It’s hard not to be inspired by Austin Kleon’s Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative–a book that hit the New York Times best-seller list and has quickly won over creative types who love Austin’s simple but profound advice. This very feature, Live By the Book, is all about everyday inspiration brought to you by books, so this week we’re turning the tables, and asking: What inspires you? Please tell us below, in the comments (a Pantone postcard would be nice, but might take too long), and a copy of Austin’s book could be yours!

Live by the Book: Steal Like an Artist by workmanpub

Is it a framed piece of art, like one of Austin’s own Newspaper Blackout poems? If you’re the photography type, would the vintage filter on a Lomography Domino Camera send you out on a snapping excursion? Or does the blank page inspire you? Maybe perching at an (out)standing workstation gets your creative juices flowing. But if you’re really stuck, we do hope you have an Artist’s Mini Survival Kit at the ready!

If, on the other hand, you’re really feeling like a powerhouse of imagination, it’s wise to have multiple surfaces (like a real, working, mini Etch-a-Sketch necklace — you know, for when the sketchbook isn’t handy) on which to scribble your best creative secrets. And they wouldn’t be creative secrets if you didn’t have the option of eliminating any trace of your notes and sketches. No, seriously,  I mustache you to erase that.

[vimeo]http://player.vimeo.com/video/37086074″ width=”500″ height=”281″ frameborder=”0″ webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen>

Steal Like An Artist Book Trailer from Austin Kleon on Vimeo.

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PS: Rule #8 (page 100 in Steal Like An Artist): Be Nice. Make Friends.

Oh, say can you see…through the smoke of the grill? This week’s “Live by the Book” style guide is appropriately patriotic in its celebration of Steven Raichlen’s BBQ USA: 425 Fiery Recipes from All Across America. Whether you’re the type to casually don some stars ‘n’ stripes shades before firing up your elegant planter-turned-grill or prefer the shock-and-awe effect of sprinting over to the festivities in some Bruce Springsteen-inspired spandies (oh, but where to conceal your hamburger wallet? Dilemmas, people!), we’ve got you covered.

From meat-of-the-month club to a berry-licious dessert, from savory seasonings to burger branding tools (how else would you indicate rare/medium/well done  status?)…how about a toy grill for the wee ones to start practicing! But down to the really important stuff: If you’re pondering what, exactly, to slap on the grill, here’s a 4th of July menu from Steven (aka the “gladiator of grilling”) himself. And hey, even if you’re not washing everything down with home-brewed beer, at least you’re popping the cap off your Bud with a bottle opener ring.

Happy 4th of July, from all of us at Workman! (And from the Boss, exquisitely time-traveled from 1985.)

According to Julian Fellowes, creator of Downton Abbey, the book To Marry an English Lord by Carol McD. Wallace and Gail MacColl was one of his inspirations for the popular series. Considered the definitive book about American heiresses who married English aristocrats in the late 19th century, the book certainly served as our inspiration for today’s “Live By the Book” style guide. Teacup rings, phonograph iPad docks, Downton Abbey paper dolls, an engagement calendar to celebrate the new season, piles of lilac ruffles, and more: our offerings for a modern take on Edwardian society.

Live by the Book: To Marry an English Lord by workmanpub

To surround yourself with more Gilded Age goodness, visit the author’s Pinterest board. And stay tuned for our next “Live by the Books”…what pages would you like to see us ruffle next?

Welcome to the inaugural Workman “Live by the Book” style guide, wherein we regularly gather images/activities/products  inspired by our favorite new titles. Last month was National Bike Month, and because we haven’t quite shaken the urge to ride (hey, spring time = bike time! — why limit our enthusiasm to a single month?), we’re starting with Just Ride: A Radically Practical Guide to Riding Your Bike by Grant Petersen. For this new release, a book that celebrates the pure joy of riding (forget the spandex and clip-in pedals), we’re inspired by pretty bike dresses, loose-fitting seersucker button-downs (Grant’s favorite when it comes to “official bike gear”)…

…a wicker basket so your pet can join you on your next 2-wheel adventure, a side table made from broken down bike parts (or how about this one, on wheels!), some free-wheeling poster art, a convertible bike bag (seriously, the video is worth the click), an adorable pair of bicycle-inspired flats, a tandem for rolling with your homie, a stainless steel water bottle to keep you hydrated (and in a color to match your new book, of course), a hand-painted bike bell to let everyone know you’ve arrived (because that’s how we…ahem…roll), and of course, what bike experience would be complete without sparkly streamers flowing from the handlebars? Now if only we could track down some of those bicycle spoke beads — oh my goodness, they DO still make them!

And, if you need further incentive to burn your spandex in favor of seersucker:

New York City seems to be extending its bike celebration into summer with the launch of its first ever bike share program in July. And since “I-dont-own-a-bike” is about to get crossed off your list of excuses, here are some inspiring “why I ride” reasons that Grant Petersen recently shared over at bikeleague.org (including one good reason that most New Yorkers with a car can certainly get behind: “I can park my bike on the sidewalk, or a lawn, or anywhere. I don’t need a parking lot”).

Grant also notes that “a bike fits in places a car doesn’t” — like here, a curious sight I stumbled upon last weekend (an analog bike rally?) — where a couple dozen bikes (and one ride-on tractor) rested where only a few cars would otherwise fit.