The Dickens You Say

 Reading Dickens when I would rather be abed is a habit I've owned since childhood. It's been said that "going to bed the same day one eats breakfast is uncivilized". He mustn't have been as stricken as I. 

Alone Again, Naturally

So often my best times are the times I I spend alone. It's been said that so many people can't spend 15 minutes doing nothing. I don't have that problem.

State of Denial

It's been said others recognize our gifts before we do and it may be true but it's also true that others see our laziness before we do. It's not unlike an alcoholic who dosent admit he's is an addict even though everyone else clearly knows he is.

Not So Unsolicited Advice?

 As I was drawing caricatures at a company Christmas party in Baytown yesterday, a mother and her 6 year old son sat down in the hot seat for me to draw. Much  of the time, during these moments, I'll  exchange small talk with the customer and so many of the conversations veer toward the parent mentioning how talented their child is at drawing. Frankly speaking, it happens so often I hardly recognize it but this one was a little different.

This lady mentioned how so many have told her to steer her kids in directions other than art because there isn't much of a future in it and I bridled a bit at that statement and, without going into it very much I mentioned how that is a general perception among non-artists. Most people are unqualified to make such a statement just as I am not qualified to make any presumption about any vocation I know nothing about, like nuclear engineering for example. 

People can succeed or fail in anything and, in fact, do. There are successful doctors and mediocre ones. There are successful writers and mediocre ones. The same is true in any career: carpenters, welders, lawyers, educators, firefighters, garbage collectors, janitors, insurance salesmen, window washers. You can name any profession and you'll find success as well as failure. The same is true with art.

I advised her that if her son is interested in art then encourage him to commit to it and ignore everyone else. 

 

What was I Thinking

The wind was doing about 25 mph and the wind chill was in the 40s but even doing doing fun things isn't always fun. Today in Baytown was a company Xmas party gig and I must admit, it made for squiggly lines from my shivering cold reaction to the weather. 

1000 Days of Blogging

I recently gave a presentation to a small group of people about how learning to draw can help people do everything better and it included a brief rundown about everything I do in relation to my artwork. The list was considerable and included caricatures, merchandise, sales, commissions among other things, including work which has nothing to do with Bob Doll Ink but is necessary for me to make ends meet. 

After the presentation was over I considered an issue that arose in my mind which is, if I have these various projects I'm working on, why am I living a life of scarcity? I have enough projects so that I should be earning more income.

I know there are people and artists with no more talent that me but are far more successful. and without getting into the particulars, I've been around long enough, and have enough experience in self-employment to know the answer. 

Years ago, as a young Marine, I learned early in boot camp that it doesn't matter how well armed a warrior is or how athletic he is or how well supported. Victory or defeat lies between the ears. It's all about mindset.

I commonly listen to a podcast by Vincent Pugliese called The Total Life Freedom Podcast and on his December 3 show he described his commitment to producing one podcast everyday for 1000 consecutive days to gain followers and customers among other things. I thought about it and even though I have no plans for podcasting (my work is visual), I am a blogger. So, I've made a commitment to 1000 blog posts in 1000 consecutive days, starting today, for the same purposes. I know the why and how of the posts which, for now, I will keep to myself to save for other posts, but suffice it to say this is just one tactic I'll use in making BDI a success and quit living a life of scarcity. 

 

Avoid the Water Cooler

 Even though I've devoted my life to being a successful visual artist, I've never actually been a part of the artist tribe and I've also adopted the philosophy of Mike Rowe's mantra "be wary of all earnestness".  

Most of my public drawing career has been performed solo because the vast majority of events for which I've been hired required only one artist but recently with my new affiliation with other entertainment agencies, I've been accompanied by additional cartoonists as well.

This week I had the pleasure of performing at Memorial Herman Hospital and along with me there were three other artists which brought to the forefront the priority I have of  non-conformity. The other artists were talented, friendly and related well to me and the customers but we then we began to diverge. There seems to be similar traits, habits and practices among caricaturists from which I want to be unassociated which results in predictability, mediocrity and forgettable work. The successful visual artists I follow and the careers I wish to emulate do nothing the same way as everyone else.

It's a rather simple formula, really: to be average, I should do what 95% of what everyone else is doing. To be extraordinary, I need to do extraordinary things and depart from the familiar. 

I'm happy to be someone who isn't part of the crowd even among my peers. I've always been that way and in my naivete of years past, when I tried to blend in and be "one of the boys", it usually ended up to my own detriment.