The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work.
—Émile Zola
For years I have kept a message from a fortune cookie that says, “Action beats intention everytime” taped to my computer monitor. I get two lessons from it. The first is the obvious one. The second is the ability to appreciate imperfection, as the “everytime” instead of the correct “every time” adds a sense of earnest foreignness due to its context.
Note: This will be the last TBS until January 7, 2026, as I will be taking the holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Year’s off to work on a big final project for this term’s class, decompress, and spend time with my family. I hope you have a great holiday and a wonderful new year!
Last week: Carl Jung on who creates who.
Next TBS (1-7-26): Alfred Hitchcock and Chekhov’s gun.
See the index for what’s been posted and what’s to come.
I'd love to hear from you!