Steal Like an Artist: The Solopreneur’s Step-by-Step Playbook for Creative Success

Creativity isn’t about being original. It’s about being authentic.
Austin Kleon’s classic, Steal Like an Artist, isn’t a manifesto for plagiarism — it’s a manual for reinvention.

For midlife creators, coaches, consultants, and solopreneurs — the message is pure gold:
You don’t need permission, perfection, or a grand plan. You just need to start — and let the world remix through you.

Let’s unpack Kleon’s ten timeless lessons through a practical, step-by-step lens for today’s IMMachines creators — and link each one to the GPT tools that can help you steal smarter, create faster, and share wider.

Step 1: Steal Like an Artist — Don’t Copy, Combine

“Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination.” — Jim Jarmusch

The myth of originality is the enemy of creative flow. Every great idea is a remix — the product of old ideas meeting new contexts.

How to apply this:

1. Build your own “swipe file.” Collect quotes, headlines, frameworks, or visuals that light you up.

2. Study your heroes — not to mimic their style, but to understand their thinking.

3. Combine two unrelated ideas into something new. (That’s how AI itself was born — through remixing computation and language.)

IMMachines Tools to Use:

• Prompt Builder Pro GPT — turn raw inspiration into refined prompts for any content type.

• Quote to Action GPT — transform the wisdom of others into your unique voice.

• Offer Optimiser Pro GPT — blend proven marketing angles into original offers.

💡 Creativity is curation with intention.

Step 2: Don’t Wait Until You Know Who You Are — Start Before You’re Ready

“You’re ready. Start making stuff.”

Most creators die in the waiting room — waiting to “find their voice.” The secret? You find your voice by using it.

How to apply this:

1. Publish before you’re ready — every iteration is a rehearsal.

2. Treat your work as a series of experiments, not a career-defining statement.

3. Embrace the phony phase — every master once faked it till they made it.

IMMachines Tools:

• From Chaos to Clarity GPT — organize your daily creative tasks by impact.

• Creativity Engine GPT — map your path from idea to income.

• Sales Angle Generator GPT — get clarity on how to position your early creations fast.

🎨 The act of doing reveals who you are becoming.

Step 3: Write the Book You Want to Read

“Draw the art you want to see. Start the business you want to run.”

This is about scratching your own itch. If you wish something existed — make it.

How to apply this:

1. Ask: “What do I wish someone had made for me?” Then make that.

2. Create the product, book, or GPT you wish existed.

3. Share your behind-the-scenes — let others join your journey.

IMMachines Tools:

• 48-Hour Author  — write the book that you want to read.

• Digital Product Builder Pro GPT — create that dream resource you wish someone had made.

• Thought-Leader Engine GPT — distil your insights into signature frameworks.

🔥 If you’re looking for what’s missing — that’s your opportunity whispering.

Step 4: Use Your Hands

“In the digital age, don’t forget to use your digits!”

Your body is a creative instrument. The best ideas come when you move, touch, and feel.

How to apply this:

1. Step away from the keyboard. Sketch, journal, doodle, mind-map.

2. Use physical tools (whiteboards, sticky notes) to see your ideas spatially.

3. Alternate between analogue and digital work — it activates different brain regions.

IMMachines Tools:

• From Stuck To Started GPT — convert sticky-note brainstorms into digital systems.

• Business Problem Solver GPT — visualize your creative structure.

• Content Repurposer Pro GPT — take your “scraps” and spin them into structured assets.

🖐️ The body leads; the mind follows.

Step 5: Side Projects and Hobbies Are Fuel

“The work you do while you procrastinate is probably the work you should be doing.”

Your hobbies are not distractions — they’re cross-pollinators of creativity.

How to apply this:

1. Keep playful side projects alive — they keep your creative energy unblocked.

2. Rotate between serious and playful work to avoid burnout.

3. Don’t discard old passions — combine them with new ones.

IMMachines Tools:

• Daily Micro-Content Machine GPT — turn even your hobbies into shareable micro-stories.

• AI Content Repurposer GPT — find creative overlap between your different interests.

💫 Play isn’t wasted time — it’s spiritual R&D.

Step 6: Do Good Work and Share It

“Do good work and share it with people.”

This is the heart of modern creator business: Create. Publish. Connect. Repeat.

How to apply this:

1. Share work-in-progress online — it builds connection and accountability.

2. Use feedback loops (comments, likes, questions) as creative oxygen.

3. Consistency beats virality — daily creation compounds.

IMMachines Tools:

• Viral Hooks Machine GPT — craft magnetic headlines that get attention.

• SEO Blog Writer Pro GPT — turn your lessons into high-ranking blog posts.

• Traffic Method Navigator GPT — choose your best path to share your creations.

🌍 Visibility is a side effect of value shared often.

Step 7: Geography Is No Longer Our Master

“You don’t have to live anywhere other than the place you are.”

In the connected age, your creative tribe isn’t local — it’s digital.
But your environment still shapes your output.

How to apply this:

1. Build a digital environment rich in curiosity and inspiration.

2. Connect with creators who challenge and uplift you.

3. Create physical spaces that spark your focus — even a small desk sanctuary counts.

IMMachines Tools:

• Creatitivity Engine GPT — design your ideal creative environment.

• IMMachines Navigator GPT — find which GPT tools to use for each phase of your creative path.

🌎 Where you are doesn’t matter — what surrounds you does.

Step 8: Be Nice (The World Is a Small Town)

“There’s only one reason I’m here: I’m here to make friends.”

Kindness travels faster than algorithms. Collaboration multiplies what competition divides.

How to apply this:

1. Engage with generosity — comment, share, and cheer for others.

2. Send thank-you messages to creators you admire.

3. Channel frustration into creation, not complaint.

IMMachines Tools:

• Affiliate Growth Engine GPT — turn relationships into recurring income.

• Thought-Leader Engine GPT — build credibility through contribution.

💛 Your network is your creative net worth.

Step 9: Be Boring (It’s the Only Way to Get Work Done)

“Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work.” — Gustave Flaubert

You don’t need chaos to be creative. You need consistency.

How to apply this:

1. Build daily rituals around creativity — same time, same space.

2. Keep your life simple so your art can be wild.

3. Protect your energy, your health, and your focus.

IMMachines Tools:

• From Chaos to Clarity GPT — prioritize what moves the needle daily.

• £3K GPT Planner — structure your creative habits for income flow.

• Sys Sensei GPT — optimize your creative systems for repeatability.

🕰️ Boring habits create brilliant results.

Step 10: Creativity Is Subtraction

“In the age of abundance, those who get ahead are those who know what to leave out.”

Limitation is liberation. When you set constraints, you spark innovation.

How to apply this:

1. Define your creative boundaries — time, tools, or themes.

2. Focus on one small project at a time.

3. Measure progress by what you’ve eliminated, not just what you’ve added.

IMMachines Tools:

• Business Problem Solver GPT — strip complexity to reveal clarity.

• Offer Optimiser Pro GPT — find the core value in any product or message.

• Monetization Map — focus your creative energy where ROI is highest.

🧩 The secret to mastery is saying “no” to almost everything.

Your Simple 5-Phase “Steal Like an Artist” Workflow

Final Word: Create What You Wish Existed

Kleon reminds us that the creative journey isn’t about invention — it’s about participation.
Every post, product, and GPT you make adds another brushstroke to your legacy.

You don’t need a revolution.
You just need a rhythm — of collecting, creating, and sharing.

And as your ideas compound, you’ll realise what every great creator learns:

You don’t find your voice. You build it.