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 life on Coenties Slip.

In his entry for January 18, 1961, Indiana writes that he worked on the lower left-hand circle of The American Dream, I. He includes a sketch of the circle, with the comment "to take the world 'tilt' later. But color not resolved yet either." A note added at a later date indicates that the star would be red. 

He also records that snow began to fall that day.