258 lines
9.3 KiB
Plaintext
258 lines
9.3 KiB
Plaintext
[1]Austin Kleon
|
||
|
||
• [2]Blog
|
||
• [3]Books
|
||
• [4]Newsletter
|
||
• [5]Speaking
|
||
• [6]About
|
||
• [7]Contact
|
||
• [8][9]
|
||
|
||
You are here: [10]Blog / [11]Miscellany / A good assistant to your future self
|
||
|
||
A good assistant to your future self
|
||
|
||
Monday, March 20, 2023
|
||
|
||
[12][IMG_2886-600x600]
|
||
|
||
This morning I was flipping through my copy of the [13]Bicycle Sentences
|
||
Journal that illustrator [14]Betsy Streeter sent me and I was quite taken with
|
||
this final paragraph by Grant Petersen. (I’m a big fan of [15]his blog and [16]
|
||
Just Ride.)
|
||
|
||
He touches on [17]why I keep a diary, why I keep it [18]on paper, and the magic
|
||
of [19]keeping a logbook. The mundane details can bring back sublime memories,
|
||
and [20]what you think is boring now may be interesting in the future: “What
|
||
seems bland when you write it down… will seem epic in thirty years.”
|
||
|
||
I have a new studio routine where when I’m unsure of what to write about, I
|
||
[21]revisit my notebooks each year [22]on today’s date. (I have notebooks going
|
||
back 20 years, daily logbooks going back 15, but I’ve kept a daily diary for 5
|
||
years now. That’s where a lot of gems are buried.)
|
||
|
||
Flipping through these notebooks will usually yield something worth writing
|
||
about. (This morning, it was [23]William Burroughs on language.)
|
||
|
||
Reading my diary this way, which I first learned from [24]reading Thoreau’s
|
||
diary, also shows me the cycles and patterns of my life.
|
||
|
||
(For example: [25]Cocteau Twins and the beginning of spring are somehow
|
||
intertwined in my life. What does that mean? And what does the fact that their
|
||
lyrics are barely understandable mean when matched with the Burroughs? Spring
|
||
is a season of rebirth… When babies are new, they babble and make noise without
|
||
language… do they sound like spring to me for this reason? You can see how
|
||
these thoughts, none of which I had when I woke up this morning, come forth
|
||
from just reading myself.)
|
||
|
||
[26][Screen-Shot-2023-03-20-at-11]
|
||
|
||
Another way to think about it: Keeping a diary is being a good research
|
||
assistant to your future self.
|
||
|
||
This is the advice that art critic [27]Jerry Saltz has tweeted over the years:
|
||
|
||
[28]Be a good assistant to yourself. Prepare and gather, make notations and
|
||
sketches in your head or phone. When you work, all that mapping,
|
||
architecture, research & preparation will be your past self giving a gift
|
||
to the future self that you are now. That is the sacred.
|
||
|
||
[29]I’ve never had an assistant. I am my own best assistant. My assistant
|
||
-self is my past self loving my future self who’ll need this previous
|
||
research when I reach for something in my work. My assistant-self has
|
||
gotten ideas for whole articles, essays from minutes of research online.
|
||
|
||
[30]Artists: The beautiful thing about giving yourself a little break & not
|
||
working – those are the times when new ideas flood in from the cosmos & set
|
||
your “assistant self” in motion, the self that will be there for your
|
||
“future-self.” Curiosity and obsession always fill the vacuum.
|
||
|
||
[31]Artists: Be your own best assistant. Do your research. Get your tools
|
||
and materials in order. These will be the ancestors, spirit guides and
|
||
self-replicating imagination of your work. This will allow art to reproduce
|
||
itself in you. You’ll thank yourself during & afterwards.
|
||
|
||
I have my many moments of self-loathing at my own lack of progress, but one
|
||
thing I have done right, at least in the past half decade or so: I have been a
|
||
good assistant to my future self.
|
||
|
||
Joan Didion said of re-reading notebooks, “I think we are well advised to keep
|
||
on nodding terms with the people we used to be.” This is especially true if
|
||
they have bothered to preserve themselves so we can visit them later.
