- Topics: [[Creativity]], [[Organization]] - Source: https://time.com/4949766/george-carlin-joke-system/ --- ## Notes - [[George Carlin]] meticulously **captured**, categorized, and filed ideas (his personal [[Zettelkasten]]) so that these fleeting sparks of creativity would be preserved and hopefully later **recalled** to be combined into larger, richer, and more complete ideas. ## Original article ![[George Carlin notes categorized in ziploc bags.jpeg]] When the legendary comedian died in 2008, his daughter Kelly was left with three storage units. Among the papers and artifacts he saved were file folders that provide a glimpse into how his mind works. > "A good idea, is not of any use if you can't find it." Over time, Carlin formalized that system: paper scraps with words or phrases would each receive a category, usually noted in a different color at the top of the paper, and then periodically those scraps would be gathered into plastic bags by category, and then those bags would go into file folders. ==Though he would later begin using a computer to keep track of those ideas, the basic principle of find-ability remained.== That's how he built this collection of independent ideas that he was able to cross-reference and start to build larger routines from. The notes tend to stick close to the major themes of Carlin's work: > "Big ideas, the minutia of everyday life, and then language." The notes also a reminder from the comedian that time is valuable and finite. The ideas we have can slip away if they're not pinned down, and record-keeping that can only be deciphered by the record-keeper is useless after we are gone. ![[Goerge Carlin notes categorized in folders.jpeg]] ## See also - [[George Carlin's digital filing system for his notes]]