Austin Kleon

Austin Kleon is a writer, illustrator, and speaker whose work merges visual art and creative philosophy. Born in Ohio and based in Austin, Texas, he became known initially for his blackout poetry collections, in which he transformed existing newspaper pages by blacking out most words and leaving poetic fragments. His visual style—hand lettering, illustrations, and analog collage—appears throughout his books, talks, and online publications. His bestselling trilogy consists of Steal Like an Artist, Show Your Work, and Keep Going, forming a practical guide to beginning, sharing, and sustaining creative work. His essays and newsletters attract a broad global audience, and he frequently speaks at companies, schools, and cultural organizations about building creative habits and navigating the artistic process. His writing emphasizes accessible, disciplined, and community-centered creativity, encouraging people from all backgrounds—not only traditional artists—to pursue creative expression.