Skills That No One Else Will Ever Attain

At my day job I often struggle with the conflict of within me.

Why am I not doing what I know I can do best at?

The answer that I often believe is that: I am not doing art, because I have not worked hard enough or smart enough or taken more risks.

Perhaps this is true on some level. We should all take these accusations seriously in review of our lives.

Yet, there is something to taking advantage of your situation, even if you are in a miserable rut.

If the above statement about my failings is 100% true, there is still a cause for not letting the miserable rut get me down.

It is this: Learning, giving, submission, and position are always important.

For the artist's ears this statement may sting a little.

It should.

I guess when I look at it honestly, I am not the author of my life...God is.

Learning, giving, submission, and position present opportunities to grow.

Learning, giving, submission, and position experiences no matter your place of employment or service give you advantages in the next step of your journey that no one else will ever attain.

Look for these experiences and cash in now and later on their benefits. Solve problems now where you are at and you may be the leader in the place of employment or service you take. 

Your Infinite Database On The Moon

Each day when I sit down to do art I have a specific structure in place to keep me on task. It goes something like this: 1. 15 minutes of sketching 2. Draw the comic page 3. Ink the comic page 4. Composite page on the computer. This daily regimen keeps me on task so long as I do not lose focus.

But alas, my mind does not quit working 100% of the time. Narrowing in is not always easy. Here are some factors that are prone to intrude: tiredness, curiosity about something, my bad day at work, other life problems, ministry work, relationships, and other creative ideas brewing in the back of my mind. In a prior post I tackled how I deal with distractions. Click here to read it: Road Work Ahead. Today I want to take a jab at explaining what can be done with those creative ideas that pop up.

Before I finish a piece of art, story, or project I usually begin to see new opportunities. What does a creative person do with these opportunities while other projects take priority?

I wish the easy answer was always to store it in an infinitely secure database on the moon, but it doesn't work that way. Creative ideas are often untamed beasts that like to appear like the Loch Ness Monster. They are ever elusive and prone to disappear as quickly and suddenly as they appear. Unlike people who do not value creativity, the artistic person considers these as precious as gold. Even if we find them to be fools gold in the near future, we don't know how much they are worth until some future time when we can invest in exploring it.

The potential locked away in these ideas come and go. They often do so in the midst of mundane tasks. Some are even prone to pop up during normal work times. This precious commodity often disappears because we are occupied with something that has to take priority in the name of responsibility. Artists generally hate this, but we find ways to manage.

Taking down these ideas come in a number of forms some are not great, but necessary others are ideal so I made a short list of each and you can determine if they are valid for your purposes. Ideal methods are generally more secure and not easily disposed. Less than ideal methods are easily disposable or can be mistaken for something unimportant.

Ideal Idea Capturing Methods:

1. Laptop, PC, or Phone app

2. Sketchbook/journal on hand

3. Filing system

4. Dry erase/Chalk board

5. An e-mail

Less Than Ideal Idea Capturing Methods:

1. Napkin from a restaurant

2. Receipt or random piece of paper on your person

3. Back of a bill or envelope around the house

4. Text message to yourself

5. Digital photo on your phone or camera

6. On the back of a project you are selling or being paid to do

7. Any method from the other 11 listed on someonelse's property

These lists are not a hard and fast rules. What do you think? Do you agree with my categories? What do you do with your ideas in a pinch? Let me know, I would like to do a post about your feedback.

Dreads

I was pretty sure on Monday that something was wrong with me. I took a nap and I still felt tired. Even more tired than before I laid down. The next day proved it. My bones ached and I felt exhausted no matter what I did or what I ate. The dreads had begun.

Unbelievable Weather.

This year in Ohio we had a surprisingly temperate winter. We had 60 degree weather starting in December and going all the way through February. It peaked at 80 degrees by mid-March. We all thought it was going to last. We were wrong.

Over the past couple of weeks it seems as if late fall and mid-summer are duking it out. One day starts out winterish and by the end it is summerish. Ugh! What a predicament to feel sick under.