|
||
|
||
Yes, a diary is [32]a good spaceship for time travel: for meditating on the
|
||
present, flinging ourselves into the future, and visiting ourselves in the
|
||
past.
|
||
|
||
Filed Under: [33]Miscellany Tagged: [34]bicycles, [35]diaries, [36]jerry saltz,
|
||
[37]NOTES ON WRITING AND DRAWING, [38]time travel
|
||
|
||
[39][ ][40][Search]
|
||
About the author
|
||
|
||
[41]Austin Kleon
|
||
|
||
[42]Austin Kleon is a writer who draws. He’s the bestselling author of [43]
|
||
Steal Like An Artist and other books. [44]Read more→
|
||
|
||
• [45]
|
||
• [46]
|
||
• [47]
|
||
• [48]
|
||
• [49]
|
||
|
||
Subscribe to my newsletter
|
||
|
||
Join the 200,000+ readers who get it delivered free to their inboxes every
|
||
week:
|
||
|
||
[50]On This Date
|
||
|
||
• 2020: [51]Peanuts, remixed
|
||
• 2019: [52]Drawers
|
||
• 2018: [53]The right book at the right time
|
||
• 2017: [54]Seasonal time
|
||
|
||
Get the 10th anniversary gift edition
|
||
|
||
[55]Steal Like an Artist 10th Anniversary gift edition
|
||
|
||
Listen to the audiobook trilogy
|
||
|
||
[56]The Steal Like An Artist Audio Trilogy
|
||
|
||
Read my books
|
||
|
||
[57]Keep Going [58]Show Your Work [59]Steal Like An Artist [60]The Steal Like
|
||
An Artist Journal [61]Newspaper Blackout
|
||
|
||
Order t-shirts on demand
|
||
|
||
[62]t-shirts
|
||
|
||
Recent posts
|
||
|
||
• [63]How do you draw time?
|
||
• [64]A plan and not enough time
|
||
• [65]Autumn leaves (a September mixtape)
|
||
• [66]Human resources
|
||
• [67]Cut out verbs
|
||
|
||
More about me
|
||
|
||
• [68]Books I’ve written
|
||
• [69]My newsletter
|
||
• [70]Books I’ve read
|
||
• [71]Twitter
|
||
• [72]Instagram
|
||
• [73]Tumblr
|
||
|
||
Search this site
|
||
|
||
[74][ ][75][Search]
|
||
Follow me elsewhere
|
||
|
||
• [76]
|
||
• [77]
|
||
• [78]
|
||
• [79]
|
||
• [80]
|
||
|
||
© Austin Kleon 2001–2024
|
||
|
||
• [81]Blog
|
||
• [82]Books
|
||
• [83]Newsletter
|
||
• [84]Speaking
|
||
• [85]About
|
||
• [86]Contact
|
||
|
||
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliates program, the proceeds of which
|
||
keep it free for anyone to read.
|
||
|
||
|
||
References:
|
||
|
||
[1] https://austinkleon.com/
|
||
[2] https://austinkleon.com/
|
||
[3] https://austinkleon.com/books/
|
||
[4] https://austinkleon.substack.com/
|
||
[5] https://austinkleon.com/speaking/
|
||
[6] https://austinkleon.com/about/
|
||
[7] https://austinkleon.com/contact/
|
||
[8] https://twitter.com/austinkleon
|
||
[9] https://instagram.com/austinkleon
|
||
[10] https://austinkleon.com/
|
||
[11] https://austinkleon.com/category/miscellany/
|
||
[12] https://www.rivbike.com/products/bicycle-sentences
|
||
[13] https://www.rivbike.com/products/bicycle-sentences
|
||
[14] https://www.instagram.com/betsystreeter/?hl=en
|
||
[15] https://www.rivbike.com/blogs/grant-petersens-blog
|
||
[16] https://geni.us/pLVPGGl
|
||
[17] https://austinkleon.com/2018/02/20/what-is-the-point-of-keeping-a-diary/
|
||
[18] https://austinkleon.com/tag/paper-is-a-wonderful-technology
|
||
[19] https://austinkleon.com/tag/logbook
|
||
[20] https://austinkleon.com/2021/01/31/what-you-think-is-boring-now-may-be-interesting-in-the-future/
|
||
[21] https://austinkleon.com/2017/12/15/on-the-importance-of-revisiting-notebooks/
