Cartoonist or pre-schooler?

An unusual reflection on my career choice

A recent diary comic I made about a conversation that made me look to at my life in a different way.

Of course, this diary comic is a vast oversimplification of what I do as a cartoonist and designer. But there is a lot of truth to it too. I structure my life so that I have freedom and space for the things that I love: art, nature, running around, and the ability to rest when I’m tired. I suppose this has a lot in common with pre-schoolers.

What I struggle with as an adult is that I take those fun things, and inadvertently make them stressful because they’re tied to internal pressures of being “good,” or external pressures like earning a living. But still this conversation was a good reminder to appreciate my life and what I do have.

And I don't want to fully make childhood seem like this idyllic golden time. If I'm honest, I remember pre-school being really stressful and full of emotions that I didn’t know what to do with. But I do think there's something to be said for a world that is built up to encourage movement of your body, creativity, and exploration. I think that is something that we can all strive for in small and big ways in our lives.

Graphic Novel Recommendation

I’ve been diving into middle grade (ages 8-12) graphic novels as I consider creating one of my own. Three different graphic novelists I respect all highly recommended This Was Our Pact by Ryan Andrews and I can see why.

I was blown away by this book—it was fantastical, philosophical, scientific, and ultimately about friendship and treating people with respect.

My description makes it sound heavier than it is—overall it’s also just a good adventure story told with expressive and fantastical art. I highly recommend adding This Was Our Pact to your holiday gift list if you’re looking for a graphic novel for a kid (or yourself!)