New Year, New Project

It's never easy to leave your comfort zone

If you’re wondering, this hand was created as part of an exercise in Puño’s Domestika drawing class. I’m seeking help wherever I can find it…

Just Because it’s Hard, Doesn’t Mean You Shouldn’t Do It

Which is why I’ve decided to go public with my progress on this project. For years (decades, ever since I first read Persepolis and gave it to my dad (artist, E. Colin Williams, ARCA, hereafter referred to just as Dad), I’ve been wanting to write a graphic novel memoir. Dad also loved the genre and we talked back and forth about options for collaboration. Then, Dad died.

That’s the Nature of Things

So, yes, he was in his 80s and frail, but that didn’t make his death feel any less untimely or sad. We had projects to do, trips to take, stories and art to create and share. As the eldest kid of four, that also put me right at the head of the queue for next in line to shuffle off this mortal coil.

All that may sound a bit solemn but in its own weird way, his passing has been a huge motivator. If he’s not around to illustrate this memoir, then it looks like I’m going to have to do it.

One Small Problem - I’m a Writer, not an Artist

Which makes a project like this daunting. Terrifying, actually. Who am I to post my crude drawings in public? That’s why I’m posting my steps along the way. I have to practice to get better and if I have all of you as my accountability partners, the chances of me actually drawing, writing, and posting regularly are greatly increased.

Here’s the Plan

The plan is to post something every day. It might only be a single sketch or it might be a panel (or series of panels). The post might relate to research findings or a struggle with technology (I’m teaching myself Procreate as the digital drawing tool I think I’ll be using to create the finished pages).

At least one post a week will be public, but for access to every post (be warned, this might wind up being a bit of a suffer-

fest as I’m anticipating this is going to be a challenging project), you should subscribe. Your support will help keep me caffeinated (and motivated). Subscribers will also get a laugh or two along the way because I’m not kidding when I say I’m at the beginning of my drawing journey (see evidence below with a page of hand studies done over the holidays). I won’t hold back. Subscribers will get a peek behind the creative curtain even if the view back there is messy.

Everyone Has to Start Somewhere

If you are thinking of embarking on a new project, maybe my efforts will help you feel a little less worried that your early efforts might not be the polished masterpiece you are hoping for (and where you will eventually get if you just keep going, practicing, learning, stretching, and improving).

If you know someone who might like to follow along, feel free to share this post. It’s easy, just click the button.

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