I began writing online in 2020 with no specific idea in mind. I didn’t know what topics I would write about. All I knew was that I wanted to share my work with an audience online.
After publishing a few stories and researching other bloggers—reading their articles, looking at their websites, joining their email lists, and so on—I started to learn how things worked.
I got new ideas from these bloggers and soon discovered Medium, where I found hundreds of excellent writers. I read their work and learned how to write, build an audience, and monetize my work.
Then, everything after that was copying the best writers.
Creative ideas are rarely unique.
Every new idea or inspiration you can think about has already crossed someone else’s mind. All you can do is add personal elements to these ideas.
I always steal ideas from creators when I come across something interesting. However, I do not plagiarize anyone’s work. This means I don’t copy their work exactly.
Creative inspiration doesn’t have to come from a single creator. It is better to learn from many of them and create something of your own.
Austin Kleon wrote an excellent book called Steal Like An Artist, where he says,
“Copy your heroes. Examine where you fall short. What’s in there that makes you different? That’s what you should amplify and transform into your own work.”
Things I have stolen from other creators
You can steal more than ideas from creators. Here are some things I have stolen from others:
- Article ideas and topics
- Article structures
- Website designs
- Social media posts
- Newsletters
- Lead-generation strategies
- Book ideas
Whenever I discover a creator whose work I admire, I check their profile thoroughly. For example, I click on their links, visit their websites, read their work, open their social media, and so on.
Then, I note down what they are doing well. For instance, I might like the design of their website or see their unique lead-generation strategy for building an email list. Then, I implement what I like from the creator into my own personal brand. For instance, I use the same design template on my website and the same lead-generation strategy to build my email list.
The word “steal” might sound negative here. What I’m really doing is learning from and being inspired by these creators’ work.
As I said, I do not copy and paste their work to call it mine. Instead, I use tiny bits from every creator and use them in my work.
Stealing isn’t bad. You should do it too.
Many new writers and creators ask me how to get started. They want to start publishing online but aren’t sure where to begin.
My primary advice for them would be to find some creators who inspire you. Read their work and do what they do. Again, don’t copy and paste their work, but use their process.
For example, learn how others write headlines, structure their articles, use call-to-action, and engage with their audience.
This applies to any creative craft — writing, filmmaking, design, photography, music, etc. You can always take inspiration from creators you admire. You can learn from them just by following their footsteps.
You don’t need to enroll in courses or read books to learn from the best. You can simply follow their work and steal their process to become like them.
Recommended read: The Genius Way To Steal Creative Ideas (Without Plagiarizing Them)
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