Well, let’s be honest, it was utterly awful, absolutely lousy and I hope to never have another year like it. I’ve been depressed, fallen back into bad habits such as over eating and not exercising, I’ve not done half as much drawing as I hoped and I’ve barely written a thing.
It’s never going to be a good year when it starts with your wife being diagnosed with cancer and you worrying if you’ll end up being a single parent.
Luckily the good has outweighed the bad. My wife seems to be as healthy and wonderful as she was before her treatment. My daughter’s wonderful, I adore her more than I can describe and I’ll be forever grateful to her for helping us get through the year with some degree of happiness.
2008 has to be better, and I’m looking forward to it with the kind of positivity I had for 2007 before it came crashing down. For myself, I’m going to be better, which is what all my New Year’s resolutions boil down to. I’ll break all my bad habits for a start, but most importantly I’ll be committing myself to writing and drawing in a way I just haven’t done before now. I intend to not just be productive, but to actually do something with my work, no more finishing something and putting it in a drawer marked ‘I am crap, stop wasting everyone’s time.’ From now on I’ll think like a creator with a future rather than a sub-par amateur.
I feel very hopeful, it’ll be a hard year, if it runs to plan I’ll always be doing something, but I’ve realised that as much as the old Paul wallowed in his bad habits and bad attitude, the present Paul just doesn’t like them.
Tonight will be an incredibly low key New Year’s Eve for me, Rebecca’s at work so I’m at home baby sitting on my own. I’ll watch telly, maybe even something from the Hammer Horror box set of films I got for Christmas, and have a glass of single malt. Not the best NYE, but not a bad one. Hope you all have a good time, and I wish you all the best for whatever you want to do next year.
8 comments:
Indeed the new year will be better. Good luck, and don't look back.
x
Good luck to you and your family for the New Year Paul. Look forward to seeing new work from you. Thanks for all the visits and comments on my Blogs over the years also !!
It's going to be a good new year. And when you do finish
something,ifyou can't find someone to publish it, POD it. Print On Demand is not Vanity Publishing. Also don't forget that Publishing houses are getting bigger and bigger and as they get bigger they get more conservative and less willing to try a new author.
You're at a highpoint artistically at the moment, you have an art style that is instantly recognisable, frequently very cute and very commercial. There are a lot of peopleout there lacking your talent who make a living,or at least half a living from their work. Your art's fantastic, your writing is great and you've got more than enough ideas to keep you drawing and writing for years. I for one want a copy of AstroDog before Molly's too old to enjoy it. And just think what a thrill it would be for Olivia when she's older to see a book with her dad's name on it and dedicated to her. The only thing holding you back is your crappy habits and lack of self belief.
END OF RANT
Most of the above rant is (C) Karen Bangs 1999 to 2008 and has previously been used on me. It's finally sinking through for me.
Oh yeah, you and I are both blessed with wonderful and supportive wives who believe in us more than we believe in ourselves, 2007 hasn't been a particularly great year for either of them so I tell you what I challenge you. I challenge you to produce a Print on Demand Children's picture book this year, before I do!!!! Starting now!!!
Trump - don't plan on looking back, 2007's dead to me!
Andrew - Cheers, and happy New Year to you and your family too! Thanks for visiting and all your kind words, they're very much appreciated.
Peter - Funnily enough I am considering POD for something, but I'm going to keep quite about it I'm afraid!
You make me blush with that flattery! I hope to earn it in '08.
Not going to accept your actual challenge, but I will accept the spirit of it, I have several projects this year, and don't want to spend more than a year on them. As for Astrodog, don't want to disappoint you or Molly, but I'm not sure I'm picture book ready. Don't worry, Astrodog will not be left lying down legs in the air, promise!
phew, narrow escape! Possibly my mouth ran away with me then, but in the spirit of it I'll give it a good shot too.
And any praise I gave you earned. We've known each other along time now, must be around twelve years or more and I've seen you grow and improve creatively over that time to where you have a style uniquely your own, even when you're trying to emulate someone else.
A bit late on the uptake, but I hope 2008 is a winner for you and Bec - nobody deserves it more than you guys! xx
Cheers Katy, hope you have a good 'un too!
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