I read "Keep Going"

I read Keep Going, the latest book about creativity from Austin Kleon (the writer of Steal Like an Artist, which is a favorite of mine).  This one was mostly focused on what to do when you feel stuck or uninspired.

My favorite and the most useful point I found was that productivity is not the same as creativity.  To be productive, sometimes you need to lock yourself away from all distractions and get things done.  To be creative, you need to go for a long walk, or take a nap, or go to a museum, or read a magazine.  It doesn't look like you're being productive, because you aren't.  So often, I hear that "thinking about writing is not the same as writing," so it was refreshing to hear the same advice, but put in a different light.  You need time to be creative.  You need time to be productive.  Acknowledging that and separating those into what I'll now forever call "productive time" and "creative time" is going to be wildly helpful. 

On the whole though, this book resonated much less with me than the others.  Maybe it was the content, but I suspect it was the tone.  In this one, Kleon cites other people and then calls them out for being wrong.  For example, there are four shots fired at Marie Kondo.  I don't think any of them are necessary when he could have just jumped to his point that a messy studio helps him be creative by allowing him to see some materials next to other materials that never would have gone together if they were never thrown into a pile on the floor.  That's an interesting point.  But framing it as "the lady who helped you get all your son's Legos in one place so you would stop crying and feeling claustrophobic is WRONG!  I scoff that your kitchen brings you joy!" is off putting.  I don't remember the previous books trying to be inspiring and uplifting by putting down other advice, but maybe I'm just not remembering it.