Make Comics Not Excuses

If  I’ve learned only one thing over my 30 years on this planet, its that the Internet brings out the worst in people. Maybe it doesn’t bring out the worst, maybe it’s already there and the internet allows it to flow forth unhindered?  I’m not sure which it is but most of you know what I’m talking about.  If any of you think I’m exaggerating go to youtube…. It’s okay, i’ll wait…. you there? Good.  Now find the most innocent looking video that no one could possibly find objectionable.  Now read the comments…..

SEE!!! Didn’t you find the most horrible, mean spirited, rude, and ignorant comments. What’s up with that? What could that puppy have done to prevent those comments? Some people just want to hate because they can… Thats sort of the point.  There are a ton of people on the internet that somehow feel its their job to leave shitty comments everywhere they go.  So when these jerks are pointed towards you and your art I can see why it would make you want to give up, and not continue.

This is the thing you have to remember when this happens.  They don’t know what the hell they’re talking about. So just delete the comment, block the user, and keep on drawing.

Now by no means am I saying stick your head in the sand and only acknowledge positive comments and praise.  That stuff isn’t good for your ego or your art.  Unless you have someone tell you the things you need to improve on, you may never grow as an artist.  This goes double true for when you only listen to the praise.  You’ll start thinking you hot shit, and no longer need to work to improve yourself.  So when someone comes along and offers you honest advise on how to improve, take it to heart and make yourself a better artist.  There is a severe difference, however, between someone offering a critique to help you get better and a troll who just wants to start a fight.

Here is an example of a helpful critique:

“I love your story so far, but on some pages I get lost.  I’m not sure which order I should read the panels in.”

This person isn’t trying to make you feel bad.  They’re genuinely trying to enjoy your creation, but this one point is ruining it for them and they’re letting you know.   When you get a comment like that, it doesn’t mean you suck and should give up. It means you should take the problem to heart and see if you can improve on it in your next creation.

However sometimes you’ll get a comment like this:

“You fucking suck.  I can’t believe you expect someone to pay for this. It’s not worth wiping my ass with.”

Assuming this comment doesn’t come from someone you already have a bad relationship with, this sort of person has nothing better to do with their time than to wander around the internet and insult everything they can find. Most of the time its because they’re pissed off and they’re trying to make themselves feel better.  Maybe they gave up on their goals and want you to give up too so they feel better. Maybe it could be that they have no talent at all so they have to demean yours. Possibly, it could be because they just measured their TMI and they’re consistently angry.

In this case you need to delete the comment, block the user and then forget about it.  People who leave those kind of comments don’t know anything about art, so there is no reason to keep them around. If they were artists themselves, they’d be too busy making art to go around leaving those comments. If they  were educated about art, they’d know that even if your art isn’t amazing, it takes a long time to cultivate and master these skills, so they’d just ignore your art and maybe stop back by in a year or two to see how you’ve developed.   But someone who is educated, or talented in the arts would certainly NEVER pick you out of a virtual crowd and just tell you that your art sucks.  So the people who do, don’t know what they’re talking about and are not worth paying attention to.

Now I know it’s hard when you get alot negative comments, it weighs on you. Pushes you down.  Makes you want to give up, or not start at all.  But the thing you have to remember is that even if for some unexplainable reason these trolls are right, and your art sucks incredibly bad, you can  get better.  You can always get better.  There is literally nothing that can stop you from improving…. Well one thing can… Giving up.

So if you don’t give up, improvement is unstoppable.  If Improvement is unstoppable, then success is inevitable.  And once you’re successful then what will the Trolls have to say to you?  Thats right, NOTHING.

So don’t let the negative comments stop you from accomplishing your goals.  They don’t mean anything, and if you don’t give up, the negative comments become irrelevant.

So block the trolls, and Make Comics, because there aren’t any excuses around here!

 

Tomorrow I’ll be announcing a contest.  Until then, check me out around the web:

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And if you love my artwork don’t forget to pick up my comics!

And remember: Make Comics! Not Excuses!