2024 Issue #29 🏄‍♂️

Happy Sunday, Reader!

Greetings from Sheboygan, where we exhibiting at the 54th Midsummer Festival of the Arts this weekend! We'll be there 'till 4 pm today (Sunday) at booth #76, so if you're in the area, stop by and say hi!

I've watched surfers in Hawaii, San Diego, and yes, even here in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, which is also known as "The Malibu of the Midwest."

The majority of a surfer's time seems to be spent paddling, floating, and waiting. From what I hear, it's all worth it, because the feeling you experience when you're in the middle of a great wave, having timed it just right, is a moment of euphoria.

I feel like I have some sense of this as an artist. There are moments when I'm in the zone at my easel, when time stands still, every brush stroke feels pre-ordained, and the joy of creating fills my soul.

But in between, there is the fishing for ideas, prepping the canvas, preparatory drawings and color studies, uncertain brushstrokes, frustration in mixing just the right color, constant distractions, and results that don't match the vision in my head.

The moment of euphoria — the small sliver of time in the zone — truly does make it all worth it.

The magic doesn't just happen, though. It requires a routine. You have to pull on your wetsuit. You have to lug your surfboard to the beach. You have to get out on the water. You have to put yourself in position for the perfect wave. You have to wait and wait...and wait.

I learned this as a cartoonist. When I was creating my comic strip, Kim & Jason, I spent time every morning writing. Most of the time, this so-called "writing" looked an awful lot like staring blankly into space. (Like how much of surfing looks like sitting on a surfboard floating in the water.) I realized that the key was committing to the entire time, no matter what, even if that meant I came away with zero ideas. Because a few minutes of staring blankly into space has a way of making you feel pretty foolish. You think of all the other things you have to get done, rationalize that maybe you just don't have it today and you'd be better served to switch to something more "productive."

This is a trap! I reframed the win as sitting there for the whole thirty minutes, not coming up with a great idea.

Putting in the time, regardless of the result, is the key. Sometimes it involved jotting down ideas that weren't very good (much like a surfer mistiming a wave or committing to one that peters out). More times than not, the best ideas came at the very end, after a long stretch of nothing.

I also discovered that ideas came easier when I was faithful to the daily habit. Too long of a break dried up the well and made staring back up even harder.

No matter what our activity of interest, we want to experience the sexy highlights, like gliding effortlessly across a rushing wall of water, or putting the finishing touches on a masterpiece.

But committed dedication to the practice is how you get there.

A surfer who goes out every day is the one most likely to catch the wave when it comes. And because she is out there every day, practicing and honing the craft, when the ultimate wave does come, she's more likely to have the skill to catch it properly and ride it as well and for as long as possible. She will possess the experience to make the most of that moment.

The fisherman who fishes every day has the best chance of making the best catch.

The runner who runs every day has the best chance of completing the marathon.

The writer who writes every day has the best chance of writing something great.

The parent who spends time with their child every day has the best chance of creating a memory that will last a lifetime or having a conversation that changes a life.

It's easy to desire the moment of euphoria.

It's even easier to give up too quickly when that moment feels too hard or too long in coming.

The in-between parts are long, hard, and boring. They are also normal. Don't let them take you by surprise and trick you into quitting too soon.

You can't predict or summon the ultimate wave on demand, just as you can't predict or summon a great idea.

But you can make yourself ready to make the most of it when it comes.

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🤔 I wonder...when in your life do you experience the feeling of being in the "zone?" What routine do you have in place (or need to improve) to enable you to spend more time there? Hit reply to share your thoughts with me, or join the conversation in the Escape Adulthood League!

Stay young and stay fun,

P.S.

Even if you weren't able to attend the art festival in Sheboygan, you can take advantage of our Summer Mini*Print sale, going on now! We have some brand new timed-release prints available (including Surfer Chicken above) and we also released a handful of previously unavailable prints from the vault! Plus, if you buy 4 or more, they're just $25 each!

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