1) Novelist Uses Artworks to Gauge his Writer's Block

The New Yorker has published this interesting piece detailing the Twitter account of novelist Rabih Alameddine, who uses the social media tool as a way to express his anxieties about writing – by posting works of art. According to the Lebanese-American writer, the more beautiful the work of art, the worse his struggle with writing (though, of course, it’s impossible to objectively rate the beauty of an artwork.) This Twitter serves as another hopeful example of how social media can be used as a productive tool for not only journalists and business people, but for creative types.

2) Complex Interview with Takashi Murakami

If you love the work of Takashi Murakami, this interview in Complex is sure to pique your interest. The artist discusses the exhaustive work that goes into heading his international company, Kaikai Kiki, as well as his ongoing collaborations with celebrities and fashion houses. Yet another artist who utilizes Instagram as a tool for both self-promotion and the discovery of up-and-coming artists, Murakami seems to remain ahead of the curve at the intersection of art and pop-culture. The 54-year-old artist shows no sign of slowing down, treating his career with a sense of almost childlike excitement.

3) Pepe the Frog Declared a Hate Symbol

The latest evolution of the Pepe the Frog meme is a rather unfortunate one. After being co-opted by extreme right-wing activists, certain Pepe memes have begun sporting unsavory symbols of racism and intolerance. The website of presidential nominee Hillary Clinton singled out the Pepe meme as a symbol related to white supremacy, and on Tuesday the New York Times reported that the meme had officially been declared a hate symbol by the anti-defamation league. The meme image’s creator, cartoonist Matt Furie, believes that this is just a phase, and once the election is over, the meme will undoubtedly evolve in a different direction.

4) Anish Kapoor Calls Versaille's Response to Vandalism "Pathetic"

Several months after we reported on the anti-Semitic graffiti that repeatedly appeared on Anish Kapoor’s Dirty Corner, the artist himself has renounced the Palace of Versaille’s efforts to combat the vandalism. According to Kapoor, the response from the Palace was “pathetic,” as the sculptural installation was repeatedly defaced over the course of its exhibition last summer. Kapoor reports that the cost of removing the graffiti mostly came out of his own pocket, and that despite having contacted the police three times, he has yet to receive any response. Staff at the Palace of Versaille have not yet commented on Kapoor’s allegations.