Creative Dreads.
My creativity and energy have been zapped all week. I'd rather sleep than do anything. It puts a damper on everything that helps me thrive. I thought forward in time to all of the projects that I was putting off, all the people I have to contact, and all the other things in my life that demanded my attention. I dreaded the future. I've heard of other creative people (who are paid to be creative) say they just power through illness and get the project done. I have been questioning the wisdom of this. How does it really help you in the end? All that time you continue to work you're extending your dread of being sick. We don't recover so quickly as we get older. And what good is that overall? It is easy enough to throw out discipline, but what about wellness?

What Do You Think?
So, what do you do when you are sick? Do you press in and power through or do you stop everything? Do you get help or do it on your own? How do you know when to slow down or take a break?

Let me know what you think.

Stuck In Time

There is so much that needs to be done. Lord help me to build new disciplines into my life. Help me win the battles against the sins in my life...

This was my journal entry from Friday. This is a hard prayer to pray. Often I look to earthly systems to solve my time management problems. Often times they fail to address the problem accurately. Being candid about this is hard. Even harder on the internet where everyone can see it.

You Are Not Alone.
I know I am not alone in trying to find time for everything. Its just not possible. I have many dreams and goals. Many you won't hear about for a long time. It's just not time. But really I want my friends, family, co-workers, and fellow artists all over the world to take solace in this: Priorities are hard to figure out. Because we just don't work, eat, drink, and die there is no straight path on this route.






Consider These Ways To Manage Your Time.
This list is what I have figured out so far. Hopefully these lessons will help you evaluate your situation.

1. Journal daily if possible as a record of accomplishments and failures.
2. Don't put off today what needs to be done today.
3. Ask for help as often as possible.
4. Don't overburden yourself with creative goals that are well beyond your reach at this time. Write them down, draw them, and come back if God allows.
5. You won't always know your limits, but you can tell at the end of the day if you overdid it or not. Try not to go back on that road if possible.
6. Stick to your plan. Refuse to let others distract you if you have a goal in mind. Take criticism of your plan with a grain of salt.
7. Try time management tools, but don't sell out to just one. They all have their benefits and setbacks.
8. Pray and ask God for help.

Conclusion.
You are a unique individual. Let your life form organically. No one can really understand all that you are trying to accomplish. Keep getting back on the time management horse as often as you fall off. In the end you will find time working to your benefit instead of against you.

What Do Cartoonists Eat?

Many times I bring you the facts of creating and the process of thinking about creating, but today I thought I would change it up and bring you facts about the sustenance of a creative. If you can say that 10 times fast I'll give you a prize!

Usually whats eating a cartoonist is eating him because he hasn't eaten or slept (another blog post). Creative blocks are created by stress, hunger, and lack of sleep. Contrary to popular belief, cartoonists are not robots. But sometimes we think we are. So I understand the misconception.

When cartoonists are not eaten by anxiety and are apt to create a lot, what do they eat? No there isn't magic dust in our Cheerios or lightning in our mashed potatoes. We often eat what others eat. I drew this diagram the other day to demonstrate my point. I'll expound a little below, because I know that quick sketches are sometimes hard to read. Enjoy!

This isn't a daily routine for me, but the process of deciding what to eat usually is. I get off my part-time job after midday most days and I am usually revved up to create. After a couple of years without much money and figuring that eating out added up in the wallet and in the waist, I started going back to what I knew worked as a child. I had to find a fast healthy way to get the nutritional value I needed to create for about 4 hours (usually in the afternoon).

Recently I reverted to cold-cut sandwiches and soup. One, they are tasty if you know how to prepare them. Two, they are fast or require little preparation (a benefit for anyone on a time crunch). Three, little clean-up, little mess.

My sandwich is usually composed of wheat bread toast, cold cut turkey/ham, lettuce, onion, Thousand Island dressing, pickles, and sometimes other herbs or random things on hand. Flavor makes all the difference. No flavor, I won't eat it. When I have time I add extra veggies as a side, french fries, or rolls (something quick and hot). I drink water most of the time, but the Bolthouse smoothies are great when they're on sale. I eat a dessert item if I have it or have made it recently.

