Every day is Groundhog Day

In this week's newsletter: what to do when every day's the same, the history of collage, ear and eye candy, and more...

In this week's newsletter: what to do when every day's the same, the history of collage, ear and eye candy, and more... View this email in your browser Hey y'all, Here are 10 things I thought were worth sharing this week:  February 2nd was pretty weird now that every day really is like Groundhog Day. (I like Clayton's campaign to replace it with Capybara Spa Day.)   Because February is a clean four weeks long (although, considering the week I had, "clean" is not the word I would use anymore) I've been thinking a lot about calendars and the trouble with months.   A reader recommended I check out Brian Doyle, so I picked up his posthumous collection, One Long River of Song: Notes on Wonder. It's really good. I've been reading a handful of essays each night. If you're new to his work, try his ode to the heart, "Joyas Voladoras," or "The Greatest Nature Essay Ever." There's a big archive of his at The American Scholar. (Thanks, Cate!)   Though people often think of it as a 20th century invention, it's worth noting that the history of collage goes back several hundred years.   I got a couple of blank playing card decks and made one of them into a game of Five Card Nancy. (Fun to play with the kids.)   Ear candy: 5 minutes that will make you love string quartets. (I love string quartets, and they're often the first things I listen to when I find a new composer. You cannot go wrong with Beethoven's late quartets.)    Eye candy: If you liked Derek DelGaudio's In and Of Itself, here's a list of 7 other things to watch.   I hope you won't need this any time soon, but if you do: How to write an obituary. (I wrote my first obituary last year.)   RIP Duke Bootee, who had some solid advice: "Figure out a way to take care of yourself, legal. Find somebody you can stand that can stand you. Pay your taxes. Take care of your teeth."   Remember: whether you're taking photos or writing in your diary, what you think is boring now may be interesting in the future. Thanks for reading. This newsletter is free, but not cheap. To show your support, you can forward it to someone who'd like it, read my books, shop for some of my favorite gear (I get a cut), buy a t-shirt, or hire me to speak. If you're seeing this newsletter for the first time, you can read previous issues and subscribe here. xoxo,  Austin PS. I love seeing photos of finished "Practice and Suck Less" challenges. If you want one, we have 28-day, 30-day, and 100-day variations! (Thanks, Marc!!) Austin Kleon is the author of Steal Like An Artist and other books. Subscribe to this newsletter   Copyright © 2021 Austin Kleon, All rights reserved. My mailing address is: Austin Kleon 1101 W 34th St Box #102 Austin, TX 78705 Please read this before sending me snail mail! You're getting this email because you signed up for it at austinkleon.com. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Amazon Affiliate links offset the cost of sending these missives. Support your local bookstore if you have one.