|
||
[22] https://austinkleon.com/2017/10/21/on-this-day/
|
||
[23] https://austinkleon.com/2023/03/20/errors-in-western-language/
|
||
[24] https://austinkleon.com/2018/11/13/a-year-of-thoreau/
|
||
[25] https://cocteautwins.com/
|
||
[26] https://twitter.com/jerrysaltz/status/1556296370440400896
|
||
[27] https://twitter.com/jerrysaltz
|
||
[28] https://twitter.com/jerrysaltz/status/1556296370440400896
|
||
[29] https://twitter.com/jerrysaltz/status/1559535799896576000
|
||
[30] https://twitter.com/jerrysaltz/status/1559886618575732738
|
||
[31] https://twitter.com/jerrysaltz/status/1606742728024494080
|
||
[32] https://austinkleon.com/2014/01/19/a-good-spaceship/
|
||
[33] https://austinkleon.com/category/miscellany/
|
||
[34] https://austinkleon.com/tag/bicycles/
|
||
[35] https://austinkleon.com/tag/diaries/
|
||
[36] https://austinkleon.com/tag/jerry-saltz/
|
||
[37] https://austinkleon.com/tag/notes-on-writing-and-drawing/
|
||
[38] https://austinkleon.com/tag/time-travel/
|
||
[41] https://austinkleon.com/about/
|
||
[42] https://austinkleon.com/about/
|
||
[43] https://austinkleon.com/steal/
|
||
[44] https://austinkleon.com/about/
|
||
[45] http://facebook.com/mr.austin.kleon
|
||
[46] http://instagram.com/austinkleon
|
||
[47] http://tumblr.austinkleon.com/
|
||
[48] http://twitter.com/austinkleon
|
||
[49] https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8uQnyh7DAfp4uX9RN7XxEw
|
||
[50] https://austinkleon.com/on-this-date/
|
||
[51] https://austinkleon.com/2020/10/02/peanuts-remixed/
|
||
[52] https://austinkleon.com/2019/10/02/drawers/
|
||
[53] https://austinkleon.com/2018/10/02/the-right-book-at-the-right-time/
|
||
[54] https://austinkleon.com/2017/10/02/seasonal-time/
|
||
[55] https://austinkleon.com/steal/
|
||
[56] https://austinkleon.com/steal-audiobook-trilogy
|
||
[57] https://austinkleon.com/keepgoing
|
||
[58] https://austinkleon.com/show-your-work
|
||
[59] https://austinkleon.com/steal/
|
||
[60] https://austinkleon.com/journal
|
||
[61] https://austinkleon.com/newspaperblackout/
|
||
[62] https://cottonbureau.com/people/austin-kleon
|
||
[63] https://austinkleon.com/2024/10/01/how-do-you-draw-time/
|
||
[64] https://austinkleon.com/2024/09/27/a-plan-and-not-enough-time/
|
||
[65] https://austinkleon.com/2024/09/26/autumn-leaves-a-september-mixtape/
|
||
[66] https://austinkleon.com/2024/09/24/human-resources/
|
||
[67] https://austinkleon.com/2024/09/20/cut-out-verbs/
|
||
[68] https://austinkleon.com/books/
|
||
[69] http://austinkleon.com/newsletter
|
||
[70] https://austinkleon.com/category/reading/my-reading-years/
|
||
[71] http://twitter.com/austinkleon
|
||
[72] http://instagram.com/austinkleon
|
||
[73] http://tumblr.austinkleon.com/
|
||
[76] http://facebook.com/mr.austin.kleon
|
||
[77] http://instagram.com/austinkleon
|
||
[78] http://tumblr.austinkleon.com/
|
||
[79] http://twitter.com/austinkleon
|
||
[80] https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8uQnyh7DAfp4uX9RN7XxEw
|
||
[81] https://austinkleon.com/
|
||
[82] https://austinkleon.com/books/
|
||
[83] https://austinkleon.substack.com/
|
||
[84] https://austinkleon.com/speaking/
|
||
[85] https://austinkleon.com/about/
|
||
[86] https://austinkleon.com/contact/
|