Show Your Work! — Book Summary, Notes and Highlights 📚
This book changed the way I thought about sharing my work online and encouraged me to start my blog.
🚀 The Book in 3 Sentences
- Share your work, process, and learnings online for free.
- You don’t have to be an expert to share your work online—it is completely alright to be a beginner to share your work.
- Whatever the nature of your work, there will be someone who is interested in what you do, and over time you will build an audience with the same interests.
🕵️♂️ Who Should Read It?
I believe this book is for everyone. You should read this book for sure if:
- You’re a person who wants to showcase your work or talent to the rest of the world, irrespective of your expertise in the field.
- You have an entrepreneurial mindset and want to create an audience of people with similar interests.
- You are having second thoughts about what others will think of your work and need the right motivation and advice to get started.
Even if you have no interest in creative works or entrepreneurship, you should still read this book that’ll only take you an hour to finish because I can certainly say that it’ll open up cognitive pathways and possibilities that you didn’t know existed.
🍁 How the Book Changed Me
- I became more comfortable sharing my work online.
- This book made me start a travel video series which I realized was not sustainable. Channelling the same principles to maintaining a blog on Medium is how I am actively trying to put my work ‘out there’.
- I am gradually eliminating the imposter syndrome I previously and still currently have by constantly learning about the work I’m sharing.
✍️My Top 3 Quotes
📍 “Amateurs know that contributing something is better than contributing nothing. That’s all any of us are: amateurs. We don’t live long enough to be anything else.”
📍 “Teaching people doesn’t subtract value from what you do, it actually adds to it. When you teach someone how to do your work, you are, in effect, generating more interest in your work. People feel closer to your work because you’re letting them in on what you know.”
📍 “Carving out a space for yourself online, somewhere where you can express yourself and share your work, is still one of the best possible investments you can make with your time.”
📒 Summary + Notes
The book teaches a new way of operating to make your work findable in a world where more and more things are being created every single day. “You don’t really find an audience for your work, they find you.” And today it’s not enough to be good; you have to be findable.
Imagine if your next boss didn’t have to read your résumé because he already reads your blog. Imagine being a student and getting your first gig based on a school project you posted online. Imagine losing your job but having a social network of people familiar with your work and ready to help you find a new one. Imagine turning a side project or a hobby into your profession because you had a following that could support you.
1. 🧠 You don’t have to be a genius
People do not generate groundbreaking ideas in a vacuum; the notion of lone geniuses is nothing more than a myth. The author suggests the concept of a “Scenius,” a model in which brilliant ideas flourish within an “ecology of talent.” It’s a collective effort — a whole community of individuals who support one another, scrutinize each other’s work, draw inspiration from one another, borrow and share ideas, and actively contribute.
You don’t have to be an expert to contribute to a scenius.
Be an amateur. Amateurs aren’t afraid to take risks or look ridiculous in public. Amateurs know that contributing something is better than contributing nothing.
Have you ever wondered why your closest friend transforms into the world’s best teacher just before exams? How do they effortlessly explain complex concepts that even the most seasoned tutors struggle to convey?
“The fellow-pupil can help more than the master because he knows less. The difficulty we want him to explain is one he has recently met. The expert met it so long ago that he has forgotten.” — C. S. Lewis
2. 🔁 Think Process, not product
Take people behind the scenes—share your journey with the audience. Even if you have one true follower who loves what you do, keep on going. People want to see what goes on behind the scenes, not just the finished product. By doing this you will create an ongoing connection with your audience who might just be your potential customers if you ever plan to monetize your work.
Become a documentarian—start turning the scraps and residues of your process into small pieces of content to share with your audience. Let’s face it, not all of us are artists or content creators. But whatever the nature of our work, there is art in what you do, and there are people who would be interested in that art if you only presented it in the right way.
3. 👣 Share something small everyday
People look for one of three things from the stuff you share:
- Is the content helpful or educational?
- Is the content entertaining?
- Is the content inspiring?
Be mindful of what you share and know the difference between sharing and oversharing. Ask this question: “Will this potentially help at least one person in the world? If so, I should share it.”
Get your domain name — I feel like everyone needs a personal website, even if they have nothing to show. Get a domain name preferably www.[yourname].com and if the domain is not available use another extension.
I have been meaning to get my personal website up and running for a long time now, and I am keen on doing that very soon.
4. 🗄 Open up your cabinet of curiosities
Let your curiosity and interest guide you to topics to learn and write about. We all have our own treasured collections. They can be a physical cabinet of curiosities like bookshelves full of amazing books, or an intangible museum of our experiences and knowledge. Whatever your cabinet of curiosity holds, do not hoard it.
Credit is always due — if you share other people’s work, it’s your duty to make sure that the creators of the work get proper credit. Thanks to Austin Kleon for writing this amazing piece and Ali Abdaal for the framework of this book summary.
5. 📖 Tell good stories
Work doesn’t speak for itself. People want to know how you did your work and the underlying story behind every piece you put out there. The story behind your work is what gives it value in the eyes of the reader. Becoming a good storyteller is as important as your work.
“‘The cat sat on a mat’ is not a story. ‘The cat sat on the dog’s mat’ is a story.” — John le Carré
Talk about yourself at parties — it’s okay to talk about yourself if people ask. Don’t think of it as an interrogation. Think of it as a chance to connect with someone who might be interested in your work.
6. 🎓Teach what you know
The impulse to keep to yourself what you have learned is not only shameful, it is destructive. Anything you do not give freely and abundantly becomes lost to you. You open your safe and find ashes. -Annie Dillard
Teaching has always felt rewarding because when I share what I know, it doesn’t take away from me; instead, it deepens my connection with my audience. It strengthens our bond and sparks more interest in the topic. Sharing knowledge doesn’t diminish it; it actually adds to it. It opens up new paths for learning when others connect with you and share what they know, bringing in insights you might not have come across otherwise.
7. 📩 Don’t turn into a human spam
To gain fans, you must first be a fan yourself. To gain acceptance within a community, you should first be a responsible member of that community. If you desire to receive, you must also be willing to give. To become noticed, you must also take notice of others.
Rather than obsessing over the quantity of your online followers, focus on the quality of those who follow you.
If you aim to have followers, strive to be a person worth following. To be captivating, you need to show genuine interest.
Create content that resonates with your passions and discuss topics you’re passionate about; this way, you’ll naturally attract people who share your enthusiasm.
8. 💥Learn to take a punch
You can’t control what sort of criticism you receive, but you can control how you react to it.
Compulsive avoidance of embarrassment is a form of suicide. — Colin Marshall.
The more you grow, the more criticism you’ll receive. The more criticism you take, the more you realize it can’t hurt you.
9. 🛒Sell out
Everybody says they want artists to make money, and then when they do, everybody hates them for it.
Asking for money for your work is a step you should consider only when you genuinely believe that the work you’re sharing holds real value. Don’t hesitate to set a price, but make sure it’s one you genuinely believe is reasonable.
Keep a mailing list — even if you don’t have anything to sell right now, start building up a mailing list and send out regular updates in the form of newsletters. The model is to give away free things online and when you have something amazing to share or sell, let them know.
Pay it forward—never forget the ones who were there when you started from nothing. Help the people who helped you reach the top.
10. 🗿Stick around
Be consistent and don’t quit. Good things happen to those who wait. Keep sharing your work, and if things don’t go as planned, don’t hesitate to start fresh. Time keeps ticking, so don’t say you don’t have enough time to show your work. It could make a big difference in your life.
