# Austin Kleon: Author of "Steal Like an Artist" on building a sustainable creative practice

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/design-better-58582/austin-kleon-author-of-steal-like-an-artist-on-building-a-sustainable-creative-practice
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/design-better-58582/austin-kleon-author-of-steal-like-an-artist-on-building-a-sustainable-creative-practice.md
Podcast: [Design Better](https://stenobird.com/podcast/design-better-58582)
Published: 2026-01-28T13:17:00+00:00
Episode link: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/austin-kleon
Audio file: https://pdst.fm/e/p.podderapp.com/1794982497/chrt.fm/track/1C4248/prfx.byspotify.com/e/pscrb.fm/rss/p/mgln.ai/e/211/traffic.megaphone.fm/MLALE6333353301.mp3?updated=1769579343
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/design-better-58582/episodes/austin-kleon-author-of-steal-like-an-artist-on-building-a-sustainable-creative-practice
Duration seconds: 1715

## Resource

To make good creative work, you’ll inevitably do a lot of bad work along the way. So building a thriving creative practice relies on showing up and doing the work consistently, whether you feel inspired or not. And we can get trapped into thinking that if only we had the perfect space, or the best pen, or right notebook, it would all be easier. This is a preview of a premium episode. To listen to the full interview, visit: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/austin-kleon But our guest today, Austin Kleon, has built a remarkable creative practice around a deceptively simple toolkit: index cards, newspapers, scissors, and glue. He’s the bestselling author of Steal Like an Artist, Show Your Work, Keep Going, and Don’t Call it Art. What makes Austin’s approach so valuable is how he’s translated these ideas into a sustainable daily practice that’s lasted over a decade. In our conversation, Austin shares why he starts every day writing in his diary before he picks up the phone, how constraints (time, space and materials) actually unlock creativity rather than limiting it, and why the path to doing your best digital work might start with picking up a pen. If you’ve ever struggled to maintain a creative practice, felt overwhelmed by tools and options, or wondered how to keep going when the work feels hard, this episode is for you. Bio Austin Kleon is the New York Times bestselling author of a trilogy of illustrated books about creativity in the digital age: Steal Like An Artist, Show Your Work!, and Keep Going. He’s also the author of Newspaper Blackout, a collection of poems made by redacting the newspaper with a permanent marker. His books have sold over two million copies and have been translated into over 30 languages. He’s been featured on NPR’s Morning Edition, PBS Newshou…

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