How To Get Ahead By Stealing Work...Without Feeling Like An Asshole.

There's two types of people in the world.

1. The people who do everything from scratch.

2. The people who steal from others.

And the sad thing is you probably don't know which one you are.

You might want to get more value and productivity out of the projects you start, but you couldn't imagine plagiarizing from someone else's work.

On the other hand, you don't want to be the loser that does every single thing from scratch, but there's no way to get more value without copying off the smart kids in life.

The truth is, there is another way.

Actually there is a much better way.

There's a way to get more value and productivity from the work of others without being the ass-wipe that's ripping them off in broad daylight.

Here's the secret to getting value without being a bad guy.

Steal like an artist.

That's what we're taught. All the best artists and creatives steal ideas from other artists.

I think that happens.

I mean we know it happens.

Just look at movies that are literally exactly the same concept from beginning to end but produced by two different directors.

Star Wars and Star trek anybody? (I don't want to get shredded to pieces by crazy fans so I'll leave that at that.)

The problem with the idea of stealing like an artist is two fold.

Stealing like an artist encourages people to hide where and who they are stealing from.

If someone asks you, "What inspired you to create this?" and you have to hide or hold something back... you're probably doing something shady.

And secondly, stealing like an artist really does kill creativity.

Why on earth should I put my brain to work when someone else has already done all the thinking for me?

Every time someone blatantly steals from another for their own benefit, creativity is at risk.

And the more successful one person becomes at stealing someone's tweets and reposting at their own, the more other people will do the same.

That's not a world any of us wants to live in.

The key to getting the most value out of the creative work of those before us is simple.

Don't steal others work, steal their framework.

Every movie, song, article, book, product, or website is built with some kind of process.

The process the writers go through to create a script for a new Family Guy episode.

The steps an artist goes through to get inspiration, brainstorm, and then record a new hit single.

The outlines you jot down before you actually get into the meat of your school project.

Those things are what you call the framework.

The framework is everything you need to create another version of your work.

And that's where all the value lies for new creators and creatives that come after.

Don't rewrite the entire script of Moana and change her from Hawaiian to Caucasian.

Instead take the tried and true plot points of all great Disney stories and create an entirely new story around it.

Even Disney themselves uses the same framework for all their Disney princesses but the stories still feel fresh to us as viewers.

If you see a tweet that blows up, or Instagram carousel that gets thousands of shares...

Please don't just repost it as your own.

Instead, take note of the framework. Was it a Twitter thread sharing 5 cool tips, or a carousel that told a story through the photos?

Then create your Twitter thread with 5 scary truths or a carousel telling a funny story through photos.

The plan, the process, and the steps are already done for you.

You just have to add in your personality, perspective or flavor.

Actually be creative.

There's so much value out there in the world by people showing us what can be successful.

But you'll go so much further for stealing their framework and processes and not the work they put blood, sweat, and tears into.

It's easier to steal the outline, the process, and the format to make something of your own.

And the best part is you won't feel like a complete ass-wipe when you go to bed each night.

Steal frameworks, not work...

In progress,

Tim