Make Comics Not Excuses

I’m going to be honest.  I don’t understand this excuses. I don’t understand how the possibility of coming up with a better idea stops you from even starting the first idea.  I mean, I understand the dilemma:  Here you are working hard on your comic idea, and your struck with a brilliant concept for another book.  What do you do? Do you start working on it right away? Do you drop the old idea like a bad habit? Do you shelve the better idea until the first idea is done?  What do you do? Its a tough choice.  But, even though thats a tough decision to have to make, I don’t understand why it’s an excuse to not make anything at all?

It’s like an inventor comes up with an idea that could change the world.  Then he or she thinks “wait, what if while I’m working on this invention I come up with an even better invention?… well i guess I shouldn’t work on anything then.”

It’s almost the opposite of the writers block I talked about last week.  “I have too many ideas, so my solution is to do nothing about any of them.”  Does that make any sense?  It doesn’t to me.

The only rationale that I can fathom is that someone is afraid that they put all their time and effort into a comic book, only to think of a better idea half way through.  They feel like they wasted their time on the first idea, and wants to avoid that waste.  So to avoid it they’ll just sit around doing nothing until they get that better idea.

If someone reading this can explain the rationale for this excuse better than how I just put it, please let me know, because I’m honestly having a tough time warping my head around it.

Regardless of the rationale, it’s not an excuse.  To NOT do something because of something that MIGHT happen is the worse thing you can do in life. Expecially if you have absolutely no evidence that it might happen beyond sheer statistical probability. I might get struck by a meteor tomorrow. Its improbable but possible. So to not work on my artwork tonight because I might be dead by meteor strike tomorrow is a terrible excuse.

So to not start working on your current idea, because you MIGHT get a better idea later, is just as bad.  What if you don’t get that better idea?  You’ll be stuck with your current idea, never getting made.  Is that what you want?

And lets say you DO get that better idea, what do you do?  Well honestly…. whatever you want.  They’re your ideas.  Finish the first idea then move on to the second idea.  Then you’ll have two comics out there.  Or if you’re very passionate about the new idea, put the first idea on the shelf and come back to it once your better idea is complete.  Maybe combine idea 1 and 2 together.  It doesn’t matter.  To me this is a good problem to have.  It’s better to have 2 ideas than none.

So don’t let the fear of having too many ideas stop you from starting any of them.  This is a good problem to have.  There are many creators out there that would kill to have just one idea to start. The key is to just work on them.  Work on the ideas.  If you get a better one, then great! work on that one next.  If you get two, even better, you’ll have enough projects to keep you busy for years.  Don’t be afraid of them and use them as an excuse.  Embrace it, work hard and make some comics, not these excuses.

If there is an excuse you’d like me to dispel, then leave me a comment here or send me an email I’ll happily encourage you to abandon your excuses and make comics!

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And remember: Make Comics! Not Excuses!