31 things from 31 years

1993-2024

I turned 31 this week so here’s a list of 31 things that have creatively inspired and shaped me over the years.

Disclaimer: I still like a lot of these things, but some of them are only included for the lore. For example, I no longer listen to blink-182, but that was the first band I found myself and realizing I could discover my own music was important.

The list is split into categories with three things and one honorable mention per category. The categories are in alphabetical order.

Enough yapping here’s the list:

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Albums

1. Speaking in Tongues by Talking Heads

   1. This Must Be the Place might be my favorite song ever.

2. Currents by Tame Impala

   1. Also The Slow Rush and InnerSpeaker. Please enjoy the Wiggles absolutely killing a cover of Elephant.

3. Narrow Stairs by Death Cab for Cutie

   1. We drove over Bixby Bridge on our honeymoon.

• Honorable Mention: Take Off Your Pants And Jacket by blink-182

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Artists

4. Paul Pfeiffer

   1. This is a good introduction from Art21.

5. Martin Arnold

   1. This video completely changed my perspective of art.

6. Corita Kent

   1. Subverting marketing phrases, religious activism, colorful prints, etc.

• Honorable Mention: Stefan Sagmeister

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Books

7. The Magic Treehouse by Mary Pope Osborne

   1. This series helped me develop a love for reading at a young age.

8. How to do nothing by Jenny Odell

   1. An artist trying to resist the attention economy.

9. A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers

   1. Two parallel coming of age stories.

• Honorable Mention: Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

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Comics

10. Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey

    1. My first comic book. I referenced George and Harold switching the letters on signs to create new phrases in my senior thesis.

11. Paper Girls by Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang

    1. I was reading this as it was being published so I would go to the comic store every couple weeks to get the new issue.

12. Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud

    1. A masterclass is visual communication in the form of a comic.

• Honorable Mention: Head Lopper by Andrew MacLean

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Directors & Studios

13. Studio Ghibli

    1. The Wind Rises, Totoro, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

14. Wes Anderson

    1. The Life Aquatic, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Rushmore

15. Laika

    1. Coraline, Kubo, Boxtrolls

• Honorable Mention: Taika Waititi (Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Boy)

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Humor

16. I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson

    1. Plus a bunch of other sketch comedy shows: Kroll Show, Key & Peele, Mr. Show, Portlandia, Tim and Eric, etc. I love the format.

17. The New One by Mike Birbiglia

    1. On becoming a father.

18. Mystery Science Theater 3000

    1. Bad movies with hilarious commentary. The Netflix reboot is really good.

• Honorable Mention: Comedy Bang Bang (podcast)

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Inspiration

19. Austin Kleon

    1. His newsletter and books have been a steady source of inspiration for years.

20. Van Neistat

    1. Check out his YouTube channel. This is a good place to start.

21. The Creative Independent

    1. They send out daily interviews with creative people and also have a TON of helpful articles about how to exist as a person that makes things.

• Honorable Mention: 99% Invisible (podcast)

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Movies

22. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

    1. 10/10 story. 10/10 animation. 10/10 for everything else.

23. The Lobster

    1. Weird, dark, and funny.

24. James and the Giant Peach

    1. I think this was the first time I recognized stop motion animation.

• Honorable Mention: Lady Bird

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Tools

25. Scanner

    1. If you’ve never played with a flatbed scanner you ain’t living.

26. Projector

    1. Take your work and put it on the side of a building.

27. X-acto knife

    1. Careful, it’s sharp.

• Honorable Mention: Printer

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TV shows

28. The Office

    1. Remember running to get a snack during the commercial break?

29. Never Too Small

    1. Technically it’s on YouTube, but it’s too good not to mention.

30. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

    1. Hilarious and informative.

• Honorable Mention: The Amazing World of Gumball

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31. My family.

    1. They support and inspire me every day. They help me see ordinary things with new eyes. They challenge me in profound ways. They are the best.

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That was a lot. Thanks for scrolling through all of it.

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“I love our new baby.”

👋 M, C, K & O

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