It's so interesting how monoculture evolves . . . it may not be as all encompassing as it was when media was more centralized, but it seems that humanity still finds way to have collective experiences in surprising ways. I was just reflecting in my newsletter on the anglerfish swimming to the ocean's surface that captured our attention in February (although it felt years ago) and the meaning we all tried to ascribe to it!
Since it's Dead Week (I think I like the Norwegian word Romjul more), I just finished my 100 Things For 2025-list. Thanks to your post in the first week of January this year. It's so nice to see all those memories, to laugh, think and re-read. Thank you for your ongoing inspiration.
As always, thank you for always providing thought provoking tidbits (and big bites). Two things from this weeks newsletter
1) Glitches often lead to the best art (and the best discoveries, solutions, [insert list here])
2) By reading your newsletter, hearing your chats with folks, reading your books (currently re-reading Steal like an Artist)-- I feel introduced to "people I should have known" and now I do. 🙏
Finally gave my brother the indie animator (his latest project is at https://youtu.be/zaoHr9CYPhY?si=uRX5Amoqii3DnLqT) the Mary Blair exhibit catalogue I bought for him after you mentioned the exhibit and in talking with him and my bestie about how Claire Keane feels like a spiritual successor to Mary Blair, I remembered another Frozen visual development artist who gave me Mary Blair vibes: Brittney Lee. She actually illustrated a children's book about Mary Blair. https://books.disney.com/book/mary-blairs-unique-flair/
For some reason I glommed onto your teaser of a year-end list in last Friday’s newsletter, but now we’re here and the fact that you opted out of the tradition doesn’t bother me after all. Maybe I will, too! Year-end cheers to you and yours, and happy dead week 🥂
I quit resolutions and have been doing a Word for the Year for over 30 years. I hold them lightly throughout the year and let them simmer. It’s always amazing? Interesting? To think back on the word and see where it did its magic.
2025 was untangle and I think 2026 will be REVOLUTION.
I do this as well, and even if I temporarily forget about my word / theme for the year, it’s seeping into all corners of my subconscious and it feels quite magical to look back and reflect.
Instead of lists, I make a full-page spread of books and draw a circle-ish line around each title+author in blue. A list without the heaviness of lists. I’ve been adding what lead me to the book (in green) because I like see where things take me.
“I’m tired of making these lists! And I often wonder if I stop making year-end lists if it will free me up even more to stop slogging through books I don’t like, to be even more promiscuous, read intros and articles and websites and PDFs and just generally be more reckless.”
Today I was thinking that’s why my daily “what I read today“ is more valuable to me than a list of finished things. I don’t want to rush through books to be done with them for a list; I want them to accompany me to give me something to think about. Slowly.
It's so interesting how monoculture evolves . . . it may not be as all encompassing as it was when media was more centralized, but it seems that humanity still finds way to have collective experiences in surprising ways. I was just reflecting in my newsletter on the anglerfish swimming to the ocean's surface that captured our attention in February (although it felt years ago) and the meaning we all tried to ascribe to it!
Since it's Dead Week (I think I like the Norwegian word Romjul more), I just finished my 100 Things For 2025-list. Thanks to your post in the first week of January this year. It's so nice to see all those memories, to laugh, think and re-read. Thank you for your ongoing inspiration.
What will you do if something really awesome happens tomorrow?!? 😂 (j/k)
As always, thank you for always providing thought provoking tidbits (and big bites). Two things from this weeks newsletter
1) Glitches often lead to the best art (and the best discoveries, solutions, [insert list here])
2) By reading your newsletter, hearing your chats with folks, reading your books (currently re-reading Steal like an Artist)-- I feel introduced to "people I should have known" and now I do. 🙏
Once I get my piano out of storage and tuned, I will be practicing the piano to suck less. 😁
Finally gave my brother the indie animator (his latest project is at https://youtu.be/zaoHr9CYPhY?si=uRX5Amoqii3DnLqT) the Mary Blair exhibit catalogue I bought for him after you mentioned the exhibit and in talking with him and my bestie about how Claire Keane feels like a spiritual successor to Mary Blair, I remembered another Frozen visual development artist who gave me Mary Blair vibes: Brittney Lee. She actually illustrated a children's book about Mary Blair. https://books.disney.com/book/mary-blairs-unique-flair/
Ooooh thanks for this!!
For some reason I glommed onto your teaser of a year-end list in last Friday’s newsletter, but now we’re here and the fact that you opted out of the tradition doesn’t bother me after all. Maybe I will, too! Year-end cheers to you and yours, and happy dead week 🥂
“Do we contradict ourselves? Very well then, we contradict ourselves!!” (I think I’m gonna weave it into the top 100) happy new year!!
I quit resolutions and have been doing a Word for the Year for over 30 years. I hold them lightly throughout the year and let them simmer. It’s always amazing? Interesting? To think back on the word and see where it did its magic.
2025 was untangle and I think 2026 will be REVOLUTION.
I do this as well, and even if I temporarily forget about my word / theme for the year, it’s seeping into all corners of my subconscious and it feels quite magical to look back and reflect.
Instead of lists, I make a full-page spread of books and draw a circle-ish line around each title+author in blue. A list without the heaviness of lists. I’ve been adding what lead me to the book (in green) because I like see where things take me.
I tried to do a big murder wall book map in 2023 — I think it broke me for the whole endeavor of doing a year end thing 😂 https://austinkleon.com/2024/01/01/my-reading-year-2023/
“I’m tired of making these lists! And I often wonder if I stop making year-end lists if it will free me up even more to stop slogging through books I don’t like, to be even more promiscuous, read intros and articles and websites and PDFs and just generally be more reckless.”
Today I was thinking that’s why my daily “what I read today“ is more valuable to me than a list of finished things. I don’t want to rush through books to be done with them for a list; I want them to accompany me to give me something to think about. Slowly.
Simply brilliant on the skip-January-resolutions-do-in-February idea. Thanks Austin for giving me a new tradition to begin!
Here to serve 😂
“Next week, somehow it will be January.” What a line! Can I use it for my Jan sketchbook name?
Do it!
Thank you 🤩