On the subject of walking, have you read Erling Kagge's "Walking"? He's walked to both poles and has interesting things to say about what to do with the mind while undertaking both monumental and mundane walks / what it does to the creative mind to walk.
What jumped out to me is how Ray defined 'practice' as something professional, related to knowledge, expertise, while 'behaviour' is more physical, related to acting, doing. And I realized that yea, in a lot of art the physical activity is very important, and it's maybe what I have most trouble with. I have no trouble with coming up with ideas, or even executing them digitally, but to physically make the art… yes. Maybe I should start walking more.
Yes that makes sense, making art is a behaviour. To me, that behaviour creates a practice. Though at the end of the day, it doesn't matter what you call it, it matters more that you actually do something towards your art!
May 19, 2022·edited May 19, 2022Liked by Mason Currey
I used to always walk after an edit. It gave me a chance to reflect. Problems would solve themselves with each step. Lately I’ve been listening to podcasts and this article reminded me that when I’m listening to their verbal creations, I’m absorbing what others have learned/expelled. To be creative I need to have a quiet walk sans earbuds and let my muse of creative juices pour into me.
Always amazing what we can learn if we just take the time to observe what is going on around us as we walk and go about our daily lives. I walk every day and as a person of faith, I tend to pray during most of my walk. I love the thoughts that come to me and lessons I learn in this time. Thanks for sharing!
I get it. There is something about chain outlets that is so familiar that it frees you up somehow. Other places might have better coffee but I feel more self-conscious.
Mason, I want to thank you for inspiring me to finally launch a project I've put on the back burner for a long time. The mental image of Charles in a Burger King and his walking observations pushed me to do this man on the streets/stranger chat podcast. So thank you.
Thanks for today’s newsletter, highly enjoyable as always. A behaviour (I am English, it has to have a u in it!) is certainly something I do repeatedly, but I think of it as unexperimental, not something I improve with the doing. A practice on the other hand is repeatedly doing something in order to get better at it, to make it part of my muscle memory, or my skillset.
I like this idea of behavior vs/with practice. I think of behavior as a habit. Doing one's art will become more consistent by making the doing of it into a habit. I am looking into what are my best hours to create art, scheduling that, and then showing-up to do it - i.e. making it a habit. I haven't been consistent and want to be, and perceive that part of my problem is that the habit got interrupted by life circumstance and now I need to cultivate that habit/behavior again. Yet, practice is in there too. Sometimes I deliberately choose to "practice" a new technique, method, medium, or copy a masterwork, to improve my skills. I think all these words can be used as stimulus for creating one's art, in different ways. Thank you!
May 16, 2022·edited May 16, 2022Liked by Mason Currey
For me, the distinction between a practice and a behaviour is intentionality. A practice is something deliberate, repeated, to be strived for, whereas a behaviour is automatic, instinctive, just something you do as a matter of course.
I suppose the goal is to internalise a practice to the degree that it becomes a behaviour.
"Interesting work starts with interesting thinking." This was a kickstart my brain needed this morning. thank you.
On the subject of walking, have you read Erling Kagge's "Walking"? He's walked to both poles and has interesting things to say about what to do with the mind while undertaking both monumental and mundane walks / what it does to the creative mind to walk.
What jumped out to me is how Ray defined 'practice' as something professional, related to knowledge, expertise, while 'behaviour' is more physical, related to acting, doing. And I realized that yea, in a lot of art the physical activity is very important, and it's maybe what I have most trouble with. I have no trouble with coming up with ideas, or even executing them digitally, but to physically make the art… yes. Maybe I should start walking more.
Yes that makes sense, making art is a behaviour. To me, that behaviour creates a practice. Though at the end of the day, it doesn't matter what you call it, it matters more that you actually do something towards your art!
P.S. I need to walk more.
I used to always walk after an edit. It gave me a chance to reflect. Problems would solve themselves with each step. Lately I’ve been listening to podcasts and this article reminded me that when I’m listening to their verbal creations, I’m absorbing what others have learned/expelled. To be creative I need to have a quiet walk sans earbuds and let my muse of creative juices pour into me.
Curious what else did you see in NYC?
Always amazing what we can learn if we just take the time to observe what is going on around us as we walk and go about our daily lives. I walk every day and as a person of faith, I tend to pray during most of my walk. I love the thoughts that come to me and lessons I learn in this time. Thanks for sharing!
I get it. There is something about chain outlets that is so familiar that it frees you up somehow. Other places might have better coffee but I feel more self-conscious.
Mason, I want to thank you for inspiring me to finally launch a project I've put on the back burner for a long time. The mental image of Charles in a Burger King and his walking observations pushed me to do this man on the streets/stranger chat podcast. So thank you.
Here's the link but if it's too much to share, I understand if you delete it. Cheers! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/meet-a-stranger/id1624565485
Thanks for today’s newsletter, highly enjoyable as always. A behaviour (I am English, it has to have a u in it!) is certainly something I do repeatedly, but I think of it as unexperimental, not something I improve with the doing. A practice on the other hand is repeatedly doing something in order to get better at it, to make it part of my muscle memory, or my skillset.
David Lynch in Big Boy. Andrew Bird at Costco. One of my favorite themes: creative people in mundane retail spaces: https://austinkleon.com/2018/03/27/community-and-creativity-in-mundane-retail-spaces/
I like this idea of behavior vs/with practice. I think of behavior as a habit. Doing one's art will become more consistent by making the doing of it into a habit. I am looking into what are my best hours to create art, scheduling that, and then showing-up to do it - i.e. making it a habit. I haven't been consistent and want to be, and perceive that part of my problem is that the habit got interrupted by life circumstance and now I need to cultivate that habit/behavior again. Yet, practice is in there too. Sometimes I deliberately choose to "practice" a new technique, method, medium, or copy a masterwork, to improve my skills. I think all these words can be used as stimulus for creating one's art, in different ways. Thank you!
For me, the distinction between a practice and a behaviour is intentionality. A practice is something deliberate, repeated, to be strived for, whereas a behaviour is automatic, instinctive, just something you do as a matter of course.
I suppose the goal is to internalise a practice to the degree that it becomes a behaviour.
Loved this one. Esp the quote from Coupé Cloué, but also the insight into Ray's process. Any place to get a full copy of the lecture excerpted here?
Your Mallorcan trip looked fab. Cultural and gastronomic!