Doing what gives you goosebumps

In this week's newsletter: goosebumps, Sparks, Cool Tools, and more...

In this week's newsletter: goosebumps, Sparks, Cool Tools, and more... View this email in your browser Hey y'all, Here are 10 things I thought were worth sharing this week:  What if it's just about doing what gives you the goosebumps?   I'm casting around for my next read. Good options: something from Ted Gioia's "Year of Horrible Reading" or Legs McNeil's top 10 rock and roll books. (I also splurged and bought the entire run of these Christmas ghost stories illustrated by the cartoonist Seth.)     This week's major inspiration: "You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open."   Input as collage (in the brain).   Nostalgia bomb: The first 2 hours of MTV.   Netflix: like the rest of the world, we binged Squid Game in a few nights. (I wished the ending was shorter and more mysterious.)     Must-see movie: I absolutely loved Edgar Wright's documentary, The Sparks Brothers. I have no great love for Spotify as a company, but I'm intrigued by the "music + talk" feature that's on great display with this feature of Wright introducing his favorite Sparks songs. (FWIW, My favorite Sparks song is "Sherlock Holmes" off Angst in my Pants.)   Podcast: The legend is that John Lennon once called Ringo Starr after seeing Sparks on Top of the Pops and said, "You won't believe what's on television — Marc Bolan is playing a song with Adolf Hitler." Lennon is the most recent guest on the first posthumous episode of Song Exploder. (My reaction to the episode had a perfect 3-act structure.)   Interview: I've rarely had as much fun recording as I did with Cool Tools.   You can't create under surveillance. Thanks for reading. This newsletter is free, but not cheap. You can help it keep going: 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. Time to get signed books for the holidays! 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.