There's Something About Creative Types

We're a mess, insecure, manic. Well, some of us. We sell ourselves short and keeping forging ahead. We have a feeling we'll never do it, yet we keep striving for some lofty ambition, some unattainable goal.

But there must come a moment where you've done the work, met the people, honed your skill, embraced your talent. Now, you just need to let yourself succeed. That's really the tricky part. I need to re-read things I've written, question the quality, look at my pictures on Facebook to see that, yes, I am cool and awesome, and just revel in that insane life that I've led.

I'm at the point where I know comic professionals, people I was friendly with years ago are now working in the industry. They remember me, and they like me. Some even recognize my skill. I've had rockstar moments where I was drunk in midtown talking with David Mack (one of my favorite writer/artists) and he pulls over Bob Burden (one of the ultimate weirdos from the black & white indie boom of the 80's). That was surreal.

And it might not mean much to regular folk, but it was like hanging out with Gavin Rossdale and him bringing over They Might Be Giants. My best friend draws for Marvel and has for years. He's brought me the Marvel Friends & Family premiere of Spider-Man 3 & Iron Man 2. I sat in the same section as Joe Kelly (a personal friend and longtime supporter), Fred Van Lente, Dan Slott, and Walt Goddamn Simonson.

I'm so close. I can feel the work I'm doing, the work I fit inbetween working an erratic night schedule at the Daily News and having a nervous breakdown from a self-destructing relationship. I have a comic/writing/art blog & podcast, a graphic novel that's waiting for me to finish lettering, a novel that's just about done, and this new blog where I can tell you (and myself) all about who I am and what I'm doing.

Thank you for reading this, I really appreciate the comments and compliments I've received thus far. I promise this is just the beginning. There's so much for me to say and do, and finally having an audience validates that I haven't been wasting the last ten years of my life.

Oh, and I just wanted to touch upon synchronicity. I watched Men Who Stare At Goats, which is based on this actual new age military operation from the early 80's that reinvented the idea of an army. The actual program was called the 1 Earth Battalion and it's run by the original creator Jim Channon.

I was intrigued by his ideas and revolutionary concepts, so I looked him up. Unfortunately he was selling the manual for $15 which is beyond my budget. But I had discussed it with my co-worker Stu one day, and three days later I saw it sitting on his desk. I assumed he found a copy, or knew someone who had it and let him borrow it.

I asked him today and he had no idea who left it there. I hadn't even mentioned it to anyone else.

K