Welcome to Litsy!

Forget the noun, do the verb.
More from the author and artist who wrote Steal Like an Artist. Simple (but often overlooked) observations about finding inspiration and staying true to your artistic dreams. A good book to pickup if you feel stuck and are hoping for some ideas to help you get unstuck in your creative endeavors.

“If you‘ve never changed your mind about something, pinch yourself; you may be dead.”

Always reminding myself of this! 🐛🦋
#thinkpositivebepositive

I'm traveling for work this week (hello San Antonio!) and it's super easy to skip my workouts BUT I won't. I may need to adapt since I'm not lugging a yoga mat around, but I won't be deterred. I want to be healthier and that won't happened if I lay in bed all night. Don't get me wrong, I'm totally finishing Well Matched all in one day thanks to the plane ride, but first...movement.

You can do it, too! Whatever it is, keep going.

This little book was filled with useful reminders of how to live a good creative life, and quotes from artists and writers about their process, beliefs, etc. I found this very comforting to read in such trying times. #NewYearWhoDis #BBRC Yeah Baby How To #Nonfiction2022 @Riveted_Reader_Melissa @monalyisha @LibrarianRyan

Feeling incredibly overwhelmed today by this news. It has been my home and family of 4+ years, and none of us truly know what will happen next. It was such a shock this morning and we are all still processing. The good news is all of us are guaranteed a job for at least 3 years which I know is unheard of in an acquisition. I'm hopeful this means there will be opportunities and growth, but could use some extra love today from my Litsy friends. 💜📖

Keep Going shares practical tips to keep the creativity flowing when your days start to look and feel the same. Kleon says in the very beginning that he wrote this book because he needed to read it. There are some small but helpful ideas here - tidy up, change your mind, create a “bliss station“ for your work, etc. I enjoyed this book more than the second one, though the first is still my favorite (if only because it felt original at the time).

The last chapter, Plant Your Garden, may be my favorite in the book. The author says, “Our lives too have different seasons.“ Some of us “blossom“ when we are young and some of us when we are older. Society tends to favor the young, but Kleon is inspired by “the people who found the thing that made them feel alive and who kept themselves alive by doing it. The people who planted their seeds, tended to themselves, and grew into something lasting.“

“Imitate the trees, learn to lose in order to recover, and remember that nothing stays the same for long.“

May Sarton, Belgian-American poet, novelist and memoirist

“You do not need to have an extraordinary life to make extraordinary work.“

Thank goodness for that! 👏

In the second book of his trilogy, Kleon stresses that if your work isn't online then it doesn't exist. In the third book, he advises us to ignore likes, shares, and followers. Those metrics are shallow, he says, and shouldn't be used to decide what to focus our work on next. According to Kleon, “. . . everything online is now click-bait, optimized for the short attention span.“ Do we share and let it be?

Photo by Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash.

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.”

― Ralph Waldo Emerson, American poet, essayist, and philosopher

#Keepgoing #walk #nature #reading #ThinkpositiveBepositive

Short book to inspire on both good & bad days.
Liked his recent newsletter article:

https://austinkleon.com/2021/07/22/diving-in/

I really needed this one. I wrote down some key points as a reminder. This pandemic has made it harder for me to actually practice my writing and drawing, even though you'd think I'd have more time for it being home all the time. But my kids being home 24/7 has added extra duties for me. I'm grateful that we've been able to stay safe and healthy, but my mental health has suffered. A lack of time for creating has definitely contributed to that.

"When you pay attention to your life, it not only provides you with the material for your art, it also helps you fall in love with your life."

"Whether their latest thing is universally rejected, ignored, or acclaimed, they know they'll still get up tomorrow and do their work."

Finally reading my signed copy of Keep Going. I'm a student Graphic Designer, aspiring Illustrator, and a writer, so books on art and creativity are a must for me.

Loved this little book! Quick inspiring read!

My favorite bit was “find like-hearted people instead of like-minded people.“ I thought that was an excellent piece of advice and elegantly worded. It was all about encouraging people to be creative even in bad times.

