I’ve been trying to take a page from Jennifer Egan’s book lately and allow my unconscious do the work. This means writing by hand, following characters where they want to go. I wrote a scene this morning I thought was going to end with a character forcing their way onstage to perform at a bar.Continue reading “let your unconscious do the work”
Category Archives: art
somewhere to be terrible
I’ve been dabbling with collages for a few years now. It helps me clear my head and express what I can’t with words. But somewhere down the line, I got stuck. The process of cutting and pasting became too important. I’d wind up crushing a finished collage under the weight of what I expected itContinue reading “somewhere to be terrible”
gorging on forbidden fruit
In this age of colossal cinematic crossovers (thing such as The Avengers or Godzilla vs. Kong), perhaps the one that beats all the others is Austin Kleon’s appearance on Andy J. Pizza’s Creative Pep Talk. In a conversation that ranges from setting creative rules for yourself to following your disgust, my favorite bit came asContinue reading “gorging on forbidden fruit”
the art of inversion
I had a conversation with some friends last night about inversion–the idea of taking something and flipping it on its head. Example: one of my college professors once gave a lecture on divorcing the signifier from the signified. He said the the class, “Green means…” and everyone replied “Go.” “Red means…” the professor said. “Stop,”Continue reading “the art of inversion”
don’t save a thing
Being a human is about embracing contradiction. A while back, I wrote about saving everything. No matter who bad the work is going, it’s worth putting in a folder instead of dumping your garbage can. However, often when I’m writing, I’ll have an idea and think, “That’s good, I want to use it, but notContinue reading “don’t save a thing”
bad days
Some days, I just feel bad. Even as it seems the world could be on the upswing, it’s often hard not to feel dread in the air. Making things helps.
seven questions no one asked me
Once again taking a page from Austin Kleon’s book, I really enjoyed reading and responding to this New York Times article, in which 75 artists were asked about how they spent the last year. Here are my own responses (even though no one asked me): 1. What’s one thing you made this year? I spentContinue reading “seven questions no one asked me”
the power of juxtaposition
In his famous interview with François Truffaut, Alfred Hitchcock details the power of placing two images beside one another: [Pudovkin] describes an experiment by his teacher, Kuleshov. You see a close up of the Russian actor Ivan Mosjoukine. This is immediately followed by a shot of a dead baby. Back to Mosjoukine again and youContinue reading “the power of juxtaposition”
build yourself a playground
One of the things I set out to do in the last few years was make my living space a playground. Not so much in the literal sense, but more in the creative and artistic sense. A few years back, my roommate and I had a friend over. What started as three people socializing quicklyContinue reading “build yourself a playground”
commissioning a new notebook
I’ve carried a Moleskin notebook in my pocket with me everywhere I go for almost ten years now. It usually takes between six months and nine months to fill it with drawings, dialogue, bits of prose, and snippets of conversation. When it comes time to retire a notebook, I empty the back pocket (which holdsContinue reading “commissioning a new notebook”
joshua chamberlain 