- Be Yourself Marketing
- Posts
- [🐝U] & unlock the secret to Stealing Like an Artist
[🐝U] & unlock the secret to Stealing Like an Artist
EG Orren
July 30, 2025
Stealing is bad.
That’s pretty much a universal truth, right?
Wrong … kinda
Flat-out copy/paste/publish is wrong on so many levels, it needs its own email to sort through
& that’s true whether you’re asking AI to write/do something for you or you find something you want to use for your own marketing.
stealing IS cheating…
It never ends well … not in the long run
BUT …
What if it’s stealing adjacent?
What if instead of stealing you swipe?
There IS a difference.
& it’s not as much of a grey area as you’d think
You CAN “swipe” without “stealing”
If you spend any amount of time in marketing, (even if you’re not a marketer by trade) you’re going to hear the word “swipe”
Swipe file
Swipe folder
Swiping can be good
Think of it like a marketing inspiration board.
It’s your creative toolbox
“The only art I’ll ever study is stuff that I can steal from.”
Swipe files can include things like:
→ headlines or hooks that made you stop scrolling
→ sales promos that kept you reading
→ offers that felt irresistible & left you wanting to whip out your credit card
pretty much any scenario that left you thinking, “I wish I could write like that”
1 of the MOST swiped headlines EVER is 100 years old & still going strong!
Copywriting legend John Caples wrote this in 1926…
I’ve seen that with everything from selling cars to rain gutters.
John Caples even swiped his own headline…
Swiping can be good.
You really don’t have to reinvent the wheel
“There is nothing new under the sun.”
You DO need to “make it your own”
& it does need to make sense as a whole
But it doesn’t always work.
Because if you just randomly collect & apply swiped ideas, you’ll create some destructive & dysfunctional Frankenstein-ish monster
You need to Swipe “Steal Like An Artist”
Anytime I recommend a book or webinar, it’s usually followed with, “don’t buy anything”
free first …
Get books from the library
Watch the training & learn from the offer structure
& keep your wallet in your pants!
BUT …
You’ll do yourself a favor by paying for a few physical copies of Austin Kleon’s book “Steal Like An Artist” from his website
yes … not only am I say buy, I’m saying buy a few!
& not just because it’s a NY Times Bestseller & there’s a 10th Anniversary gift edition
Because you’re going to get a crazy collection of doodles like these you can cut out & pin to your wall … tape to your monitor … anywhere you need them front & center
I’d pay to get proper mini-posters if they were available!
Start stealing like an artist without feeling like a cheat.
IDEA Framework to “steal like an artist”
I → Identify what stands out
D → Deconstruct why it works
E → Extract the principle
A → Apply it in your voice ← this is where the magic happens IMO
Your voice (& examples) + Their framework (& ideas) = Original Marketing
Even the IDEA framework (acronym) has been swiped…
→ strategic planning it’s Identify, Design, Execute, Assess
→ instructional design it’s Introduce, Describe, Explain, Apply
→ copywriting it’s Interest, Desire, Evidence, Action
“You do not write copy, you assemble it. You are working with a series of building block, you are putting the building blocks together, and then you are putting them in certain structures, you are building a little city of desire for your person to come and live in.”
I’m always learning, reading, listening…
First, find the facts
Apply to the framework
& assemble
Fact-based news without bias awaits. Make 1440 your choice today.
Overwhelmed by biased news? Cut through the clutter and get straight facts with your daily 1440 digest. From politics to sports, join millions who start their day informed.
They Laughed When ___ I collected & hand-wrote hundreds of old advertising examples
But When I Started to ___ make lots of money (for my clients & me) with writing …
Check out some business & marketing newsletters I’m subscribed to (with no premium/paid versions) to start your Swipe Files (inspiration board, creative toolbox)
→ The Growth Newsletter breaks down the tactics fast-growing startups use to grow. Step-by-step
→ Learn how to write stories readers love so much, they tell friends about it (The Story Grid)
→ Swipe Files gives you “cutting-edge, occasionally crazy ideas” for SaaS (that I’ve applied elsewhere!)
→ I Will Teach You To Be Rich is a refreshingly straightforward tips on budgeting & saving money
Brian Kurtz writes about The OG of Stealing Smart in his newsletter (aka blog)
My friend Czaba (also mentioned in Brian’s blog) has an 18-minute video breakdown of the John Caples headline (so you can learn to swipe the IDEA instead of steal the words).
& he’s given me a link to get his book (The Rapid Lead Activator) that helps you breakdown & swipe-smart emails to your prospects & clients … for free
Try using SubjectLine.com for, you guessed it, email subject lines. It rates & recommends changes … for free. It gave this email’s subject line 100 out of 100
(I lost some points on urgency & length but made up for it)
Phew!
There’s a lot to click on today. Let me know if it’s a bit too much OR if you want more resources … I may share more of my “swipes” if you’re interested.
Make it a great “artistically swiped“ week!
EG
PS:
Start learning AI in 2025
Keeping up with AI is hard – we get it!
That’s why over 1M professionals read Superhuman AI to stay ahead.
Get daily AI news, tools, and tutorials
Learn new AI skills you can use at work in 3 mins a day
Become 10X more productive
📈 Want to talk about turning swipes into success instead of monsters?
Find a time that fits your schedule.