Hey ya’ll! So it’s been a while, hasn’t it? I know. Been a crazy time what with all the crying and staring into the lonesome void of my inner longings… I also need to get a schedule going for this blog. See, i’m learning, but also having fun. But learning how to manage a blog isn’t what this specific blog is about. No siree! This blog is about committing and pushing yourself forward whether you’re ready or not. So grab your bags, bend forward and get ready to feel that hard boot swiftly kick against your posterior, ejecting you out of the safe nest of procrastination and certainty.
Look out below!
Yep, time to spread your wings and fly! For years now I’ve always wanted to make a comic and for years I always told myself I wasn’t ready. I’d look at other peoples artwork that I followed on Instagram or Deviantart and think, “They’re amazing! I’m nowhere near being as good as them. I’m hopeless! I’m no artist! I might as well end it all now! GOOD BYE CRUEL WORLD!!!”. Okay, maybe not exactly like that, but from time to time I know us artists can look at others work and think ourselves inferior. It might be because we may not color like an other can or we can’t create beautiful scenic back grounds like some. And this isn’t just for drawing and what not, this goes for writers, actors, dancers, etc.
I would torture myself over other artists techniques and not be secure enough in mine to the point that I just wouldn’t draw at all, preventing me from practicing and becoming a better artist. So I finally buckled down last week with old sketches and plots I have had stored on my shelf , about a comic strip idea called “Fairy Funny Tales”. This cartoon is led by an elf, a pixie, a bridge troll, a homeless king, and a cursed victim named “Chicken-Head Fred”. I started thumb-nailing and then sketching out the templates and inking down the final drafts. And let me tell you, I loved every second of it. And did I know what I was doing?.. NOPE!
Well La-Tee-Dah! You drew something, Picasso!
I’m just saying, I didn’t second guess myself, I didn’t create excuses, and most importantly I didn’t sit down at my desk thinking, “This has to be perfect.”. I think that right there is kind of the secret to success. I can’t tell you how many times i’ll get ready to draw with an image in my head and think about how perfect it has to be. Which then throws off your confidence and mojo. The slightest mistake will have you flipping over your desk and sobbing over your dog who has no idea what’s happening and thinks she is in trouble for something she did.
Point is, stop procrastinating, stop saying you’ll get to it when you’ve gotten better and you’re ready. You’re never going to be ready, so suck it up and do it already! That’s what I did and I’ve learned so much in one week than I have in 5 years, which is kind of sad. So don’t be an old excuse thrower like me, get out and start on your creative project! Chances are, you’re going to be pleasantly surprised with the process and even the mistakes. But look forward to them, cause that’s another step closer to being a professional at your best.
The Curse of Imagination 