The Monday Media Diet with Joost Joossen

Joost was introduced to use by friend of WITI and MMD alum Ben Buckland. Delighted to have him on the page with us. -Colin (CJN)

Tell us about yourself.

I’m Joost Joossen. I’m a photographer for magazines, a few Belgian newspapers, television, NGOs, art galleries, and just about anyone who needs photos—mostly of people and artworks. Along the way, I also became an author. My first book, One Photo a Day Keeps the Doctor Away (2022), recently went into its fourth printing. It’s a guide to using photography as a daily mindfulness practice to boost creativity and well-being. I’ve just finished my second book, The Little Book of Solitude: The Power of Being Alone for Insight and Creativity, which will be released in March.

I’m endlessly curious, always searching for new insights, stories, and ways to better understand life. Books are a big part of that—fiction, non-fiction, philosophy—I love reading them all. I read to learn, to grow, and to see the world differently.

I’m also a total movie buff (check me out on Letterboxd at Jj21), I live my days surrounded by music, I love people, and I love coming up with ideas (my absolute favourite pass time!). I have Moleskine notebooks full of ideas, for books, stories, artworks, music—enough to need three lifetimes to bring them all to life.

Describe your media diet.

Besides keeping up with the news in Belgium and the rest of the world, last year I spent a lot of time following the U.S. elections through Seth Meyers’ A Closer Look, Brian Tyler Cohen, and Jimmy Kimmel. Thanks to them, it seemed clear how utterly incapable Donald Trump was. I was so certain that reason and common sense would prevail that the election results completely shocked me. I was in such a state that it affected me for days. Since then, I’ve been avoiding the news for a while. There’s not much positivity to be found at the moment, and not much to learn either. I know shutting ourselves off from it all is exactly what we’re NOT supposed to do—because where the hell will that lead us? But honestly, there’s some insane stuff going on.

I’ve recently started listening again to podcasts like The Ezra Klein Show and The New Yorker Radio Hour with David Remnick to get a more nuanced and in-depth perspective on what happened and where things might go from here. Podcasts have become a huge part of my life. That’s probably where I get most of my in-depth information and analysis these days. They allow me to dive deeper into complex issues without the constant barrage of breaking news alerts. I particularly enjoy podcasts that explore broader themes, like culture, politics, and philosophy, offering insights that feel more meaningful and less reactive.

What’s the last great book you read?

I really liked All Fours by Miranda July. She’s funny, she’s smart, she’s kinky, she surprised me.

I just re-read This Is Water by David Foster Wallace, remembering that I should read this at least once a year—just to remind myself how easy it is to slip into the default setting of self-centered thinking. It’s a powerful reminder to stay present, to pay attention, and to consciously choose how I see and interpret the world around me. It’s not just a speech—it’s a guide to navigating the everyday with more compassion and awareness.

What are you reading now?

My Mother Laughs by Chantal Akerman. It explores the complex and intimate relationship between the Belgian moviemaker Akerman and her mother, marked by a dynamic of pulling away and drawing closer. It’s as much a meditation on life and death, and a deep insight into how we think and react as human beings, as it is a portrait of a mother-daughter relationship. It’s direct. It’s honest. It’s one of the most beautiful books I’ve read in a long time.

What’s your reading strategy when you pick up a print copy of your favorite publication?

I developed a funny habit inspired by a journalist I used to work with who read far more media than I did. On weekends, when tackling the thicker newspaper and magazine(s) I want to browse, I scan them for about 30 minutes, with my coffee. I read all the titles and subtitles, and if an article catches my interest, I mark it with a little post-it on the edge of the page. During the week, I start reading through the articles I’ve flagged. If I don’t manage to get through all of them by the end of the week, I tear out the articles and store them in a special to-read folder. This folder is something I can carry with me and dip into whenever I have free time. It’s a nice way to make time for reading things I genuinely want—and need—to read. It’s my own private newspaper with only stuff specially written for me.

Who should everyone be reading that they’re not?

Writing my book for the last year, The Little Book of Solitude: The Power of Being Alone for Insight and Creativity, I have been reading a lot about people enjoying being by themselves, using their solitude to make some really amazing and special things. Books that help me embrace my own solitude and lean into it a bit more, appreciating it instead of being afraid of it, are Drifts by Kate Zambreno, The Lonely City by Olivia Laing, Solitude by Anthony Storr, Journal of a Solitude by May Sarton, and Alone in a Cabin on the Siberian Taiga by Sylvain Tesson.

What is the best non-famous app you love on your phone?

I don’t know if they’re famous or not, but these are the apps I use every day: Bookshelf (which helps me read every day, without breaking my streak), Forest (for focus and deep work), Spotify (discovering new music every day), Waze (for getting to where I need to go), and Letterboxd (for my love for movies).

Plane or train?

Train, without question. I’ve traveled a lot in my life, and people sometimes ask me, ‘What’s the most beautiful place you’ve ever been?’ People can ask those kinds of questions…

One absolute highlight—so unforgettable I repeated it a second time—was the Trans-Siberian Express. Seven days and seven nights, from Moscow to Beijing. The first time I did it was in 1995, and then again in 2019, but this time to Vladivostok, continuing by boat to Korea and then Japan. That feeling, sitting on a train that starts moving, knowing you’ll be on it for five days and five nights before reaching the first destination—there’s nothing else like it. The calm that washes over you is unmatched. A stack of books, headphones with good music, a notebook and my favourite pencil (Pentel P207 Mechanical Pencil 0.7mm Blue), and a window where, 24/7, trees and landscapes drift by, lulling you into daydreams. It’s pure magic.

What is one place everyone should visit?

Bookstores and libraries. Make America read again.

Tell us the story of a rabbit hole you fell deep into.

I got a bit fed up with all the ads on YouTube. I know they do it on purpose, to annoy us just enough so we feel like we have no choice but to get a subscription. Knowing that, I held off for as long as I could, but I eventually caved. Now that I have a subscription, my favorite rabbit hole has become concerts. I spend countless hours at my computer editing photos, and having a concert or DJ set playing on my headphones from the iPad next to me has made my life so much richer. You name it—David Byrne, Massive Attack, Radiohead, Apparat, Moloko, Nils Frahm, LCD Soundsystem, Underworld… You can find full concerts with incredible sound quality. I’ve even made a special folder to collect the best ones, and it keeps growing.