It’s non-negotiable

In this week's newsletter: the importance of showing up, reading recommendations, ear and eye candy, and more...

In this week's newsletter: the importance of showing up, reading recommendations, ear and eye candy, and more... Hey y'all, Here are 10 things I thought were worth sharing this week:  It's not easy to sit down every day with next-to-nothing and try to make something appear. But this portion of our day is non-negotiable. You start out not knowing and go from there. (Remember: It doesn't have to be good, it just has to exist.)   This week I just wanted some nighttime reading that was quick and easy and good, so I read Kevin Wilson's novel Nothing To See Here. (Thanks again to Wendy for the recommendation! Speaking of, her blockbuster cookbook with Samin Nosrat, Salt Fat Acid Heat, would make an excellent holiday gift, as would these prints and post cards.)    I also read an advance copy of Annie Atkins' book, Fake Love Letters, Forged Telegrams, and Prison Escape Maps: Designing Graphic Props for Filmmaking. Very cool read for graphic design and film nerds, but also archivists and people interested in researching the past. (Check out her Instagram.)   The best thing I read this week: "Lovers in Auschwitz, Reunited 72 Years Later."   The best epigraphs of 2019. (I love that I casually tweeted this idea out 3 years ago, and Ashley's been rising to the challenge ever since. Here's 2017 and 2018.)   In the frenzy of awards season and year-end lists celebrating the contemporary, here's a reminder to read old books and steal old stuff, too.   This week's mailbag: "Have you thought about writing a book for parents?" (If you're shopping for little ones, here are my favorite art supplies for drawing with kids.)   Ear candy: I loved Prince: The Story of 1999, a podcast miniseries put out to advertise the new 1999 super deluxe box set. (I've also been playing Cate le Bon's Reward every morning while writing and drawing.)   Eye candy: I enjoyed the fruits of all that Amazon money they spent on the 3rd season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. (Also: I want to watch every single one of my friend Lance's movie recommendations for Christmas Day.)   RIP Carroll Spinney, the man inside Big Bird. Here's a cool Twitter thread about the origins of his characters on Sesame Street. (I need to watch the documentary about him, I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story.) Thanks for reading. If you like this newsletter and want to support it, forward it to someone who'd like it or, even better, buy them a book! If you're seeing this newsletter for the first time, you can subscribe here. xoxo,  Austin PS. If you need stocking stuffers, you can get Keep Going right now for $7.50 online and it — along with my other square books! — will literally fit in a stocking: Austin Kleon is the author of Steal Like An Artist and other books. Subscribe to this newsletter   Copyright © 2019 Austin Kleon, All rights reserved. My mailing address is: Austin Kleon 1101 W 34th St Box #102 Austin, TX 78705 Please read this before sending me snail mail! You're getting this email because you signed up for it at austinkleon.com. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Amazon Affiliate links offset the cost of sending these missives.

Drawing has to come out of your body

In this week's newsletter: what kids can show us about drawing, what sleep has to do with art, and more...

