Hey there, fellow comic enthusiasts! Welcome back to another chapter of our journey into the fascinating world of drawing comics. Today’s entry is a bit of a tough pill to swallow, but believe me, it’s one of the most crucial aspects of being a creator – the art of failing.
Winners are just losers who never gave up.
You Are Going to Fail
Now, no one ever really tells you this when you start your creative journey, but you’re going to fail much more than you succeed. And that’s a good thing. Because whether you’re an artist, a scientist, a chef, or anything in between, failure is the realm where we figure out what NOT to do. And that, my friends, is how we eventually stumble upon WHAT WORKS. But let’s be real – failing sucks. It’s that delectable sushi roll you thought would be amazing, and then it turns out to be a mouthful of wasabi.
I once read somewhere: winners are just losers who never gave up. And you know what? There’s a whole lot of truth in that statement. There are a few outliers who succeed purely by luck, but every successful creator out there has a graveyard of projects and failures that we never hear about, all leading up to that one masterpiece that catches our collective eye. The only way they got to that shining moment is by refusing to give up.
Unfortunately I’m stuck in this failure state. I’ve been trapped in this Alan Wake-like Dark Place for 20 years. I’ve completed so many projects, and some of these projects were, in my humble opinion, pretty darn good. But here’s the kicker – no one ever saw them. So I don’t know if any of them can be deemed successful. Cue the existential crisis music, right?
And that got me thinking – what is success, really? It’s like the elusive ninja of the creative world, sneaking around and playing hide-and-seek with us hopeful artists. For some, success is wrapped up in fame and fortune. Money, money, money, MONEY! ♫ Money! But for me, being the center of attention is about as appealing as a durian-flavored popsicle.
Sure, making a living from my craft would be fantastic and is basically the goal. But I’m not aiming to be a millionaire. I’d definitely do a happy dance if I could pull in $20,000 a year.
But for me, success isn’t measured in dollar bills or red carpet appearances. It’s much simpler. It’s about knowing that somewhere out there, someone wants to dive into my stories, enjoy my art, and maybe even find a bit of inspiration.
What is Success?
Success, in my eyes, is about connection. It’s about weaving tales that resonate with others, creating a web of shared experiences. I’m in it for the joy of knowing that my work has touched someone’s heart, sparked a conversation, or whisked them away to a different world, even if just for a moment. But at this point, I’ve been surrounded with so much failure that I’d be satisfied just knowing if someone knew I existed.
Because, oh have I failed.
My first round was way back making movies. Nearly 20 years ago now, I birthed many cinematic creations, and some even crawled into film festivals. But alas, they never managed to grab anyone’s attention. I could never find anyone who wanted to make films with me. Because filmmaking is a team sport. I couldn’t do it alone. So each film became like sending a message in a bottle, hoping someone out there on the vast sea of indifference would catch a glimpse of my artistic SOS. Unfortunately, no one ever found any of those bottles. And I realized something – filmmaking wasn’t working. So eventually, for the sake of my sanity and wallet, I made a creative pivot.
Because, as they say, when one door closes, another opens.
So from filmmaking I turned my attention to an older form of storytelling – the written word. And that is where I failed for the next 10 years (joking!! Well, not really). I learned a great deal from it of course. I followed all the writing advice you see online, I tried online writer groups, I studied my favorite writers, I applied to Clarion West twice (and didn’t make it twice), and went for weekly beers with a good writer friend, David Reese-Thomas. In those 10 years, I wrote two feature screenplays, a dozen short stories, a few novellas, and even birthed a whole book. And I tried to get published (oh did I try). I sent hundreds of submissions. But alas, I did not get a single nibble from the publishing pond. The rejection, which nowadays is “if you don’t hear from us, we aren’t interested,” was brutal. Indifference is the touch of death for an artist. A reaction (whether good or bad) is what artists seek. So I was desperate for a simple “no,” heck, I’d have welcomed a “you suck.” But the not knowing, the uncertainty of whether anyone even glanced at my work – that was a punch to the creative gut. Never has such silence been so deafening.
Learning from Failure
But I learned something from that failure. I learned that being a writer wasn’t working. So I explored some more and pivoted again. Fast forward to the last seven years and I’m in the comic industry. This feels right, but rejection has become my constant companion. I still hadn’t landed a cold submission victory until this year. Sure, I managed to sprinkle some success into my creative stew with published comics, but let me pull back the curtain for you – all those were born from the lucky handshake of a writer with a deal or a well-placed connection. Even now, I still can’t get a response when I submit to publishers that I really want to work with.
But guess what? This rollercoaster of rejection is the rite of passage for every artist. It’s like a training ground – rigorous, painful, but essential for growth. And it is a brother/sisterhood that we all share. It doesn’t make it any less crappy but we all go through it because it comes with the territory.
And that brings me to a point I’ve touched on in previous entries – the power of having friends in this wild, wild world of creation. Let’s face it; failing is tough, but having friends who get it makes the turmoil a tad more manageable. They’re your comrades in the trenches, the ones who understand the struggle of an unfinished comic or an ignored manuscript. They are also the ‘connections’ you need. Getting published, collaborating on movies, and projects happen because people know and trust your work. And that’s because of your connections.
Now, let me lay bare my biggest personal failure – my struggle to build the friendships I’ve yearned for my entire life. Part of it is my introverted nature, that I struggle with on daily basis. Part of this is also living halfway across the globe in Japan. While utterly amazing, it can also be isolating. This failure is something that’s frustrated me my entire life.
Nuggets of Wisdom
But such is life, right? We try, we fail, and then we try again. What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger and all that. And while I may not have conquered the elusive friendships I long for, the creative journey has gifted me with incredible connections and allies. They may not be physically present, but in this digital age, distance is just a number.
So, here’s a nugget of wisdom for all my fellow creators: enjoy the small victories. Celebrate the times you completed a comic, relish the moment your film got nominated for best foreign film, savor the words when someone says they caught your work on TV. These moments might feel like rare treasures, but they’re the ones that fuel our creative spirit.
Remember, not every project finds its place, not every submission gets a thumbs-up, but the journey is rich with moments that define us. Every rejection is a stepping stone closer to the time someone actually says YES. But only if we don’t give up.
So please learn from my failures (the reason I’m writing this). And keep drawing, keep writing, and most importantly, keep connecting. Because in the vast tapestry of creativity, the friendships we forge along the way are the true masterpieces. Until next time, my resilient comrades, keep creating and cherishing those small triumphs! Onward, we go!
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*I don’t use AI for my artwork. These filler images are just for fun and aren’t meant to represent my art so they have been labeled “AI GENERATED.” I want my blog to be enjoyable for you but I don’t have 2-6 hours to draw each image (this blog is done in my free time). If you’re against AI in art, please direct your criticism elsewhere (maybe someone trying to pass off AI generated images as their art). I am not doing that.
Your honesty and vulnerability in this piece are solid gold. Thank you for sharing your story. And the artwork in this one…absolutely great — you nailed the captions!