Corrections

Editing Myself

“You must revise your life.”

—William Stafford

I’m in the process of revising an illustrated novel in verse, a sequel to Poetry Comics, and a new collection of Incidental Comics.

I find it difficult to revise my work. Part of me wants to say, “This is good enough already, let’s move onto the next thing.” Another part of me wants to say, “This isn’t good enough, let’s tear it up and start over.”

Good editing strikes a balance between these conflicting emotions. I have to preserve my confidence in my work while being as critical as possible. The only trick I’ve found to make this easier: Give plenty of time and space after creating the work before taking the red pen to it.

Revision is just another version of self-improvement—I want the art I put into the world to be the best possible version of itself.

If revising words on paper is this difficult, how much more difficult, then, to revise one’s actual self?

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“Corrections” appears in The Shape of Ideas: An Illustrated Exploration of Creativity.

I’m excited to reveal the cover for my next book in the Incidental Comics series, Thinking About Thinking: Impossible Thoughts and Complicated Feelings. Coming next Spring from Abrams ComicArts! You can pre-order it now online or at your favorite bookstore. Thanks as always for supporting my work.