Let the Creative Vibes Flow

I realized this past week that I haven’t done any actual writing in a bit. I did take some time off during the Thanksgiving break to relax, but otherwise, I’ve been in the midst of the project management side of making comics.

Part of that is continued work on the Kickstarter for A Real Slobberknocker #2. Dan and I had a good exchange about what we have and what we still need. Progress is continuing steadily on the interior artwork. There are some tweaks to be made to our main cover, mainly around the championship belt, which features prominently. We also confirmed the places where cameos will appear for backer rewards, as well as other Easter Eggs that will pop up.

One idea that I was interested in pursuing was another variant cover for the next issue, particularly a limited or exclusive edition. I had some ideas for artists I’d like to approach and Dan was aligned. I sent a note to our top pick and I got a response right away. Looks like timing and budget work so we’re going to move forward which is very exciting. I’ve admired this artist’s work for some time and I’m really excited to see what they put together for a cover for A Real Slobberknocker #2. More to come with this soon.

In other news, I’m excited to work with

James Powell

as an editor again. He really helped me bring out the full potential of A Real Slobberknocker, so when I hit a wall with Clean Up Crew, I reached out to him. This is a story I’ve been kicking around for 20 years. Its origins and inspiration date back to my time as an assistant manager of a drug store in college. It’s gone through a few different iterations over that time and I keep making tweaks to it. Bringing James onboard can help hammer down some of those outstanding elements so I’m very much looking forward to his notes.

Since these projects are in different stages, I found myself revisiting other story ideas that weren’t fully fleshed out yet. I have two others that I’ve been noodling with and it was great to come back to them with fresh eyes to do some rewrites. I like having these different projects in the hopper so I can pivot to them when I hit down time on another comic.

I am 88% finished with Rick Rubin’s The Creative Act: A Way of Being. This was a fulfilling read and very inspirational. I like how Rubin breaks down the process of creating, showing that it’s not just one thing. Creativity doesn’t come from a singular place. It can come from anywhere at anytime. Opening yourself up to that is key. I’m already trying to implement some of the concepts in the book in my own processes.

I think part of my hang-ups when it comes to writing is that I treat it as such a precious thing. The environment, timing, and setup does not need to be perfect to write. I also don’t need to do it on my laptop. I can scribble on the back of a receipt or jot down notes on my phone. The important part is writing in the first place. Get the ideas on paper and let the creativity flow.

I don’t necessarily set out with a plan when it comes to the books I read or listen to. This popped out on my TBR list on Libby and it was available, so I jumped at it. I like mixing up genres and bouncing between fiction and non-fiction to keep things interesting. This book really impressed me. Are there any creative psychology books that you’ve read that have left an impression?