Share your process, not just your finished product

Kleon's core pivot is away from the old "genius unveils masterpiece" model and toward documenting the actual, often messy process of making something — sketches, drafts, false starts, the questions you're wrestling with — as you go, rather than only revealing a polished final result.

He argues this works because process is inherently more interesting and relatable than a finished product presented in isolation; people connect with the making of something in ways a flawless final object rarely allows. It also demystifies creative work, showing others that struggle and revision are normal parts of any craft, not signs of failure.

Crucially, this isn't about oversharing everything — it's a deliberate choice about which pieces of your process are worth surfacing publicly, treated as its own creative decision.

Takeaway: let people see the sketch, not just the painting — process is often more compelling than the polished result alone.