austin Kleon Looks Back on the Creation of Steal Like an Artist, Ten ... https://lithub.com/austin-kleon-looks-back-on-the-creation-of-steal-like-an-artist-ten-years-later/
[26] Austin Kleon on The Great Discontent (TGD) https://thegreatdiscontent.com/interview/austin-kleon/
[27] A poem for awards season. - Austin Kleon https://austinkleon.com/tag/awards/
[28] 3 thoughts on a decade of publishing books - Austin Kleon https://austinkleon.com/2018/05/22/3-thoughts-on-a-decade-of-publishing-books/
[29] Page 479 - Austin Kleon https://austinkleon.com/page/479/?v=8289b6
[30] 15 years of blogging (and 3 reasons I keep going) - Austin Kleon https://austinkleon.com/2020/09/09/15-years-of-blogging-and-3-reasons-to-keep-going/
[31] Best of the year (so far) - Austin Kleon | Substack https://austinkleon.substack.com/p/best-of-the-year-so-far
[32] Top 10 lessons Austin Kleon has taught me about art and creativity https://kristjanvingel.com/posts/top-10-lessons-austin-kleon
[33] Theft as art, art as theft: an interview with Austin Kleon https://kenyonreview.org/2012/08/austin-kleon-interview/
[34] Success means you get to do it again tomorrow - Austin Kleon https://austinkleon.com/tag/goals/
[35] AUSTIN KLEON: ART THIEF - We Denton Do It https://wedentondoit.com/blog/2013/4/2/austin-kleon
[36] Austin Kleon - Author Biography - Entrepreneur https://www.entrepreneur.com/author/austin-kleon
[37] Austin Kleon - Hachette Book Group https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/series/austin-kleon/austin-kleon/
[38] Read like an artist - Austin Kleon https://austinkleon.com/category/reading/
[39] Austin Kleon: Productivity is Overrated - Chase Jarvis https://chasejarvis.com/blog/austin-kleon-productivity-is-overrated/
[40] Be a Librarian to Your Readers: An Interview with Austin Kleon https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/austin-kleon/
[41] Why I Decided to Start Sharing My Work | Medium - Fran Sandi https://blog.fransandi.com/share-your-work-4a5c0aecea1e
[42] Here's How Austin Kleon Writes - Copyblogger https://copyblogger.com/how-austin-kleon-writes/