Austin Kleon - Diving in

Hey y’all,

Here are 10 things I thought were worth sharing this week: 

1. A kind of reading that is like diving for pearls.
    
2. I finally read some of Walter Benjamin’s classic writings collected in Illuminations and Reflections, and understood about a 1/3 of what I read. (My favorites: “Unpacking my Library,” “The Storyteller,” and “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.”) This piece puts him in context.
    
3. How almanacs help us deal with cyclical time.
    
4. I drew Cheryl Strayed interviewing Andrew Sean Greer about his marvelous novel, Less. (One of my favorite reads of 2019.)
    
5. Studies suggest we’re all getting less creative, so get bored, stare at a spot on the wall, go for a walk, hit the bliss station, etc. (You lovely readers know what to do.)
    
6. Pool party: When my kids get to be too much in the pool, I grab a waterproof notebook and we make some pool poems and pool comics.
    
7. Eye and ear candy: Madonna’s “Vogue” (directed by David Fincher!) came on the 90s music video channel I sometimes watch late at night and it sent me down a nostalgic rabbit hole, watching this amazing performance at the 1990 VMAs, and reading about the song’s history and lasting relevance. (I am told by reputable sources that the Madonna episode of the 60 Songs That Explain the 90s podcast is a must-listen.)
    
8. Movies: An appreciation of Richard Linklater’s Slacker. (Linklater is one of my favorite directors.)
    
9. A lovely piece about what happens after we die. (See also: David Eagleman’s Sum: 40 Tales of the Afterlives.)
    
10. A reminder for this week: It’s okay to sniff for poison, but be sure to also seek nourishment.