This Meditation Cat comic strip skit was initially written by my comedian friend Danny T. Yang. From his experience performing comedy improv, he had an idea of how to write the first draft, and I filled in some of the dialogue to build tension and then illustrated the final version.
We hope you like it!
-If you want to see how it all began, read the first Meditation Cat comic HERE.
-Another popular one is all about When Shouldn’t You Meditate HERE.
This one was a challenge. I hope you enjoyed it.
Figuring out how to expand on Rongo’s meditation needs and make him a superhero without preaching the benefits of mindfulness while also making it fun and funny—not easy.
A shower of thanks goes to the friends who gave feedback and suggestions. Especially to comedy writer Danny Yang, who helped me tie it all up with a nice button at the end where the cops also meditate.
It was an enjoyable challenge.
Thanks for reading!
How do you see yourself? Maybe you don’t think about it all that much. As a cartoonist, drawing a version of “me” for all of you often makes me think about how I come across to the world.
I often feel it doesn’t align with what others see.
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Cartooning workshops I teach are a lot of fun and ordinarily predictable.
They work how you’d expect. You advertise to a particular age group of kids, that age group shows up at the school or library, and we draw comics together. Everyone learns something new and leaves getting what they signed up for.
It didn’t go exactly this way at the one I taught last week.
I met an interesting man who showed me that sometimes classes might be the opposite of what you're accustomed to, so always be ready for anything.
When I say the class was opposite, I'm talking about Bizarro world opposite.
This particular one was advertised for teenagers—which worried me because I’ve never done one for that age group, and I was afraid they wouldn’t show up—they’re not who I would think would be interested in group cartooning lessons.
Cartooning classes are always packed when I hold them for elementary and middle school age. The younger kids love them! Teenage artists tend to hide away in their rooms or with their close friends.
I remember my mother signing me up for a comic book art class in high school, and I couldn’t wait to go. Classes about making comics were impossible to find back then, so I was definitely going. Of course, I was the only teenager there; all the others were elementary school students, but I had a blast.
Unfortunately, my suspicions about how many teens would show up for my class this time were correct.
I was surprised because I can never get any students I usually teach art to at my school to attend these library events. The first person to walk in was one of my sixth graders, let’s call her Amy, who lives in the area and saw that her art teacher was holding a cartooning class at her local library and was excited to join.
Very cool, I thought. I don’t usually get students I know, so this might be fun and more relaxing than my regular workshops.
I’m always put in a classroom with a whiteboard to draw for the students, but this colossal presentation-style room didn’t have one. Luckily, the kind librarian who invited me found a large paper pad and an easel.
We were off and running!
The only problem, no one else was coming in, and it was time to start. Would we only have one student? A student I already teach?
“Let’s give another few minutes for people to arrive, and I’ll make an announcement on the intercom for the whole library.” said “Judy,” our librarian.
It worked. Gradually people started showing up.
A lovely family with a middle school-aged daughter and an elementary-aged son walked in with their dad, excited to sit down and draw.
Not teenagers, though.
A mom and her six-year-old son came skipping in, ready to draw.
Still no teenagers.
Right before I started the class, a woman stopped at the door with her one-year-old daughter looking in like she was eager to join.
Um, was this for her or her child?
Judy, the librarian, ushered them in and gave them paper and pencils. Maybe Mom likes to draw? Her toddler daughter sat quietly with a pencil in her fist, scribbling along with everything. I guess this is fine.
Not one high school teenager in sight.
I introduce myself and share my Fried Chicken and Sushi book collections and Youngbloods graphic novel. Just as we start getting into how to draw interesting cartoon faces, an older man, maybe in his late sixties, is standing at the door staring inside at us with wide eyes.
He was eager to join the drawing fun and immediately lit up, shouting, “Is this class open to the public?! Is this for anyone?! Can I join?!”
I reluctantly said yes. He wasn’t a teenager, after all. But that didn’t seem to matter today.
Librarian Judy didn’t tell him no; maybe she recognized him as a regular.
The man excitedly shouted, “I normally just come to the library to make copies! I didn’t know they had drawing classes.”
He strutted in, grabbed a paper and a pencil, and immediately sat beside my sixth-grade student, Amy. Plenty of other tables were open, so she was mortified he chose to sit right next to her.
“What’s your name?” He enthusiastically asked me.
“Khalid. Nice to meet you.” I responded.
“Cali? Did you say, Cali, like short for California?!”
“Actually, it’s Khalid. Khalid Birdsong.” I clarified.
My last name caught his attention, “Birdsong! Like a singing bird?! Tweet tweet!”
I forced a laugh and went on teaching.
