Obvious State is a creative studio, their artwork and goods are inspired by beautiful language that has stood the test of time, poetry that stretches the imagination, and philosophy that prompts us to think deeply. Obvious State takes snippets of text from literature, philosophy, and poetry as inspiration for a visual response and illustration. 

“Desiring truth, awaiting it, laboriously distilling a few words, forever desiring – truth.” – Virginia Woolf, Monday or Tuesday

From her first short story collection, Monday or Tuesday, which explores the challenge creatives face trying to capture something truthful through artifice, and striving towards the sublime with imperfect tools such as language and memory. 

Anyone who’s struggled to express a creative impulse truthfully and eloquently can relate to this quotation. Woolf chooses a heron as her subject, and its exploration of the world parallels Woolf’s own creative search. In the illustration, a heron has plucked a single note from an unstructured score. 

Product Details:

• Cover: 18pt recycled chipboard made from recycled content & books
• 32 college ruled sheets, uncoated 70# paper
• Pocket sized: 3.5 x 5 inches
• Saddle stitched with matching black staples
• Made in US in partnership with Scout Books.

You can shop the collection here.