Letters About Creativity
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128 / Creative Friends
You don’t have to look far to find inspiring musicians, painters and poets in your world.
125 / Silence The Influencers
Some notes on the challenge of finding your own voice in this noisy world
122 / Hibernation Contemplation
As the nights draw in, I’m learning the value of some intentional wintering.
121 / Goals vs Systems (Part II)
How I use systems to power my creative work and be productive and fulfilled.
114 / Ink and Inspiration
New drawings from my latest sketchbook and inspiring quotes from great artists to spark your creativity.
110 / New Shoots
On creative bereavement and new beginnings - plus some important announcements about this newsletter.
105 / Noticing What You Notice
Trusting that something is interesting simply because you find it interesting…a radical act of self-love.
098 / March 26th, 2013
I realised there was something that I really wanted to do…and then carried on doing other things — for eight years!
095 / Fill More Sketchbooks!
A new year is a perfect time to start a new daily sketchbook habit. Here’s some more advice on how to make it work.
092 / Another Story About The Universe
Big Magic is everywhere, if you know where to look. Plus a new film I’ve made is now out!
090 / Don't Make Work Out Of Things You Enjoy
Some thoughts on creativity and work, plus an important announcement about the future of this newsletter.
089 / The Professional Beginner
As we get older, it gets harder to be a beginner - but that is where the adventure lies!
084 / Birds And Words
Continuing a summer of guest letters, Jess shares a personal story from their career in the military.
082 / More Advice On Filling Sketchbooks
I’ve finished three sketchbooks and I have learned a lot about building a sketchbook habit. This letter’s full of practical advice!
081 / Do It On Purpose
Did I actually choose the life I’m living? Some thoughts on intentional living, with help from Dolly Parton.
079 / A Leap Into The Void
If making a piece of art is transformative for you, then it will be transformative for your audience.
072 / Maybe It Is Not What You Achieve, But Who You Inspire
Apparently seeing inside my sketchbook has inspired lots of you start drawing again - and that’s wonderful!
071 / The Lockdown Diaries
I’ve been keeping a visual journal during lockdown and I’ve learned to pay attention to the little things.
069 / What A Good Idea Feels Like
A good idea feels like a visitation and a chain reaction all at once!
068 / Perfecting The Theory
I’ve lost too much time trying to study the craft instead of just getting my hands dirty and making mistakes.
067 / The Sketchbook Problem
Sketchbooks are supposed to be a place for creative freedom. But rarely feel like that. A very long post with lots of pictures!
065 / You Don't Need To Make Art Today
Some thoughts from the first days of lockdown - should you be making art out of all this chaos? Don’t feel guilty if you can’t.
062 / Spirals
I’ve just finished my first sketchbook of the year! Here are some things I’ve learned.
058 / A Kind of Aliveness I Live For
A crucial distinction for all artists - you don’t think in order to draw, you draw in order to think.
054 / Rock, Chalk and Ink
You share your advice on keeping a daily sketchbook practice and I try to do some simple drawing exercises.
053 / Fill Sketchbooks!
My plan for 2020 is to fill as many sketchbooks as I can, starting with filling pages of collage. Plus some advice on keeping a sketchbook.
050 / Ink and Card
I’ve just come up with an idea for an exciting project and I want to tell you all about it!
049 / A Story About The Universe
I believe that when you move towards your dreams, the universe will move with you. I see evidence of this everywhere.
046 / Residency
Artists residencies are a great way to find focus - but you don’t have to wait to be invited to one!
045 / Goals vs Systems
A radical rethink of how to achieve your goals, thanks to James Clear’s new book Atomic Habits
043 / Hobbies Update
I’m nervous about this letter - I’m letting you see my first attempts at drawing real life models.
042 / I'm Still Thinking About These Ideas
A collection of ideas, quotes and provocations which are still lingering in my brain weeks after I saw them.
034 / The Ever Moving Mountain
Why artists can never settle on a single idea - creativity wants expansion!
033 / As The Electromagnetic Pulse Ripped Through The City, He Saw It Was All For Nothing
When I’m not scared of losing my life’s work, I think about destroying it.
028 / On The Thermodynamics of Creativity
An important message for artists - your work will not exist by itself!
024 / The Sacred Stage
Are you feeling creatively blocked? You might be thinking about your ideas all wrong.
019 / Five Miscellaneous Things
There’s a lot in this one! Poetry, filmmaking, graphic novels and visual storytelling - take your pick!
017 / Practicing Scales
Some practical advice on how filmmakers can build a daily practice habit that improves their craft.
012 / Musical Interval
Playing around with loops and ossilations, I discover whale music inside a 95-year-old song.
010 / Building A Body Of Work
You’re not just publishing into a never ending stream, you’re building a library of work
008 / On Being Busy
Is busyness really a trap? Or is a sign of a life well-lived? Is creative energy a finite resource or something abundant?
006 / The Sleep Consultant
Robin Sloan asks a critical question for creators — what does it mean to love something on the internet today?
005 / The Screenplay Problem
The problem with screenwriting as a creative pursuit, and three ideas to fix it.
