Summer catch-up!

10 things you might have missed

“Anything Can Happen at the Pool,” newspaper + marker, 2026

Hey y’all,

It’s the dog days of summer and there’s a lot going on. Here are 10 things from this newsletter you might’ve missed:

1. I shared this video on Instagram about which one of my books you should read first and much to my surprise it pleased the algorithm gods and took off:

   The wild thing about a social media site deciding to, you know, actually show the people who follow you the stuff you make is that you realize just how many of the people who follow you don’t really follow you because they never see you in their feed. Which is to say, I experienced a lot of this:

   

   So, please allow me to say it again: I have a new book out! It’s called Don’t Call It Art. It’s a book for when making things isn’t much fun anymore. It hit multiple bestseller lists. People have given it really great reviews. You can read all about it in the introduction. Here are 7 books from the recommended reading list and 2 deleted zines with bonus material. If you like my other books, you’ll like this one:

   

2. Bertrand Russell said, “One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one’s work is terribly important.” Here’s how you can get some cosmic perspective.
   
   

3. Some of the most helpful advice I’ve received is from Beth Pickens: “Artists are people who suffer when they’re not making art.” A book release can be really exhausting and creatively depleting, so I’m trying to pay extra close attention to the daily practices that help me keep going. Reading a lot — especially bromance! Lots of writing in my diary — even on tour! Rituals and routines and things to look forward to, like: every Friday I check my PO Box and answer mail.
   
   

4. “When so many of life’s problems are unsolvable, solvable problems are a wonderful distraction.” The comfort of solving a Rubik’s Cube.
   
   

5. How to have a great family movie night.
   
   

6. I’m on my third year of making a mixtape every month! “Weep to Water The Trees,” “March 2026,” and “I Shall Be Released!” are full of sad bangers, “In A (Summer) Funk” and “Love TKO” have smoother jams, and “Snow in April” and “About Time” are full of icy tunes. (Sometimes I like to listen to winter-y music in summer.) And yes, these are real mixtapes on cassette with artwork — here is my cassette rack filling up:

   

7. Not everybody knows that each of my Friday newsletters has a secret easter egg link in the “hey y’all” greeting and the “xoxo” signoff. If you’ve missed this and you’re bored, going back through the archives could keep you busy for quite a while.
   
   

8. A fun all-ages drawing game: How to make an exquisite corpse.
   
   

9. Lots of people ask me how I come up with the stuff I put in this newsletter every week. Here’s what I think is the best way to read the internet and how I get into something new.
   
   

10. I’ve published some really excellent typewriter interviews including some visually wild ones with Marc Bell and Jennifer Daniel. There are many more on the way. The latest is with artist Erik Winkowski and is not to be missed:

Thanks a ton for reading. If you’d like to support this hand-rolled publication, buy my books and become a paid subscriber:

xoxo,

Austin