Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke wants to awaken creativity in every citizen in the city, and he's calling on New York Times best-selling author Austin Kleon to help him do it.
Berke made Kleon's book "Steal Like An Artist" the first title in the city's "Summer of Creators" Books With Berke book club, and the mayor is bringing Kleon to Chattanooga to lead the discussion about it. He will speak Wednesday evening at the Chattanooga Public Library downtown.
The goal is that everyone comes away believing they have potential to be creative both in their everyday lives and in their work, says Kleon. The book is described as a manifesto for creativity in the digital age.
Amazon.com photo of Austin KleonIf you go
› What: First Books With Berke book club discussion with Austin Kleon, author of “Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative.”› When: 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 20.› Where: Chattanooga Public Library, 1001 Broad St.› Admission: Free.
Kleon, a writer and author who lives in Austin, Texas, also has published "Show Your Work!," a guide to getting discovered, and "Newspaper Blackout," a best-selling book of poetry made by redacting newspaper articles with a permanent marker.
He says he's excited to make his first visit to the city and beyond flattered to be the first speaker in the mayor's book club.
The best thing that could happen from reading "Steal Like An Artist" is that everyone comes away knowing they are creators, says Kleon.
"Everyone comes away feeling empowered," he says. "And to have a few more tools to create a more creative community around them."
Kleon takes the pressure off potential artists by reminding readers that there's nothing new under the sun. He encourages people to take what they most admire from another artist and make it their own by mixing it with their own artistic expression.
Berke started the book club after encouraging residents to be creators in his State of the City speech.
"When we're creative, we're in control of our own abilities and the things that surround us," says Berke.
But creativity isn't just born into people. "We've got to work on it to make it stronger," he says.
Reading Kleon's book is a way to stir up the creativity already inside people.
"We want everybody in our city to feel the power that comes from creativity," says Berke. "I see it across our neighborhood not just in certain locations, but people don't think of themselves as creative even when they are. By stimulating discussion about what it means to be creative and how we can grow that capability, we're adding to that empowerment throughout our entire community."
The next title in Books With Berke is "Lanterns: A Memoir of Mentors" by Marian Wright Edelman. It will be discussed at the library at 6 p.m. Aug. 22.
Contact Yolanda Putman at yputman@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6431.