Letters About The Creative Process

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139 / Daily Rituals

This creative routine works for me, it might work for you.


136 / One Day You'll Be Ready Too

On finding the focus and commitment to write a book


135 / The Next Stage

How I wrote the first draft of my graphic novel


133 / Portrait Mode

I’m back in the sketchbook for the first time in more than a year!


131 / The Permanence of Paper

Will my art outlive me?


129 / When Your Story Rewrites You

An incredible tale of creative transformation.


127 / What Do You Actually Want?

It’s one of the hardest questions to answer. Here are some exercises to help you to figure it out!


124 / You Can Draw Anything!

Lessons I’ve learned from creating & publishing my first zine


123 / Make Art, Get It Seen

I’m thrilled to announce my debut short story collection is now on sale!


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.


115 / The Way You Do It

Something for the artists who strive to be interesting and original.


114 / Ink and Inspiration

New drawings from my latest sketchbook and inspiring quotes from great artists to spark your creativity.


111 / Taking The Boat Out

The unexpected benefits of writing and drawing short stories and some advice from the masters.


110 / New Shoots

On creative bereavement and new beginnings - plus some important announcements about this newsletter.


106 / Songwriting With Sir Paul McCartney

A good set of instructions for any artist.


104 / A Compendium Of Courage

Here’s what courage looks like to you in 2022.


103 / Curiosity And Courage

A challenging question to begin your new year.


102 / Silence, Please

Notes on quiet from the midst of self-isolation.


100 / Reasons To Be Optimistic

A video every creative person should see about the future of the creator economy.


096 / You Don't Have To Start At The Beginning

Spending time with Hayao Miyazaki has kickstarted my comics storytelling!


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.


094 / How I Made a Comic Short Story

A step-by-step breakdown of making my four-page comic Negroni With A Twist - with lots of pictures!


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!


085 / Storytelling Panel By Panel

The third and final guest letter, with some useful advice on plotting out the panels of a comic.


084 / Birds And Words

Continuing a summer of guest letters, Jess shares a personal story from their career in the military.


083 / Get Better Faster

The first in a short series of guest letters from Third Something readers, sharing their own ideas about creativity and visual storytelling.


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!


079 / A Leap Into The Void

If making a piece of art is transformative for you, then it will be transformative for your audience.


076 / Miles And Miles Of Squares

A fun warm-up exercise for your sketchbook that improves your technical skills at the same time.


074 / Fuck Fish

Why do I suddenly give up on something right when things seem on the verge of taking off?


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!


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!


062 / Spirals

I’ve just finished my first sketchbook of the year! Here are some things I’ve learned.


061 / Once Through, Cleanly

Some solid advice from designer Frank Chimero on how to make the most progress in the early stages of a project.


060 / Stormy Weather

A short comic about weathering my own personal storms this month.


059 / Ink And Gifts

Your hand-painted postcards are on their way! Here’s a step-by-step process of how I made them.


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.


056 / Negative Capability

On the inevitable uncertainty of making art and how filling sketchbook pages is helping me to tolerate it.


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.


051 / Banksy And The King

A story about the time Banksy squared off against London’s greatest graffiti artist - and lost.


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


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.


030 / A New Film I'm Proud Of

A behind-the-scenes look at a new film I’ve made for The New York Times - plus some exciting news about a film I directed last year!


028 / On The Thermodynamics of Creativity

An important message for artists - your work will not exist by itself!


026 / Your Questions, Answered

A Q&A session with Third Something Readers - I answer questions about filmmaking and my creative process.


025 / The Threshold Of Awareness

This diagram helps me tell visual stories that make the audience both think and feel. Here’s how to use it.


023 / A Vague Haze of Malaise

I’ve been feeling depressed lately and I wonder if it’s connected to how much time I make for myself to create.


022 / Looking and Seeing

Here’s a useful exercise in using drawing as a form of meditation and awareness. Try it out!


021 / My Storyboarding Process

A step-by-step look at my previsualisation process for making a video for The New York Times.


019 / Five Miscellaneous Things

There’s a lot in this one! Poetry, filmmaking, graphic novels and visual storytelling - take your pick!


018 / Planned Improv

Notes on the balance between preparation and improv in the creative process, while shooting a film for The New York Times.


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


005 / The Screenplay Problem

The problem with screenwriting as a creative pursuit, and three ideas to fix it.


004 / It's Telling You What It Wants To Be

Thoughts on the creative process and letting the work tell you what it wants to be.


002 / Trust The Process

Thoughts on patience and the creative process on months-long projects.