A Very February State of the Comics Practice Address!
(IT’S LIKE A STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS FOR MY COMICS PRACTICE, IN CASE THAT WASN’T SELF-EXPLANATORY)
Yep, I’m starting this month’s newsletter by spinning my chair around and sitting in it backwards. Don’t worry, I haven’t suddenly decided to become a youth pastor or anything. But much like a youth pastor, I am going to “keep it real with you kids” for a minute.
Earlier this month, I finished my comic for the anthology I mentioned in last month’s newsletter and immediately got sick. This has, unfortunately, been a pattern for me lately, and it took this instance of being sick to admit to myself that the way I’m doing things isn’t working out well for me. At some point in the past couple of years, I started sticking to an unsustainable and punitive routine, not just with comics but with lifting weights and practicing my singing, too. These are all things I love to do, but somewhere along the way I started telling myself, “if you don’t absolutely crank away at all of these things every day, you’re going to be an embarrassment forever.”
Needless to say, even though I’ve gotten a lot done, this mindset has made me feel really awful all around, and I’ve been this cranky, exhausted, dried up husk of myself for the past year, give or take. So, this month I came up with a healthier, more balanced schedule for my life, which I’ve been following for the past couple of weeks now. I’ve always held the philosophy that people who take time to live their life and have a variety of experiences make better art, and I feel like I’m already noticing an improvement in my own work. I’m also just feeling better and more like myself again, which is enough on its own to make this worth it.
So, all that is to say, my comics are going to take as long as they take to make, and while I’m still okay with giving myself soft deadlines, I’m not going to break my back over them. I think they’ll be better comics as a result!
Okay, that’s it for the “state of the comics practice address.” I hope that wasn’t too heavy, and if you’re an artist (or any type of person with a goal) who finds yourself thinking in the harsh ways described above, I hope you’ll take it easier on yourself, because you can’t beat yourself into a shape that you’ll love.
OKAY, HERE ARE THE CARTOONS NOW
So, in the interest of adding more fun and whimsy to my life, I’ve been doing some more “just for fun” comics and drawings! Not that making comics with the goal of having a book to print isn’t fun, but I do have a tendency to put my blinders on when I’m in the middle of a big project like that and forget about the crucial practice of doodling!
Here’s one about my mom:
Here’s one I like to call “why am I like this:”
And a followup called “Oh yeah, that’s why:”
Here’s one about a dream I had. I’ve never used “fuckass shitty” as a descriptor in real life, but I guess the astral plane makes sailors of us all:
And here’s one about my misadventures in “playing” the bass:
Aside from making little comics, I’ve been making doodles of Ariadne (and sometimes Nox) in the morning while I drink a cup of coffee. This is a 10/10 morning ritual, it really starts my day out on a great note!
That about does it for the art updates. I’m still chipping away at inking Inoscularum, but like I mentioned above, I’m making sure to pace myself. I think it’s time for critters and music!
CRITTER OF THE MONTH!
February’s critter of the month is the Spring Peeper! Spring is right around the corner, and at this time of year, you can go out at night and hear these cutie pies doing exactly what their name suggests— peeping! Check out their call here on their herpsofnc page.
SONG(S) OF THE MONTH!
I’ve been listening to a lot more music this month (again, in the interest of having more fun, enrichment, etc) and couldn’t pick just one song! So,
END OF FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER
That’s all for now, folks! I hope the beginning of spring finds you all well, and don’t forget to take some time to go outside and look at the moon. You’ll hear some great frog calls if you’re lucky!
