I enjoy Austin Keon’s stuff — one of the newsletters I have not unsubbed from.
The thing is I get inspired. I’d love to do collage like that – I carry around a paste stick — and use it too!!
But
Inspiration is a distraction.
Keep the focus!
The Reader and the Writer
Just read this here:
The reader is the musician of the book
https://austinkleon.com/2018/04/23/shelf-life-2/
“Books are frozen voices, in the same way that musical scores are frozen music. The score is a way of transmitting the music to someone who can play it, releasing it into the air where it can once more be heard. And the black alphabet marks on the page represent words that were once spoken, if only in the writer’s head. They lie there inert until a reader comes along and transforms the letters into living sounds. The reader is the musician of the book: each reader may read the same text, just as each violinist plays the same piece, but each interpretation is different.”
—Margaret Atwood
This of course rhymes and echoes with the concept of the Canon of Creativity – conserves > warm up > spontaneity > creativity.
I’m writing this post as it goes well with a thought we developed recently about The Writer.
The writer is the servant of the vision.
The writer can give the voice to the vision. The writer is not you, or the whole of you. The writer has a job to to. The vision needs no bounds. The writer will prune and edit in a way the visionary can’t.
The discipline of the writer will paradoxically enhance the vision.
Austin Kleon & doing art.
I’m a fan. I get his newsletter and calendars.
Look at this beautifully crafted blog post. Inspiring in content and also in form. This would win a blog Oscar if there were one.
https://austinkleon.com/2017/07/13/want-to-be-an-artist-watch-groundhog-day/
Such a simple point. Do a little art everyday. Presented by a thousand art coaches, but here it is fresh and inspiring.
~
Now on a more personal more. I committed to work on my art book 15 minutes a day in January. Managed that for about 28 of the 31.
At day 28 I got tired. But more than that I got stuck. I wish I’d read his post then, but never mind, back on the wagon.
The interesting thing is that the book is about the hero’s journey. If you read Austin’s post you will see that he does not like the word journey for the art process. Making art is not linear.
But then again there is a pattern.
Once you are in that “special world” there is really no turning back and going forward there are just tests and ordeals. Until you get through, till you are on the road back.
No way am I through with my project. I’m facing tests and ordeals. And here is a page I’ve got of just that.
This is reflexive moment on the journey. I’m illustrating the trouble I’m in. Back to groundhog day.
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BTW there are plenty of blog awards. One blogger of the year features the slogan Eat, Sleep, Blog, Repeat.