Have you ever felt like an imposter?

Have you ever felt like an imposter? Or just felt paralyzed by fear of becoming one? Do you so badly want to be original that you feel like your work can’t begin or move forward if it’s similar to someone else’s? You’re not alone. But here’s the thing, the world needs your work. You just have to find a way to make it authentic.

First things first. If you haven’t already, we’d recommend you visit your nearest library or local bookstore and grab a copy of Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon. It’s an easy and inspiring read, one that teaches you that no creative work is completely original. The author gives you permission to copy your heroes’ work and use it as a catalyst to find your own, unique style.

If you’re feeling uninspired, stuck, or unoriginal, Steal Like an Artist reveals the places where you can begin in order to find your own creative approach to your work and message.

Spoiler alert: One key concept in the book is discovering your “family tree.” Kleon postures that you don’t get to choose your blood relatives, but you can choose your creative family tree. Choose the people who inspire you and model your work after them.

According to Kleon, “There are many ways to discover and construct your own lineage. The easiest is what Alan Jacobs calls ‘swimming upstream.’ You pick some artist or writer you love, and you find out who influenced them.”

Who do you admire? Who has influenced you? It could be an artist, writer, Black business owner, etc. When you have chosen that person, do a deep dive into their life, history, and their influences. Learn as much as you possibly can about them and choose things from their life and work that inspire you. Write those down. Next, find three people that influenced that person and research those people, taking note of the things you admire about them. Continue to work backward in this manner for as long as you’d like.

Keep a record of the people who inspire you and the work or characteristics that made up their lives. It’s important that you don’t write down everything they’ve ever done—only write down what really resonates with you.

Now that you’ve created your own family tree and you have a list of works that speaks to you, how can you take bits and pieces to inspire you, then spin them into your own creation?

That’s how you steal like an artist.

Watch Austin Kleon’s TedTalk here.

We’d love to know who’s on your family tree. Share with us in the comments!