From Playing to Creating

“Imagine it, create it.” - Toni Morrison

When I was about ten years old, I decided to draw a comic. Up to that point I had spent my free time watching TV, reading comic books, and building model kits. I had tried my hand at making a comic book once before, two issues of my own Star Trek comic book. This time was different. It was my own creation and I wasn’t tracing panels from other comic books. Where did this come from? It started with playing outside.

Playing at the neighborhood pool one day, my friend and I pretended that we were defending Earth from an invasion from Mars. We sat on the ground and threw our beach blankets over our heads. Instant jet fighter cockpit. Then we took off and blasted flying saucers out of the sky. We were good, but not good enough. The Martian leader got away to fight another day. 

I named the Martian leader Green Cheese. That’s right, Green Cheese. As in “the moon is made of geen cheese.” But he’s from Mars. Kid logic.

Instead of fighting the Martians again ourselves, we started acting out their adventures with toys. We built airplanes, flying saucers, and a base to be destroyed. When the carnage was complete we rebuilt everything and started over. This was my first exposure to what would become one of my favorite childhood toys, Lego. 

To add to the fun I took some pieces from a board game and used them as the Martians. They fit perfectly in little spaces I made in the ships. 

  

Pretty soon the storyline changed. After a few attacks we modified things. The Martians were no longer the bad guys. They became good guys exploring strange new worlds.

While that was fun, it came to a point where I wanted to do more. I now had the desire to draw comics about Green Cheese the Martian. I found everything I needed from my school supplies. I grabbed pencils, loose leaf notebook paper, and a ruler. I drew eight panels on a page then filled them in with a title, art, and word balloons. One page, one story. It was some crude, poorly drawn, silly stuff. But it was so much fun. As soon as I finished one, I got busy on the next one. I started experimenting with panel sizes. One page stories turned into longer stories, each page ending with a cliffhanger. 

No doubts, no hesitation. Just the drive to create. That’s something I’m trying to recapture these days. 

Next: Going monthly! 

Consuming vs. Creating

“Don’t just plan to write - write. It is only by writing, not dreaming about it, that we develop our own style.” - P.D. James

A good friend of mine recently told me that he was thinking about how he should stop ingesting material and start writing. Consuming vs. creating is something I’ve been fighting with all my life. There’s always something else to read or watch. 

It you really want to create, there comes a time when you need to stop consuming and start creating. But then the doubts start. Do I have enough experience? Will it be good enough? Should I read/watch/study a little longer before I try to create something? 

I’ve learned that you need to just start. You have to have the confidence that you have enough experience, that you have consumed enough for now, and that you have something to say. But it takes takes effort and concentration. It’s much easier to sit back and consume, especially when everyday responsibilities take up so much of our time and energy. 

For the longest time I convinced myself that I would eventually get around to creating. The idea that I would just consume a little more now, and create later was comforting. Then things changed. It’s different for everyone. For me it was getting older and my father falling ill. He recovered but it made me reflect on life like I had never before. Then just as I got started, just as I was getting into a rhythm, the death of my father stopped me in my tracks. It was pretty hard getting started again. Life hits hard. 

Consuming good material is awesome and it serves a purpose. You turn the last page or watch the end credits scroll up, and you think, wow, that was amazing. I get a different feeling finishing my own work. It feels even better. But then the doubt comes back into play. That’s the next thing to overcome. Comparing. Understanding that it can’t compare to what influenced you, and that it’s okay if it’s not as good. The important thing is to finish it. Whatever it is, a story, a comic book, a zine, or a blog post. Finish it. 

Then start the next one.