I wish he quietly listened and followed along with my cartooning lesson, but dealing with his behavior felt similar to teaching six-year-olds. He continually shouted out responses to my drawings and tips throughout the class.
It was difficult to get mad because he was charming and flattering to my artwork, albeit loudly.
“Wow! You’re pretty good at drawing, Birdsong!” he shouted a couple of times.
“Hey, you’re cheating and making this look easy!!”
You know those times when you realize you’ll have to practice patience, and the phrase "grin and bear it" is all you can do? I was deep in the bearing it stage.
When I taught them how to draw characters, he continued to talk and shout his amazement at my drawing skills. Flattering, yes, annoying, most definitely.
The librarian tried to shut him up. Politely.
It didn’t work.
I smelled no liquor, but he still could have been a little drunk. Maybe he was genuinely ecstatic to draw again in a real class environment. We’ll never know.
By the end of the hour, he was eager to come up and look at my books and original art. I appreciated his interest and kind words, but it made giving time to the other students difficult.
He gave me his drawing, and it was pretty good. Perhaps he enjoyed drawing at one point in his life and gave it up or lost interest at some point.
The mystery man’s actual drawing from class that day.
I know I’m tall, but I didn’t think I looked as big as he made me in the drawing. I look super huge!
He didn’t put his name on it, so I told him an artist has to sign their work before giving it to someone. It looks like his goal was to stay anonymous because he only signed it as Doodlers 7575. Maybe he somehow knew he’d make an impression on me, and I’d share this story.
When he was ready to leave, he walked towards the door and shouted an enthusiastic farewell.
"Hey, Birdsong. Keep TWEETING!"
I smiled and gave him a nod. My cartooning workshop for teenagers without any teenagers turned out alright.
Definitely, one to remember.
Even though I was having fun sharing about this unique class experience, I wanted to make sure to thank all the librarians and schools who’ve invited me to teach cartooning to their students and communities.
It’s one of my favorite things I get to do, and I’m blessed to have people who believe in my work and the power of visual storytelling.
This article originally ran in my Substack email newsletter, A New Creative Life.
You can join us by CLICKING HERE.
A new Honeybuns comic about adventure with a purpose.
The Honeybuns and all characters ©khalid birdsong 2023
Happy Easter to all who celebrate! It was fun making Baxter and Isabel dimension-hopping Easter bunnies.
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Would you freak out if you saw a raccoon calmly sauntering its way through the ticket gate to the subway? Almost like it does this every day.
Just an average day for a busy tanuki.
On September 2nd, a little furry commuter was seen at Shinjuku Station in Tokyo, Japan, walking in amongst thousands of other people on a busy Friday evening.
In the photo above and video below, you can see it even had its own personal usher on hand, a station employee clearing a path for it and ensuring passersby gave it personal space. Even though it was treated like a celebrity — it was only a wild tanuki.
JR新宿駅構内にタヌキがいた。 pic.twitter.com/2veMxdtvz1
— CORE Kaopy (@core_kaopy) September 2, 2022
A reader of my Little Fried Chicken and Sushi strip shared this story with me in the comments on the GoComics site, and it got my imagination racing. A tanuki is thought of as a magical creature in Japan that can shapeshift and play tricks on people. Was there a spell involved in this encounter?
I love having Tanuki as a character in my strip, and this event brings the idea of an animal doing human things to life in a new way. Some might have wondered if this raccoon forgot to turn itself into a salaryman to blend in. Maybe it uses the train regularly to get around Tokyo?
The Shinjuku train station it was spotted in has a mascot of a Tanuki with a white swirl on its belly. The mascot’s name is TanuTanu. Was this the real thing?
An advertisement for TanuTanu the subway mascot.
No one was sure about where the Tanuki came from, but it was spotted at the station around 9:30 p.m. The staff guided it from the platform, and the animal went up the stairs and towards the New South Exit, where the video was taken. Then, it walked through the ticket gates and disappeared into the night.
We’ll never know what the Tanuki was up to, but it sure seemed comfortable in its surroundings. Not scurrying away, frightened of people, makes you think it does this often without much fanfare.
The city must be a tough place for a raccoon. I’m glad the station attendants helped him get where he needed to go.
It’s similar to the time Tanuki started working an office job. It didn’t last too long, though.
P.S. If this was indeed “the” TanuTanu mascot, spirit of, or a real magical tanuki on his way home from a long day of work pretending to be human, it stood out. Still, it was ultimately accepted by the people all around.
The video and news reports didn’t talk about people running away from it in fear or getting scared because a wild animal was walking next to them.
As a human being, a black male, who gets stared at, surprises others by being a tall foreigner on the train and sticks out just about everywhere when I’m visiting Japan. I’m not sure how to feel about this. A wild tanuki in the subway station is unique enough to make the news, but it doesn’t shock or get people’s attention the way a person who looks different can.
