"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few."
-Shunryu Suzuki
“Slow down, you yay-hoos!”
-My father-in-law, shouting at teenage drivers speeding down his street
Sometimes it feels like I’ve been doing this a long time. Drawing pictures in tiny boxes. Hoping that by the last panel an insight arrives. I have my familiar tics when it comes to writing and drawing. My panel borders will always be a little wobbly. My last lines almost always sort of rhyme.
It’s not just making comics. It’s going to work. Parenting. Living.
After nearly forty years on earth, life can feel like it’s just one day after another. I know the sun will rise and I’ll immediately make coffee. I know I’ll go out for a run at some point. I know I’ll try to be a good dad, lose my patience, end up shouting about some silly thing that annoys me.
At times—especially in February—it can feel like life is devoid of new possibilities. Each day is the same as the last. Spring is somehow both just around the corner and infinitely far away.
I find myself searching for ways out of monotony. Is it winter blues? A midlife crisis? An appropriate response to living in a world that’s broken?
Maybe this is all wrong. The world is not broken, it’s a complicated place of good and bad, and humanity is like an awkward teenager trying to figure things out. Winter is not depressing, it’s a time of hibernation and refocusing, a few months of living a monastic lifestyle to make us glad we’re not full time monks.
Maybe what feels like a midlife crisis is a midlife opportunity.
Each day is the same as the last. This is a lie, of course. It’s important to remember that each day is a new beginning. A chance to meet new people. To learn new skills. To explore new running paths. To draw a wobbly line, yes—but a new wobbly line.
Because we’re all still beginners. No one has anything figured out. Every time I pick up a pen, pour my coffee, lace up my shoes and run down the block, I’m starting fresh.
I don’t know what I’m doing. But I’m going to keep pedaling, keep wobbling, keep ringing my tinny bell like a signal, or a warning:
Join me on my beginner’s journey, or get out of the way.
My wonderful local independent bookstore, Watermark Books and Cafe, has my new book available for pre-order with a limited edition tote bag.
If you’d like a signed, personalized copy of THINKING ABOUT THINKING when it is published this spring, visit Watermark Books online—they have all of my other books available in signed editions as well.
As always, thank you for your support! Pre-orders make a big difference in the world of an author.
I'm not often left with feelings after reading comics. You change that. Often, I feel inspired or a little warm. I can tell you definitely though, that I always end up smiling and feeling less alone after reading your works.
This brought tears to my eyes. Cheers to the perpetual beginners. There’s honor in showing up.