Season trailer here

I inhaled the first season of Abstract — a series of short docs about a graphic designer, an interior designer, an illustrator, a photographer, and four more creative professionals. It's so right up my alley — learning all about how artists work and grow and became who they are. I am late to the game in appreciating Ruth Carter — I learned about her only after I saw Black Panther and fell in love with its characters' cool looks. In season 2 of Abstract, I immediately skipped to her episode and loved it. She's a reader and researcher who loves libraries and writes stories with costumes. I'd really love for someone to do a full-length documentary on her life because it felt like this one could barely fit in her lengthy career, and there was only time for a little bit about her childhood and personal life. It was great, but more, please!  😁

Keep Going is the third book in Austin Kleon's series that started with Steal Like an Artist and was followed by Show Your Work! I love his style in general — handwriting, collages, blackout poems, great quotes — and this book is the best of the three IMHO. I originally got it from the library and then bought my own copy because I could tell that reading it once wasn't going to be enough. I'm at a new point in my creative life and career, and the messages of this book are just what I need to hear — about hope, perseverance, and art as a fun and meaningful part of your everyday life. 

BONUS PODCAST LINK: A great conversation between Austin and Jonathan Fields on the Good Life Project podcast, talking about the book and about living creative lives.

I loved this interview with Linda Ronstadt in the New Yorker. She's a singer who can no longer sing (a result of Parkinson's disease), a San Francisco resident, and a voracious reader. I am always moved by stories of aging artists — well, any artists, but I do love hearing about artists who continue to practice their art no matter their age. So to read about Linda Ronstadt, a woman who had a powerful voice and who can no longer sing, made me think about what to do to fill the holes when the things you have used to define your life are stripped away. What would I do if I couldn't read or talk walks with my dog or count on the reliable flow of my creativity? 

THIS MIGHT BE THE BEST TEEN MOVIE OF ALL TIME. I am not kidding. It's a female teen buddy comedy starring Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever, set on the last day of high school, and directed by Olivia Wilde (🙌🏼female director!). The cast is diverse, the characters don't fall into stereotypes, hijinks happen but everyone is kind to each other, and the use of music to highlight a moment or create an emotional tone is seriously on point. This is my favorite movie of 2019, and I hate that the Oscars don't value comedies like they should because this one would sweep! 🏆

WTF is my long-time fave podcast. Marc Maron is an insightful interviewer with a knack for getting people to open up in a way I don't hear on other podcasts. Betty Gilpin stars with Marc on the Netflix series Glow, and their relationship as cast mates is clear in this conversation. The revelation of this interview is Betty Gilpin's completely charming metaphor-laden view of life. How to trust people and let them in "beyond the vestibule," and being all made-up for work and feeling like a "porn poodle" were two of my faves! It's a smart conversation between two "thinky" people who don't trust surfaces or the status quo.