Unforeseen New Year's resolutions...

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Hi there, I hope your year got off to a good start!

I’m having a bit of trouble getting back into the swing of things. I was writing a newsletter about athletes foot and books I read that brought me to my new year's resolutions but somehow, it wouldn’t come together as a story. I wonder why.

When writing an email takes longer than for a persistent foot fungus to cure, you should probably stop what you’re doing and try something else. So instead of sharing the whole backstory, I’ll just tell you about my conclusion and list the things that brought me there. 

I’m starting a sketchbook just for me. 

The idea is to fill at least one page every weekday in less than 30 minutes. I’m drawing directly with a pen in a very ordinary sketchbook and these pages are not for sharing. The goal is to feel less annoyed with myself, generate ideas (that don’t have to be useful) and become a better cartoonist.

Why?

• A feeling that I can’t quite describe in words but looked like this:

I tried spending some time alone to sort myself out.

Turns out it’s not other people that get in my way.

• A Dutch book called: ‘Ik durf niks en doe alles’ by Martine Bakker. The title loosely translates as: ‘I dare not do anything but do everything’. It’s a hilarious description of the author’s creative journey as a stand up comedian. She refers to a book by 

• Scott Dikkers: ‘How to write funny’. I haven’t read this one but plan to. What Martine Bakker took from this book is that your inner clown (who has lots of ideas and thinks they’re all great) and inner editor should find a balance. I think my inner editor critic has taken up most of my brain space. These 30 minutes a day are for my ‘clown’ to do its thing.

• Another book that pointed me in this direction is Carnet de Voyage by Craig Thompson. He reflects on drawing a book while travelling and concludes:

  

• As I was contemplating all of this,

  Autobiographix
  shared a list of ways to keep a daily drawing practice in their latest publication. You can check it out here.

Just like how a nasty foot fungus made me decide to have a dry January this year, it didn’t feel like a choice to start this new comic dairy. I think - and my inner editor fully agrees - it just makes sense.

I’m wishing you a joyful and creative 2023!

Did you make any new year’s resolutions?

With love,