Looking backward/forward

As I have been preparing myself for this year's Summer Workshop at the Center for Cartoon Studies, a certain dread began to crawl inside of me. I started beating myself up for not accomplishing more since last summer's workshop. In fact, for a few moments there, I convinced myself that I haven't done a single cartooning-related thing in the past year.

But dread and fear often hide the truth. As I slowed down to think about it, I realized just how much cartooning-related work I have actually accomplished over the last 12 months:

• I came up with at least 100 ideas for gag cartoons (single-panel cartoons like you see in The New Yorker), and drew at least 20 of them.
• I scripted and thumbnailed at least 30 one-page comic stories.
• I attended the Maine Comic Arts Festival, my first show behind the table as an artist.
• I produced a new mini-comic.
• I participated in this year's International Drawing Day.
• I had two of my single-page comics stories appear in a book. (An amateur collection, but it's got covers and a spine, so it counts.)
• I drew hundreds of illustrations in my sketchbooks.
• I posted at least 20 or 30 cartoons to my webcomic.
• I started scripting a graphic novel. (Well, really a work of journalism in comics form, so the term "graphic novel" isn't quite right, but you get the idea.)
• I tried a whole bunch of different types of pens and papers as I experimented with different line and drawing styles.
• I focused my creative goals (a very key piece of the puzzle).
• and I had fun while doing all of the above.

Remembering / realizing / reflecting on all of that has totally pushed the dread aside and left me creatively charged for this workshop. I wish I could hit the road right now, but that wouldn't really do me any good, would it?

Anyway, I anticipate this being a life-changing experience, and I plan on making the most of it. Don't worry, I won't leave you behind -- expect some updates from the road next week.

See you in the funny pages.