26 Comments
User's avatar
Mitchell Volk's avatar

Did you cut out or find the SHOWERS letters? They're very clean but still feel handmade.

Expand full comment
Lin Bentley Keeling's avatar

Another great mix of interesting things and ideas!

Expand full comment
Pauline David-Sax's avatar

I love the cover art you made for this month’s mix tape! It reminded me that I keep meaning to ask you if you have any post where you describe how you make lifted type collages. I’d love to add it to my zine-making toolkit!

Expand full comment
Austin Kleon's avatar

yeah I should do one soon. I held off for a long time because I didn't want to sort of "spook" the process, but I'll do a collage tutorial at some point

Expand full comment
Kelly Turner's avatar

Thank you! One of my core beliefs is that the world desperately needs more Weird Little Things.

Expand full comment
H.A. Witte's avatar

The Dwindling Party is hands down our family favorite. I have a well worn copy that brings back the kid voices reading it out loud....

Expand full comment
Lynn Mason's avatar

My favorite on this newsletter is the links to Jeff Bridges. I read the NYT article on him and was fascinated how multi-faceted his is. Not just movies like Against All Odds which I just love. I loved seeing and reading about his photography with the Wideluxx, which I had never heard of. His photos of more than 30 years are fascinating. I also fell in love with his song, My Welcome Mat, through Jeff Bridges and the Abiders. I loved reading about his love of family and his book, Daddy Daughter Day with his oldest daughter and its support of No Kid Hungry.

You have given me a lot to feast on just with #4. Love your newsletter. I will be a lifetime subscriber as I learn so much.

Expand full comment
Christine Havens's avatar

#1-4 especially resonate with me. Jeff Bridges’s quote will go in my commonplace book:

“You’ve got to let the ego just go sit on the bench, and just hear what wants to be done through you…. See what wants to be born…. You’re not doing it, it’s doing you.”

I chuckled when the Poem of the Day from the Poetry Foundation showed up in my inbox this morning:

“Considering the Snail”

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/52887/considering-the-snail?utm_source=Poetry%20Foundation&utm_campaign=57c1379375-NO_TITLE&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_ff7136981c-57c1379375-269373078&mc_cid=57c1379375&mc_eid=d174964f45

Expand full comment
Austin Kleon's avatar

Oh thanks! Will add to my snail trail 🐌

Expand full comment
Jim Crotty's avatar

My favorite Friday fix of creative inspiration!

Expand full comment
Julie Moore's avatar

Love "The Inflatable Man"! Thank you.

Expand full comment
Maggie Slater's avatar

Ha! This little film is GREAT. I never thought about making tiny films. It inspired me to make one of my own about my favorite green. It's here if you get REEEEALLY bored: https://www.instagram.com/p/DI3-dzYRg4r/ .

Expand full comment
B.A. Lampman's avatar

Oh my---I haven't read the rest of the article yet, but I had to go straight to the NYT piece on Suleika Jaouad to see the third paragraph. And ya---what the hell? That's very annoying.

I don't subscribe to Suleika Jaouad's newsletter, but I'm glad she's out there normalizing journaling. I always say that journaling saved my ass... maybe not as elegant as "saved my life", but I suspect we're talking about the same thing.

Expand full comment
Austin Kleon's avatar

Yes! I feel the same

Expand full comment
Sherry Phelan PhD's avatar

I appreciate you for sharing your inspiring musings. You introduce me to creative artistry I would never be exposed to otherwise.

Expand full comment
Austin Kleon's avatar

Thanks for being here!

Expand full comment
Liz's avatar
Apr 25Edited

I wanted to thank you for the playlist! And for putting up on Apple Music (I will be

Spotify’s final adopter, not a fan).

Expand full comment
Austin Kleon's avatar

Spotify sucks, but the majority of listeners, unfortunately, are on it

Expand full comment
Milaka's avatar

Better Call Saul had an amazing montage incorporating an inflatable man: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6j6K6zWT-Nc (It kicks in around :48 on this clip)

Expand full comment
Austin Kleon's avatar

Scene must’ve wormed its way into my subconscious because I don’t remember it! Thanks for pointing me to it

Expand full comment
Milaka's avatar

I used to teach a high school "Film Basics" class and I used that scene for an example of a montage. I always think of Bob Odenkirk when I see an inflatable man!

Expand full comment
Rainey Knudson's avatar

Great list.

Sad Dad Had Bad: painfully true on many levels. And the drawing!

Expand full comment
Andy Alexis's avatar

So...is there a MRS. Inflatable Man? AKA Inflatable woman?

Expand full comment
Andy Alexis's avatar

Deflate yourself.

Expand full comment