A day in the life of Matt

Days like this are so creatively stimulating I have to force myself to stop, just to send oxygen to my brain.

Mondays are usually the one day where I leave the docket empty and I make it up as I go. Here's my Monday docket for April 5, 2010. I wrote this one down because one day, when I can no longer do these things, I want to remember how amazing a day can become when everything is left to chance.

1. No surprises here, start the day off with a walk along the Seine

I decided not to take the metro today since it was the first day in a long while where the sun was strong enough to warm my back. I had intentions of going to the Petite Palais to do some more research, but the walk along the Seine was so therapeutic that I kept walking with no real desire to get anywhere fast.

Breakfast of Champions

2. Listen to the saxophonist under the bridge, Passarelle Léopold-Sédar Senghor

He played Edith Piaf's 'La Vie en Rose' for me while I sat and watched the boats pass by. Don't worry, I've got it recorded if you're interested in hearing it.

'La Vie en Rose'

3. Make a creative note about my dream home

I continued my walk to the docks along the Champs-Élysées. I took notice of the colors of the boats, colors worn down by the river, by the sea. One of the side projects I'm working on involves finding spaces in Paris that comfort me and designing a program to pull swatches from these spatial memories. So far, I've got about nine color harmonies. They have inspired rooms in my dream 'studio' as well as future fashion statements I may one day make.

4. Forget about time

I followed the Seine, stopping here and there to sketch or make a recording, and three hours later I found myself in front of the Eiffel Tower.

OK Eiffel tower, you got me this time...

5. A quiche lorraine with a view

After deciding to take a quick break, I went into the café at the architecture museum at the Trocadero. It has the best view of the Eiffel and you can have an amazing lunch for just about eight euro. I stayed there and watched the light change. I read a few lines of Munari, wrote a few lines myself and continued to get lost in the city.

The light.

6. Research for children's book

I ended up in the Nautical Museum of Paris, where I ended up taking about 300 photos. Sorry, I have a weak spot for these kinds of things, and I swear everything in this museum got me excited to continue this story I'm working on. Coming to a pair of hands on you soon...

This woman in beech wood, caught my eye and my attention for 30 minutes

Studying the hidden landscapes in nautical rope

Diving Bells and Butterflies.

Light house light bulbs... I wonder how man Frenchmen it takes to change this one.

7. Walk back, high tea

Now it was about four in the afternoon. In London, four means tea time! So I walked back to the Louvre to have high tea in my secret place, Mariage Fréres. The one I go to has an incredible atmosphere, and they usually play cuban jazz which fills the air with this aura of a time long ago.

This is an image of the downstairs seating area... I have yet to clandestinely take photos of the incredible space above.

8. Regatta

More research on the book... I watched a regatta which is my way of describing french kids sailing toy boats at the Tuileries. Today, all the boats were rented out so I just sat back and watched them sail away. The neon colors of the sails and the sound of kids running on the gravel always stays in my mind.

I think I'll miss this the most.

9. Shakespeare and Co.

This bookshop across from Notre Dame is where I spend many of my evenings into nights because of two reasons: they always have a reading on Monday nights and it's generally the best time to go because all of the artists and intellectuals from the Latin Quarter leave their studios to get in some good poetry.

Mr. Calder reciting poems from his book 'Solo.' notice how moved the girl (Gemma) on the right is...

10. Meet someone famous, be inspired, take their advice and 'fly solo'

Today's reading was by John Calder. If you don't know him, he's a famous poet, writer, and publisher. I listened to him read a few of his poems, and we got to talk afterwards. From what he says, Samuel Beckett was quite the character in his day. I told him about the project I was working on in Paris, and he told me to stay a while so he could read me a poem he wrote called 'Solo.' He said it might inspire me...

11. End the day with the sunset along the Seine

Like a close friend of mine who just celebrated her birthday, this one never gets old.

Good night Paris. You've made my Monday.