A few fragments this morning:
1.
I took the title up top from Cartoon Gravity this morning, an excellent newsletter that I just discovered:
"The US Navy Seals (I think) have a thing that they drill endlessly into new recruits: 'Slow is steady, and steady is fast.' I heard it years ago and I still think about it all the time; it's about the most useful thing I've ever learned. (Try it out next time you're frantically trying to put all your shit away in time to get off a train as it pulls into the station). Up until now, though, I had never thought to apply it to my to do list. But it turns out that if I take some extra time organising my day, it makes that day a little more effective."
More on Trello, automations and a bunch of interesting links I've yet to dig into.
But I really like that phrase, "slow is steady, and steady is fast."
When I think about it, it applies to so many things, from resistance training and weight loss to creative habits and making a book. I have a sprinter in me that thrills at the idea of rushing breathlessly to the finish line and making it by the skin of my teeth, but that is neither a healthy or sustainable way to pursue one's goals.
2.
Two weeks ago, I had to film and handle a/v for a live event and TBH mismanaged the entire affair. Part of it was a perfect storm of miscommunications and technical failures, but thinking back on it, I suspect a major personal failure was letting the anxiety of rushing overwhelm me.
Last night I had to film another live talk (with the amazing Laura Raicovich), and this time I built in a TON of set-up time into my schedule. This allowed me to slowly and deliberately check all connections and make triply sure that everything was in working order. It left me with about 40mins of time to spare before the event, but the balance to that awkward waiting time was that nothing was rushed. The set-up was immaculate, and the event that followed was the same.
I had some really good conversations over dinner and drinks after. We discussed institutional structures, the temptation toward stasis, the problem with neutrality (it's not actually 'neutral' but a vote for the status quo) and the ethics of speech. We also talked about Steven Universe, Neil Gaiman, YA books and the tragic fate of legendary gig space Maxwell's Tavern. All in all, a good night.
3.
Here's a shot of what's currently on my desk. Moon Knight is on my mind. I've been enjoying the show so far, and the second episode in particularly satisfying. I also like how they've fused his original costume with the aesthetics of an Egyptian mummy, really leaning into the iconography while fulfilling the palette and silhouette of the original comics costume.
Work proceeds apace on the graphic novel, though I am a few pages behind.
There's an unexpected density to the visuals that I'm quite liking, and it's forcing me to linger on moments that I breezed through when I wrote the outline. I've been posting brief glimpses of it to my Stories on Instagram as I labor away at it during the interstitial moments of my day--on the bus, during breaks, etcetera. I'm thinking I might take some vacation days from work later this month just so I can catch up on my schedule.
Speaking of which, I'd better wrap this up. It's Friday and I'm going to hit the gym, work and everything else super hard today. End the week strong. 💪
Andrew Drilon / New York / 4.8.2022