I love Thursdays. For one thing, it's the best day for the New York Times. There's the STYLE section and the HOME section. Those are the best once you've stuffed the important news down your throat with your toast. On to more finds. The things that I promised you in the last post. Our first section is:
READ THIS
These are the things that grace my nightstand. The guy that wrote IMAGINE is a genius. This one's been getting a lot of air play and so far I've found that it's worth it. You'd think that a book that breaks down "How Creativity Works" would be a real buzz-kill, but Mr. Lehrer is indeed a writers writer and a scientists scientist. You'll be enlightened by the fact that tradional Brain Storming Groups are actually COUNTERproductive. I could have told you THAT. There are stories and research that will explode what we thought we knew about our brains and their processes (Processies?...). ANYWAY. I'm into it. BY the way, flip to the back jacket. Jonah looks like he's 10.
I JUST picked up ODDFELLOW'S ORPHANAGE during a toystore run for a family birthday girl. This one's not for her though. She's too young. Maybe if she's very kind to me and NEVER whines I'll give it to her later. Unless I love the pictures too much. I think that this was written for "Young Adults" or tweens or whatever the heck they call kids between 10 and 18 now. The opening sentence of the flap had me completely done in:
"...what do an onion-headed boy, a child-sized hedgehog and a tattooed girl have in common? They all live at Oddfellow's Orphanage!"
Guess who wrote this one? Emily Winfield Martin of the Monster-Popular ETSY site The Black Apple. I ALREADY Love Emily! I have a print of hers and have given a couple prints to friends. Check her out here! So I'll get back to you with a book review in the future, unless I become hypnotized and just stare at the pictures in a stupor.
Okay, now WHAT'S ON THE STUDIO TABLE?
Please consider the stuff on the table below the equivalent of RUNNING ON A TREADMILL. These are the sketches and quick paintings that I do to stay in .....um, shape (?).
Next, WHAT I DIDN'T TELL CREATIVE MOJO PODCAST LAST WEEK.
There were LOTS of things that I didn't say because I was busy trying to smack verbal curve balls about how SLOWLY I work. My own fault. Mark was only going by something that I had said in Seth Apters fabulous book: The Pulse of Mixed Media. That'll teach ME to be glib. No it won't. I'll never learn. Go here to Marks Blog and click on "Never Fear, Creative Mojo is Here" the March 28 podcast if you'd like to hear it from the archives.
ANYWAY......Mark asked me something about what I WOULD do in this crazy World of Creativity that I have NOT done yet. If you MUST know, I'd pass on all of the traditional answers like "I'd be a photojournalist..." or "I'd finally just WRITE..." or "...movies for me. I'd love to direct or be a make-up person (which IS kinda true)..." but NOPE. I'd be the voice of an animated character. Preferably the girlfriend of Stewie on Seth MacFarlane's FAMILY GUY. As my son can attest, Micah was raised in a home where the joyful voice of the hour sounded a lot like Pee Wee Herman. The phone was answered by Natasha as in Boris and Natasha on Rocky and Bullwinkle. Characters came lurching through the Hoffman Household from India, England (High Tea and cockney as well) and more. I would have LOVED to share THAT on a national podcast. Oh, and what would Stewies girlfrriend SOUND like? me of course.
A final tidbit: Seth MacFarlane has a Drop-Dead gorgeous singing voice. I have his cd (Music is Better than Words) on in the studio a lot. His style is very much the smooth, sexy stuff that was popular pre-Mad Men. Almost Sinatra-ish. Listen first.
Last up: I'm still waiting for two pople to contact me with their addresses. Hey y'all...you WON. Go back a couplea posts to see WHO!
