Hello Again by Jason Kirschner

I've been away.  I'm pretty sure none of you out there noticed because my partners have been turning out some seriously good posts.   I haven't been contributing to the blog in quite some time. I really haven't been contributing anything kid-lit-ish for a bunch of months now.  I've got a day job -- I imagine there's a good portion of you out there that do-- and lately my day job has been a bit overwhelming. So I took a step back. It was a bunch of steps, actually-- probably a few too many.

I had so little time to write or draw.  I put a good amount of pressure on myself to use the little time I had wisely, which to me, meant a new book manuscript/ dummy. The problem with this was that I was too tired and the work wasn't good. Which made me frustrated. Which made the work even worse. You can see where this is going right? It's a vicious circle. Mix in a huge dollop of exhaustion, a dash of cynicism, and a few teaspoons of doubt and you get one hell of a creative blockage. And, no, more fiber doesn't help.

So there I was. Winter was coming ( literally and figuratively. Sorry George R.R.) and I had absolutely no new work to show. No portfolio pieces. No manuscripts. No book dummies. I was so frustrated. When I don't draw regularly, I get angry -- kinda like a smaller artsy Hulk. And then I found the one thing that saved me. Want to know what turned it around for me? Get ready for the big secret.

I started to.....doodle. 

Well, that's not quite right.  I doodled....With Intent. 
(This unintentionally sounds like an SVU crime.)

Instead of drawing the same characters over and over again like I did in junior high ("Look it's Wolverine. Again.")  I started setting myself little drawing challenges whenever I had a few free minutes.  These had nothing to do with my flailing book dummy or any other required work. I'd challenge myself to draw a cowboy lizard, or a raccoon in armor, or ducks....in space. There was no pressure because I drew on cheap lined pads lying around the office. It didn't matter if I screwed up. I wasn't going to post them online or show them to my agent so there was no fear of what others would say. It was just for me. And it was fun. It was so good to be drawing again and taking a break from the characters in my book dummy was refreshing.

I even made a pocket on the back of my pad!

After a few weeks, er...months of this I was able to get back to my book dummy and complete it. And some of the doodles sparked other ideas. Some didn't. That's ok too. And so now I'm talking more forward steps than backwards ones. And here I am. Blogging again. I mean I'm pretty sure you all knew about doodling already but it's my first post in a while.  I'm building to the good stuff. 

 

By day, Jason is a set designer for television, with credits that include The Meredith Vieira Show, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and The Late Show with David Letterman. By night,
Jason is an author and illustrator of children's books. You can find his debut picture book, Mr. Particular: The World's Choosiest Champion on shelves in bookstores everywhere. See more of Jason's work at www.jasonkirschner.com. Follow him on twitter @jason_kirschner .

No Doodle Left Behind, by Mike Ciccotello

©2016 Mike Ciccotello

As creators, we all suffer from those maddening creative blocks. Picture yourself walking along a beautiful path of sunshine and daydreams. Rainbows of light shoot from your hands and everything you create is the most amazing idea ever.

©2016 Mike Ciccotello

Then, out of nowhere, you SMACK your face right into a giant wall and bruise your nose. You can't seem to figure out where it came from, or how to get around it. You try to push it down. Then you try jumping to reach the top or walking around it. It's HUGE.

As a last ditch effort, you back up and run toward it with all your might, kicking, punching, and screaming. Then you collapse to the ground and cry.

©2016 Mike Ciccotello

We have all heard that taking a break will help. Yes, it does, but if you're like me, you can't take too long of a break. You need to create. Stay calm. Believe in yourself and the best tool you have in your arsenal, your creativity.

At a young age, I was taught to keep a visual diary. It's just a sketchpad or a journal. They come in all sorts of sizes and vary in price. Get one. Write. Draw. Fill it up. Repeat. Do not throw them away. They will serve you well.

©2016 Mike Ciccotello

I keep all of them. They are little windows to my past. I look at various sketches and ideas in a new light. Some are meh, and some are better than meh, but ALL of those ideas have possibility. Don't leave them behind.

The next time you hit that wall and can't think of a way around it, sit down. Pull out your old sketchpads or journals. Pour through the pages and explore your old ideas. Give them a second chance. See if your past self was planting seeds for your future. You may find a secret portal that gets you through that wall. 

©2016 Mike Ciccotello

Website:  Ciccotello.com 

Facebook:  The Art of Mike Ciccotello 

Twitter: @ciccotello 

Instagram: @ciccotello