Um, I stared at the picture for two years
Oh, hi friends!
On New Year’s Day, in a burst of manic enthusiasm, I thought: What can I do right now that needs to be done?
And then I saw the picture.
I hung the picture in my bathroom after buying a cheap print from the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum in Madrid. (It’s Lichtenstein’s “Woman in Bath” for anyone who likes details.) I liked the dots.
Well, the picture fell down a few years ago. Apparently, Command strips are no match for bathroom humidity.
So there the picture sat, for two years, propped on the back of my toilet tank.
Until Tuesday. When I grabbed a nail and put the picture back on the wall.
Apparently, a tiny part of my brain had always been obsessed with this to-do that had never been done, because the wave of pleasure upon hanging the picture was not unlike biting into a Levain cookie. I felt joy. Peace. Enlightenment.
Sometimes, it’s the little things.
Getting it done.
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
“…don’t hold your breath for five or seven years and not release anything, and then you’ve just got clogged up with way too much stuff. I think that’s what you gain from that. Maybe you’ve gained some immaculate, perfect versions of some of the songs, but overall, I think there’s more minus to that because of how you clog your own flow.
You lose contact to the part of you, your subconscious, that’s writing songs all the time, and the part of you that’s showing it to the world. As much similarity between those two parts of you, I think, the better. That’s more important, to sustain that flow, than to wait until things are perfect.”
Oh, Bjork gets it. Here’s the rest of her interview about creativity and inspiration. (h/t )
Simple and crisp way to build a new website, because I know that’s where your head is right now.
It’s Christmas all over again: You can download this year's awards season screenplays. (I use John August's app Weekend Read to read scripts on my phone.)
"Not bad for someone who skipped the fancy M.F.A. programs her peers favor and was juggling odd jobs until recently..." Love this little snippet about playwright Gracie Gardner, who wrote on her phone during bartending shifts. Whatever works. (h/t Colin Macdonald)
Now I want to read all of A. S. Hamrah's movie reviews. (h/t Robert Macdonald)
Sweet Brooklyn-set profile of Paul Dano, who directed Wildlife and is starring in True West onstage, and just had a baby with Zoe Kazan!
Jada Yuan won the coveted New York Times travel writer gig and traveled to 52 places in 2018. Here’s what she learned.
Are you an underrepresented writer who wants to write for late-night comedy? There are free workshops for you!
PS — If you’re new to this newsletter and found me via this delightful New York Times piece, hi and welcome! I’m Kara Cutruzzula, a writer and editor, playwright, and musical theater lyricist living in Brooklyn. (Lots about the intricacies of my life here.)
This newsletter shows up in your inbox every weekday at 7:30 a.m. EST and usually talks about productivity, creative process, the arts, and throws in some links to songs or videos I think you’ll like.
I’m reaching for my own brass rings and hope you are, too. Respond and say hi anytime—I love hearing from people! And if this isn’t your cup of tea, not a problem, you can unsubscribe below. I look forward to riding the 2019 wave together!
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Thanks, as always, for reading.
Love, Kara