In his book, Steal Like an Artist, Austin Kleon recommends collecting the things that inspire you in a place called a Swipe File. In an attempt to refill my creative well, I’ve start using my Tumblr page again, this time as a swipe file–a place to assemble quotes, pictures, gif sets, music, and videos IContinue reading “a cabinet of curiosities”
Author Archives: joshua chamberlain
mr. america
(presented without commentary or commercial interruption)
zines, zines, zines
Lately, I’ve been taking a page from Austin Kleon’s book recently and spending my free time making zines. It’s been a magnificent way to pass time, channel my anxiety during this time, and jolt my creativity into action. I recently listened to an episode of Design Matters with Debbie Millman that featured Seth Godin. “TheContinue reading “zines, zines, zines”
the post-its on my desk
a collection of small proverbs I’ve collected over the years, about writing, making art, and living well… “so what?” make big plays TODAY! “I’m doing this thing because I believe in it.” every scene is a chase scene Unity, Coherence, Development suffer the consequences Each paragraph is a single shot. Paragraph breaks are cuts. YourContinue reading “the post-its on my desk”
listening to yourself
Everyone I talk to needed this time. It seems we all needed to sit with ourselves. To stop rushing around. To keep quiet long enough to hear ourselves. Austin Kleon articulated this idea beautifully in the context of advice. He writes, “I think, in all times, but especially in these, if you sit quietly forContinue reading “listening to yourself”
why Mad Men now more than ever
I really enjoyed this article from The Ringer, describing why Mad Men is the perfect choice for binge-watching right now. “Beyond catharsis, Mad Men’s depiction of historical chaos can be strangely calming. After all, it’s the past; not every fictional character got a happy ending, but society itself survived and moved on, despite the not-unreasonableContinue reading “why Mad Men now more than ever”
kill your heroes
Like most American men, my early twenties could easily be described as my “Kerouac Phase.” From roughly May of 2012 until sometime in the early fall of 2018, my life was a flurry of road trips, drug use, and pursuit of genuine connection with my own artistic circle, all shaped by Jack Kerouac’s prose andContinue reading “kill your heroes”
the work continues
Charles McNulty, a theater critic for the Los Angeles Times, recently published an open letter to his students, detailing how even now, theater and literature have immense power to sustain the human spirit. “Great literature, as Chekhov illustrates in his plays and short stories, is where simplistic binaries die. Characters live personal lives while contendingContinue reading “the work continues”
building a routine
As we’re all navigating the strangeness of being trapped at home, I keep hearing time and time again that the best way to mitigate depression and insanity during this time is to stick to a routine. While I was in college, I spent my summers working as a camp counselor in rural Ohio. The campContinue reading “building a routine”
spending my days
Thought I’d share a few thing I’m using to pass the recent days. Movies: Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man (1943) – The greatest cinematic crossover event in history. Don’t @ me. Creature From The Black Lagoon (1954) Revenge of The Creature (1956) – yikes… Frankenstein (1931) Bride of Frankenstein (1935) The Wolf Man (1941) –Continue reading “spending my days”
joshua chamberlain 