Sketchbook Exposé #5
+ My newest New Yorker cartoon!
—‘Yellooooo my nerdy-poos!
I’m gaseously excited to share that last week one of my cartoons was selected as the Daily Cartoon by The New Yorker!
I haven’t had a Daily Cartoon in over a year, so that’s fun.
Being in print is the real pie-in-the-sky aspiration, but being published in any capacity will always make me squirm with freakish joy.
And since this is a “Sketchbook Exposé” after all, here is my original sketch followed by the re-draw that I submitted to Emma a couple of weeks ago.
I wish I didn’t feel the need to make such detailed re-draws when I submit my ideas, but I’m always anxious that when David Remnick1 looks at it he’ll have no idea who I am and what my actual finished style looks like and could therefore possibly reject an idea because it’s too chicken-scratch.
Is this a valid fear?
I HAVE NO IDEA!
Someday I’ll really need to start reining it in though because the vast majority of my ideas are rejected and these re-draws take a shameful amount of time to draw.
Anywhoozles, to keep on the theme here are some sketches I doodled earlier this year:
I’m starting to notice a trend in how writing this Substack is affecting me and my creativity.
I friggin’ love having deadlines to share myself in writing and drawings.
If not for this I could easily convince myself that “no one cares” and end up creating monumentally less.
For Example
Every time I write a “Sketchbook Exposé” post it makes me realize how little I draw for fun anymore (because I have to dig deep into old sketchbooks).
This reminds me that I should be setting aside time to draw for fun more often (ever)… then I end up doing it! Shocking!
Believing that you have anything “worth” sharing is really hard.
It’s hard because “worth” is subjective and there’s not any real truth behind it, so it ends up being whatever you choose to believe.
I’ve been “putting myself out there” long enough at this point that I’m kind of numb to the idea that anyone thinks I’m dumb or boring.
I’m having fun, so who cares. 🤙
Comments (Let’s Chat!):
Do you also struggle to feel like you have anything “worth” sharing?
Do you set aside time to be creative (or wish you did)?
Should I draw for fun after finishing the post? (A: Yes)
But what should I draw?! *panic sets in*
Listening to:
Yes, I feel very cool that he even looks at my cartoons (even though 95% of the time he’s probably like, “What’s this dumb shit?”).
Do you also struggle to feel like you have anything “worth” sharing?
Yes- as a writer I have recently started writing (poetry) only for myself and love that freedom- I have given myself a year before I have to share at my local. The writing I do for my blog often feels less than worthy but is more functional so I just do it and have to be okay that its not quite worthy.
Do you set aside time to be creative (or wish you did)?
I have started to and its essential for my sanity and wellbeing. I notice weeks when I have not set aside time or enough time and it detracts from every part of the rest of my life.
Should I draw for fun after finishing the post?
why not?
But what should I draw?! *panic sets in*
in poetry prompts help me so much- I have some left over from A month if prompts in May but then also found a random photograph of my daughter holding a newspaper up from an art exhibit at Mass MoCA that said: Not so much a thing but the way things happen. - which I think is a good prompt to. Do visual artists use prompts?
I draw every day just in case I become famous like Joan of Arc or Ed McMahon and people need stuff to hang up on a wall in a museum. “What’s up with this dude?” Visitors will ask. Just in case...That’s what makes it all fun! So, what up on the wall at the Erika Sjule Museum 500 years from now?