Short and pithy book. I really enjoyed it.

I love that he doodled in it 😁

Great reminders on how to continue creating when it gets tough

I am in a terrible reading and creative slump. Holding a book and following words has been difficult. As has been creativity. This was a helpful and delightful (and short!) read in needed times.

If you‘re working on something creative - blog, writing a book/fanfic/screenplay, drawing, painting, whatever ...or even if you feel you‘re not creative at all, I find Kleon‘s work helpful in motivating me to pick up that pen or paintbrush again and get back to work!

Well, here's a good reminder to make art and not worry about waiting for the right tools.

Milo disagrees with this book title. #catsoflitsy

"Walking is good for physical, spiritual, and mental health. 'No matter what time you get out of bed, go for a walk,' said director Ingmar Berman to his daughter, Linn Ullmann. 'The demons hate it when you get out of bed. Demons hate fresh air.' "

#clickbait
"Your attention is one of the most valuable things you possess, which is why everyone wants to steal it from you. First you must protect it, and then you must point it in the right direction."

That's doable.

@Kshakal #positivity #selfimprovementsept

I really enjoyed Austin Kleon‘s other books, so excited to start this one tonight! 😊

Week 2 #BFCr2 check-in.

After having sick kids all week, I'm happy I met my step goal 3 times and finished 2 books.

I'm giving myself a pass for no other exercise this week, as my energy was spent looking after my kids.

I've started week 3 on a good note though and went on the treadmill for an hour today.

#BookFitnessChallenge #BFC @wanderinglynn

Yasss! Preach, brother! I really enjoyed this series of little reminders and encouragements. I can't wait to transfer the tags to my very own copy so I can return this to the library for others to enjoy. I'll have to put this someplace obvious so I can replenish myself with a nugget as needed.

I'm not even halfway through this tiny gem, and you can see how much I'm digging it. I've already ordered my own copy (from bed, via my phone), because I can't bear the thought of returning it to the library and not having it available on a whim for inspiration/support. Just what the doctor ordered!

My mantra during these times we're living in. Thank goodness my experience with Litsy has always been positive. Other social media sites feel so toxic these days! I have to bite my tongue on a daily basis to avoid confrontation with random folks 😂

My daughter and I went to hear Austin Kleon at the Tattered Cover tonight. He writes books about the creative process. His most recent one is about how to keep going even when you aren't sure what you're doing. He was entertaining, inspiring, and funny. He has a weekly newsletter that I really enjoy, lots of good links, and book, movie, music recommendations.

Yep! I can go deep and shallow in the same convo. 😂

Good advice. 🤔

I think this is my favorite newspaper blackout poem from this book. 🖤

I loved Austin Kleon‘s Steal Like an Artist and Show Your Work, so I had to read his latest. Each of his books tackles a different aspect of creativity, and this one addresses the timely dilemma of how to keep making art when you “feel as if the world had gotten dumber and meaner overnight.” A pep talk both inspiring and practical, illustrated with Kleon‘s newspaper blackout poems and other art, plus lots of great quotes.

Who needs a table to eat on when your have a growing collection of awesome art to display?!? The corner of my table is quickly becoming a mini gallery. So happy to display Austin Kleon's print from Workman Publishing in celebration of the publication. I reviewed 'Keep Going: 10 Ways to Stay Creative in Good Times and Bad' in February and couldn't wait to own a copy. This is a definite revisit read and a sign I need to own all of Austin's books! ⬇️

My preorder came! 😄 I can't wait to read this! My sister and I preordered the book because you got a free print of one of Austin Kleon's black out poems!

2/3 of the way through the readathon! Way to go, everyone! 🎉 - @Liberty

This is the first book I have read by Austin Kleon. I am familiar with his work through social media because my sister led me to him after she read his previous books. Apparently I must remedy this error immediately, any excuse to buy more books and to read more ART encouraging words… yes please, sign me up. (My full review on here, checkout here: https://madmadelyne.tumblr.com/post/182837143731/why-i-need-to-create-a-survival... )