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This post is my entry for October's IndieWeb Book Club hosted by Zachary Kai. This month's book is The Creative Act by Rick Rubin.

I'm not sure I would've picked up this book had it not been prompted by this book club. Even though I like nonfiction, this book sort of lacks a narrative and I think I would've felt like it would be harder to get into.

When I started reading it I felt like a lot of these thoughts and ideas were things I agreed with. But, as silly as this may sound, at some point I realized this book wasn't talking to a generic reader. I was supposed to be taking these ideas for myself.

I have done some sort of art in different versions all through my life but I have never considered myself an artist. For whatever reason, I only apply this to myself as I consider anyone else that does art, in whatever form that may be, an artist. This book made me start thinking of this framing and what may be the actual cause for it.

There's something about my own drawings or music that I may just be too critical of. There was this quote that I highlighted:

Doubting yourself can lead to a sense of hopelessness, of not being inherently fit to take on the task at hand. All or nothing thinking is a nonstarter.

However, doubting the quality of your work might, at times, help to improve it. You can doubt your way to excellence.

And I realized that's part of what my block is. Excellence seems unachievable for my current skills. But I think that's the point this book is trying to make. Making art is about the making of the art.

All that matters is that you are making something you love, to the best of your ability, here and now.

I don't usually write book reviews or comments. I'm not sure what keeps me from doing it but I'm hoping this book club will motivate me to put some more of my thoughts down in the future.

Thanks Zachary for hosting and restarting this book club!

My neighbors have a cool gargoyle

After reading Kottke's post In Praise of Comfort Films I decided to revisit an old favorite.

I was lucky to watch this before it's release with the actors present for a Q&A afterwards. By lucky, I mean MySpace had an event where you had to put the movie's page as part of your Top 8, print your profile, and line up to get in.

If I'm watching for flaws both in the characters and use of language, then there are plenty. But watching this film reminds me of waiting in line with my brother to watch a movie we knew nothing about with a fun soundtrack and hijinks in NYC. The romance plot I could take or leave.

I am starting to realize that "hijinks in NYC" might be up there as one of my favorite subgenres.

My comfort films are usually that because it reminds me of a specific moment in time and I need to remember to revisit these more often than I do.

The Fingernails plot doesn't really work here. It also doesn't really work without it otherwise we're just watching two people cheat.

The ending was good but I wish they would've added a little more to the Black Mirror subplot or find a way to make the movie without it.

This post is my entry for this month's IndieWeb Movie Club hosted by Zachary Kai.

It has not been that long since I last watched this film but I still remember quite a bit of it. I'm biased because any parental themes in movies is sure to get me to like it. Add to that found family themes and beautiful animation and I'm all in.

While most of the film is pretty formulaic, it still managed to surprise me in quite a few different ways. The whole sequence of Roz arriving and encountering the critters was just as funny the second time around. Pinktail might also be my favorite character but I love that all the forest dwellers have their own unique personalities even when they are relatively minor parts.

I appreciate that the film ends with Roz getting picked up after realizing that they would come back. It makes that last scene with Roz and Brightbill so much more meaningful while also ending in a way that if they didn't make sequels feels ok.

Negative. That gosling stalks me, emits noise, and makes simple tasks more complicated or impossible.

Such a nicely animated map showing several stories from Great Britain. There's some cool little details like the one for "The Sea Monster of Falmouth Bay".

I hope they continue to fill this in with more legends from Wales and Scotland too as there only seem to be a few at this time.