Your Library of Ideas (GWTW743)

Getting Work To Work

Yesterday, I was the subject of a Q&A at a local college, and somebody asked a form of this question: What happens when an idea doesn’t show up? I talked about journaling and checking in with myself to see what I’m thinking about and wrestling with, but I failed to share the creative power of curating a library. Yes, I love the public library. I go there when money is tight or if I want to read a book I’m unsure if I want to buy. But over the years, I’ve been collecting books, films, and art, curating my own personal library of ideas. Sometimes, all it takes is staring at the shelves, and an idea or a collection of ideas based on the item that captured my attention shows up. While it is possible to build a digital library, I’m focusing on a physical library, an actual place where you can find solace and escape from the urgent needs of the day.

Five ways to curate and build your library of ideas:

1. Books
2. Films
3. Instruments
4. Art
5. Artifacts

Show Links

• The Angry Filmmaker Survival Guide Part One: Making The Extreme No-Budget Film (1st Edition) by Kelley Baker
• Metallica: The Black Album in Black & White by Ross Halfin
• Gilliamesque: A Pre-posthumous Memoir by Terry Gilliam
• The Real Deal: Field Notes from the Life of a Working Photographer by Joe McNally
• Joe McNally is the Real Deal on Cameras, Creativity, and the Evolving Photography Industry by Aaron Hockley, Tech Photo Guy
• Lee Jeffries
• Freshwater Bay Creative
• Pop Octopus – Awesome Stuff for Weirdos
• Midjourney prompt for episode art: infinite library of ideas books films music cinematic lighting –ar 16:9