In this week's newsletter: what I'm reading, watching, listening to, and more...  View this email in your browser Hey y'all, Here are 10 things I thought were worth sharing this week:  Drawing has to come out of your body.   I'm currently reading Matthew Walker's Why We Sleep. (I wrote about sleep, making art, and trying to hold onto last night's dream.)   I'm also reading Lydia Davis's Essays. (Here are 10 of her recommendations for good writing habits.) If you want to squeeze in some reading before the end of the year, here is a list of my favorite books you could finish in a long afternoon.   The Mister Rogers no one saw. ("A lot of this — all of this — is just tending soil," he said. I wrote more about the seed and the soil.)   I had a really nice conversation on the podcast Crazy Good Turns.    Music: I've been listening to a lot of Aphex Twin, especially Selected Ambient Works, Volume II. If you need an intro, here's a list of his best songs made into a Spotify playlist to get you started.   Movies: Errol Morris says there are no good movies, but I loved Knives Out. I recommend you skip the trailer and reading anything about it and just go see it. (Speaking of trailers, I had never heard of Portrait of a Lady on Fire, then I saw it was number one on David Sims' year-end list. It looks great.)   Year-end list season is definitely upon us, and I feel it is my duty to remind you how much of the year is left. (That said, you know I love lists, so here are some from my favorites: John Waters' top ten 2019 films, Stephanie Zacharek's 10 best movies of 2019, Michael Silverblatt's best books of 2019, Ted Gioia's 100 best recordings of 2019, Amanda Petrusich's favorite music of 2019 and the decade, and Jason Kottke's list of lists of the best books of 2019.) Luckily I'm not a book critic and I don't have to make my year-end list until the year's end, but as an experiment, I've been sharing my favorites season by season.   Feel-good link of the week: How watching Jeopardy! together helped Sam Anderson say goodbye to his dad.    Today is the last day to order signed, drawn in, and personalized copies of my books from Bookpeople for shipping in time for the holidays. I'll sign as many as you want — they make great gifts for co-workers, students, your weird uncle, etc. (If you don't need them signed and just want 'em cheap, head here and get them from your favorite retailer.) Thanks for reading. If you like this newsletter and want to keep it free, forward it to someone who'd like it or, even better, BUY SOME BOOKS! If you're seeing this newsletter for the first time, you can subscribe here. xoxo,  Austin PS. Seriously, I don't mess around when I sign books: Austin Kleon is the author of Steal Like An Artist and other books. Subscribe to this newsletter   Copyright © 2019 Austin Kleon, All rights reserved. My mailing address is: Austin Kleon 1101 W 34th St Box #102 Austin, TX 78705 Please read this before sending me snail mail! You're getting this email because you signed up for it at austinkleon.com. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Amazon Affiliate links offset the cost of sending these missives.

Ask and they will tell you

In this week's newsletter: the value of a good editor, defacing books for art, and more...

In this week's newsletter: the value of a good editor, defacing books for art, and more... View this email in your browser Hey y'all, Better late than never. Here are 10 things I thought were worth sharing this week:  Let's get Black Friday out of the way: If you're starting your holiday shopping, might I recommend my books signed and personalized and shipped anywhere from Bookpeople? (Also, here's some of my favorite pens, notebooks, etc. and my favorite books.)   It took some effort, but I finished Richard Powers' The Overstory. Meanwhile, I read a lot of comics at the breakfast table: Chris Ware's Rusty Brown, Kevin Huizenga's The River at Night, and Eleanor Davis's The Hard Tomorrow.     A good editor is hard to find.   From the mailbag: "Is it okay to deface books for art?"   What Joe Biden can't bring himself to say. (There's been some terrific writing lately about stuttering.)   Music: A great profile of Beck Hansen. (I had forgotten how much Beck I listened to in the 90s.)   Movies: Last year, I started a site to archive my friend Lance's Christmas movie recommendations. (Some of my favorites: Bad Santa, Christmas in Connecticut, The Thin Man, and Die Hard.) This year Lance is recommending movies to watch on Christmas Day, and he's started with a bang, recommending two of my favorite movies in a row: Jackie Brown and Amadeus.   TV: I really enjoyed season 3 of The Crown. (I'm a big Olivia Colman fan — she's starred in a bunch of my favorites, including Fleabag, The Favourite, The Night Manager, Hot Fuzz, and The Lobster.)   RIP cartoonist Gahan Wilson, who was suffering from dementia and whose family had to raise his healthcare funds through GoFundMe, but was still drawing. (I sometimes wonder when artists die, Where do their images go?)   RIP writer Clive James, who praised the NHS for helping to extend his life for decade so he could keep writing. (I'm grateful to him and all the poets who leave us away messages.) Thanks for reading. If you like this newsletter and want to support it, forward it to someone who'd like it or, even better, buy them a book! If you're seeing this newsletter for the first time, you can subscribe here. xoxo,  Austin Austin Kleon is the author of Steal Like An Artist and other books. Subscribe to this newsletter   Copyright © 2019 Austin Kleon, All rights reserved. My mailing address is: Austin Kleon 1101 W 34th St Box #102 Austin, TX 78705 Please read this before sending me snail mail! You're getting this email because you signed up for it at austinkleon.com. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Amazon Affiliate links offset the cost of sending these missives.