Robert Indiana kept a series of illustrated journals during the late 1950s and 1960s, in which he discusses the development of his work as well as his daily activities.

In his journal entry for August 12, 1962, Indiana records that it was a quiet day on the Slip, and that artist Lenore Tawney came over for breakfast. He describes working on the construction Marine Works, applying two coats of gesso for new color, and fashioning larger headed arrows, which are illustrated. He notes getting very little done otherwise, besides some plumbing, as his trip to the country (to Rockland County, to visit Stephen and Barbara Durkee) earlier that week had exhausted him, and he was tired all day.

Indiana also writes that he had all his meals in, and that he spoke on the phone with two friends, Barrie (Bates, misspelled Barry), who wanted to come over the following day with Andy Warhol, and Mon Levinson, who had invited him and J. (his partner, fashion designer John Kloss) over for dinner.

Indiana's journals frequently reference current events. Here Indiana records that there were now two Soviet astronauts in space simultaneously, Pavel Popovich and Andriyan Nikolayev, lamenting that "our advances seem horribly shrunk again."