What time saving tips do you have concerning meals in the midst of a busy creative schedule?

Cartoonist In The City

Whenever possible I partake in community events. This past weekend I went to Columbus's Cultural Arts Center's Bicentennial Ball celebrating Columbus's 200 years of existence.

In new settings its a great joy to record and document what is going on. This is especially rewarding when there is cool architectural flourishes, unique angles, and a variety of people.

I, for one, do not discriminate in material usage. If it is in my sketchbook, all the more reason to experiment. Whether it's a green Crayola marker or a toothbrush with an odd pigment, I consider the challenge worth my time.

On top of it all, it was great to hang out with friends, see old friends, meet new people, see great art, and enjoy some of the best food you can find in Columbus, OH. This type of setting is in fact where life can be the most inspiring to create art.

A Firmer Resolution And Other Base Facts

I look across my life and see many failed attempts at following through on resolutions and vows of various types. As an adult, I am no longer surprised by this. Each year that passes is a new understanding of my personal failures. I am sure that most people, like myself, come to this realization once they have left the comfort of their parent's home. I am sure that some realize much earlier than others.

The encouraging thing about failing at resolutions and goals in particular is that you learn to do them the right way. Each time you fail it is important to pick up and go at it again. I learned some very important tips concerning personal growth by using measurable goal-making from Chris Oatley's Artcast just this last week. You can click on this link to hear it: Artistic Growth Is Not A Goal...

The hard part about living your life, especially to be excellent in every area you can be, is that nothing really stays the same. The only exception is God and His goodness. We constantly have to be on our guard concerning everyday challenges. Is there a set way to do a task or requirement? Some times there is, but rarely. Life consists of improvisation in repition. You can do it well, if you have done something like it before. But do not count on it working exactly the same way. So, life feeds art. It gives us due inspiration, because like life, art is a continuous process of change and growth.

Don't give up on your goals! Firmly stand in the gap between your starting point and your goal. Be excellent in your career pursuits, your family life, and hold high the tenets of doing right by others in as many ways as you can! Stay the course, because none of us have it easy and from time to time we can learn from each other's failures.

Inquire Within, Part 1: God And Imagination

This is when it is hard to see God. When it seems as if you can't see beyond your troubles. In spite of the blessings you are in the midst of, it is difficult to see the end.

The dessert is like that. You go for miles in the stark landscape. You hope for an oasis, but because its so difficult to tell what direction you're actually going at times you lose hope quickly.

This is when we need our imaginations. This is when it is important to bow low. This is when we need to submit to our Heavenly Father. He is the author of all creation. And what we need to get through adversity are our dreams, visions, and imagination. All of these hardships are fuel for our imaginations.

Click this to see the painting: Passage

These are the times that the unseen things benefit us. I often paint with a limited palette. When I put down paint and attempt to show detail and shape and value, I am challenged to do it without all of the possibilities afforded me by a full range of colors. But this practice of depending on the unknown has allowed me to create some amazing paintings with unique feels and atmospheres.

When we come to a point where revelations of God's goodness intersect our day to day life we experience Exempla Vitae moments. This is the Art of Living Story. The times when we are able to learn through doing or learn through remembering. From this lesson learned a remarkable thing happens: We have a new story to tell. Some tell their story through words, some through music or dance, some through performance or building, yet others do so by imagery. I am one of those who uses imagery, but more specifically cartooning.

As a cartoonist I am constantly expanding my visual and written vocabulary. This blog is an expression of that. My thoughts and experiments are often expressed with sequential art or imagery, but they do have broader applications.  I believe you will be able to experience creativity in a new way by taking advantage of the challenges. My challenges stem from the good I have experienced in my relationship with Jesus, and you should seek Him to take full advantage of all the good that you experience.

What is it you are having a difficult time with? What are your current limitations? What do you have at your disposal? Challenge- Try a project with fewer options. Take away what you are comfortable with and create with what remains.