Austin Kleon

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Not everything will be okay (but some things will)

An image by Ryan Thacker at the end of Maira Kalman’s Creative Mornings talk

“There is a vast difference between positive thinking and existential courage.”
—Barbara Ehrenreich, Bright-Sided

You know you’re in a bad spot when passing sidewalk chalk platitudes on your daily walk makes you murderous.

For me, yesterday, the breaking point was a hand-painted sign that read “EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY.”

What fucking planet are these people living on? 

My favorite cinematic misanthropes started conversing with each other.

“Where do they teach you how to talk like this?” Melvin Udall asked.

“What absolute twaddle,” Withnail agreed.

I was reminded of the story of G.K. Chesterton’s book, Platitudes Undone:

In 1911, author Holbrook Jackson published a small book of aphorisms under the (mildly pretentious) title Platitudes in the Making: Precepts and Advices for Gentlefolk and gave a copy to his friend G.K. Chesterton. Chesterton, it seems, sat down with the book – and a green pencil – and wrote a response to each saying in the book. Presumably he then set the book down, and somehow, someway, it turned up in a San Francisco book shop in 1955, where it was purchased by a certain Dr. Alfred Kessler, an admirer of Chesterton. Every book collector dreams of such a find. Rather than keep the book to himself, however, Dr. Kessler and Ignatius Press have produced a facsimile edition. Remove the dust jacket, and you have a reproduction, in every particular, of that 1911 volume, together with all of Chesterton’s remarks. It’s a remarkable project, and a real treat for readers of Chesterton.

People are dying. Our leaders are corrupt. Things are not good.

But there’s still sunshine and birds and Gene Kelly dancing.

If we are going to paint the neighborhood with slogans, let’s at least honor each other’s grief and intelligence.

everything will be okay.

NOT everything will be okay BUT SOME THINGS WILL.

Do what you want (just know what you’re doing)

The great Jackie Shane died yesterday. I highly recommend the Numero Group’s collection of her work, Any Other Way. The liner notes are terrific (great stories about her upbringing and how her mother helped her figure things out when she was young), and there’s a live cover of Barrett Strong’s “Money” on there in which she breaks into one of her wonderful monologues:

You know, when I’m walking down Yonge Street, you won’t believe this, but you know some of them funny people have the nerve to point the finger at me and grin and smile and whisper. But you know that don’t worry Jackie because I know I look good, and every Monday morning, I laugh and grin on the way to the bank because I got mine. I look good, I got money and everything else that I need. You know what my slogan is? Baby, do what you want, just know what you’re doing. As long as you don’t force your will and way on anybody else, live your life because ain’t nobody sanctified and holy. Because when we leave here we don’t know where we’re going… I’m gonna live while I’m here.

What a legend. She gave one of her last interviews not too long ago. Here’s my favorite song of hers, the first one I ever heard, called “Any Other Way”:

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