I always get anxious when I see comics or posts with Big Tough Artists Speaking From Tough Love. You know the kind, the ones that are like “DO IT DO IT DO IT GIVE UP EVERYTHING DO IT WORK WORK HAVE NO LIFE WORK.” They have their place, and it’s absolutely true. To improve, it takes work. if you want to make it in the art world, it’s determination, drive and diligence that makes things happen. Art School and the art world in general hammers home, NEVER GO A DAY WITHOUT DRAWING. NEVER STOP. THIS IS YOUR JOB. Art is something that gets better with time and energy, and leaving it WILL stagnate you and make you fall out of practice. It happens. But.
I wanna share a thing. So, there’s this amazing artist named Peter Brown. He’s a Caldecot Award Winning illustrator. I met him in New York, and he looked over my children’s book at the time and liked it. He actually said I was ready to submit it. (Gosh!)
But he told me something I’ll never forget.
He said he used to crank out book after book, never stopped drawing, did all the right things they tell you to do. But, he had no life. He suffered anxiety, depression. He was miserable, exhausted. He could do it, but he was driving himself to sickness. Finally, one day, he just said, screw it. He made time for himself. He picked up a day job. He went out with friends, he took care of himself. He said that the best art in the world was not worth his life or his mind. And he told us the same thing. Work on taking care of yourself, even if it costs art.
Now, the happy story is, while he only produced one book a year instead of three, he was happier, and the joy showed in his work. He had a best-seller and a Caldecot, and so he was able to go back to doing art full-time, but on his terms.
About three years ago, when I first came home from Australia, I came to accept that I will not be a Big-Shot artist. I won’t be America’s Next Manga-ka, I won’t be headlining a comic convention anytime soon, and that is OKAY. Because if what I’d have to do to get to that stage would tear me apart as a person, that’s not what I want to do. And that is OKAY.
It is OKAY to want to make art just for yourself. For the sheer enjoyment of making something. It is OKAY to make art for sale but not want to push and press for marketing. Art produced from a bad place does NOT make it better, or worth more. I guess what I’m saying is…
It’s great to push yourself and work hard and yes, your art will improve if you do that! But if you miss a day or lapse or hell, even back away from art altogether for a while to reassess, it doesn’t make you a failure, or worthless. Basically… TAKE CARE OF YOU FIRST.
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