Because art is such a process-driven thing, to think that it doesn't matter whether you use a pencil or whether you use a computer, I think it does matter.

Now, I don't think that whether you use a pencil or a typewriter means you're a better writer.

But I do think for a specific writer, it can be a really important part of the process.

I'm Jocelyn K. Gly, and this is Hurry Slowly, a podcast about pacing yourself, where I explore

how you can be more productive, creative, and resilient through the simple act of slowing down.

Today, my guest is Austin Cleon, an artist and writer who's known for his best-selling book,

steal like an artist, which is all about how great art starts with imitation.

You may also be familiar with his newspaper blackout poems, in which he colors over the text of newspaper

articles in black ink until only a simple haiku of a thought remains. I've long been drawn to

Austin's writing because he's deeply meditative about the creative process itself, and in particular,

how we move between different types of creative states.

So when it's best to use analog tools versus when it's best to use digital tools,

or when it's time to have our antennae up and our ears open to collect information and ideas,

versus when it's time to go heads down and really start executing.

And as I record this, I sit at a desk that contains no less than six notebooks of various sizes that each have a specific purpose,

as well as one laptop computer that contains the digital app Evernote, which I also use to track notes for various creative projects that I'm working on.

In other words, I too am quite interested in

generating, tracking, and developing ideas and how that process unfolds. So it was really fun to

geek out with Austin. In this conversation, we get into why the best creative work usually

germinates in the analog space and then gets executed in the digital space.

We also talk about the power of tying different activities to different physical spaces, say writing at your desk versus brainstorming in an armchair,

as well as why writing things down by hand just seems to help information stick in our brains better.

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