What kind of things do you keep in your notebook? Are they the right things for creativity?

 I listened to an interview with awesome comic Jerrod Carmichael (check out his 2014 and 2017 specials on HBO, directed by Spike Lee and Bo Burnham respectively), and he had an interesting perspective on what he keeps in his journal.

I'm paraphrasing, but essentially: instead of keeping joke ideas per se, he keeps an active but non-comprehensive log of the things he wants, thinks, feels, and experiences throughout the day. It's not punchlines and act-outs and dialogue. It's only little glimpses into the story of his life, as expressed through his thoughts, wants, feelings, and opinions.

I think, for a standup comic, this may be a great way to go. Most comedians, in the modern sense, are coming to the stage bringing their perspective and emotional experience of the world. If you don't have some idea of what that actually is, it makes it real hard to bring it. Journaling in this way gives you a tool to understanding yourself better.

A lot of creative work is a discovering, manifestation, or creation of the self. I'm definitely going to steal this technique going forward.

Short post today, but I will see ya' tomorrow!

-Jon

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