Sometimes, I wish I could shapeshift into a tanuki, ride the train with help from attendants, and everyone thinks it’s so cute.
Am I jealous of TanuTanu, the raccoon? Not really. Maybe a little envious, though.
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New ideas can be fun, but that doesn’t mean they’re good. © Khalid Birdsong
Mastering getting creative work done is one thing, but what happens if you don’t even know where to start?
Coming up with new ideas can be challenging.
Most people don’t have a magical Japanese Tanuki raccoon by their side to help them brainstorm. Fear not. You can always find inspiration in the world around you, the books you read, the shows you watch, and even in discussing current events with friends. When you expect to be inspired, you’ll look for exciting themes and discover ideas around you.
Okay, maybe it’s not that easy. Here are a couple of techniques I use to get inspired.
Free association can be a fun way to spill everything in your head and make connections by writing words and sketching them out in your notes.
Free association in psychology refers to a process of discovering your genuine thoughts, memories, and feelings by freely sharing all the seemingly random thoughts that pass through your mind. Usually, you are given a prompt like a word or image without context then, you say what it makes you think of. The person leading the exercise tries to create links between the prompt and your response to learn about how your brain makes connections between ideas.
Sigmund Freud was the first pioneer of the psychoanalysis technique of free association. Freud worked on developing this technique further between 1892 and 1898. This new method became a cornerstone of psychoanalytic therapy. Freud based free association on the theory of psychic determinism that informed all his work.
My way of doing this involves sitting down at my drafting table, staring at the wall, and writing down whatever comes into my head—even if it’s unrelated. For a project where I already have characters, like my Fried Chicken and Sushi comic strip, I might have one character in mind, like J, and throw out words that come to me when I think of him.
Some people say it’s crazy, but I also like asking my characters what they want to do next. I’ll often start sketching them in various poses, doing different things like cooking, playing sports, or dancing. Eventually, they answer me, and new ideas for strips emerge, sometimes quickly, after a lot of random writing and drawing.
If you’re trying to write a new story idea from scratch, you could pick a word for something you’re interested in, like football. Write down all the words that come to your mind to describe the game of football and what it means to you.
Can you create a character that wants to play football but can’t, or they only focus on becoming the best player in the world and neglects other essential parts of life?
Like Tanuki stated in the comic above, combining random ideas is fun, but a story is only interesting as long as there’s conflict.
This leads me to my next point.
Add opposites for conflict and contrast.
Anywhere you can put a character with an opposite personality to another, something that feels opposed to everything in the world you create, or an opposing view to the points in an article you write is compelling and will create even more ideas.
I’m still working on getting better at this, but whenever I’m stuck on an idea, whether writing or drawing, I go back to opposites.
Take two things you’re interested in and add something opposite.
Why? Putting two things together is easy but doesn’t make a story. Adding an opposite element to your idea gives natural conflict and possibilities to electrify your new project.
I made this comic by using the brainstorming technique with Tanuki above. © Khalid Birdsong
For example, say you’re interested in writing a fantasy short story. You think firefighters are incredible, and you love magic. Firefighters put out fires. The opposite could be a firefighter who starts fires. Or one who can start fires with magic. Is he doing it to give firefighters something to do? Is he crazy? Does he want to watch the world burn? In what kind of world are they living?
You see, just these three elements have me exploring questions and figuring out a world. Coming up with ideas isn’t as difficult as you might think. I bet you can create impressive new concepts with the above methods. The challenge is deciding which ideas are the best for you to take seriously and then start working on them regularly.
Choosing ideas to commit to long-term is a challenge we can discuss in a future post.
Stay tuned.
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A couple admiring all the gachapon choices. Photo- Rittis/Shutterstock.com
Gachapon or gacha gacha capsule toy machines have exploded in Japan.
They’ve been popular for years, but I kept seeing them everywhere in Osaka during my latest trip—entire store sections of them in malls and even at revolving sushi restaurants.
I was only away for three years, and now almost any kind of toy is in a gachapon.
They’re like gumball machines where you put your coins in and turn the knob, it makes a gacha gacha sound, and a plastic ball falls out with a toy inside. You pop it open and see which character or object you’re lucky enough to collect this time.
Each machine has a different toy theme based on anime characters or just about anything imaginable. Yup, there are plenty of gacha toy collectors hoping to find that missing character from their collection. It’s not just for kids. Adults love discovering their favorite gachapon wherever they go.
Most gachapon toys cost around three hundred yen each or roughly three dollars, which might sound expensive, but it doesn’t feel like it because you’re using coins.
There’s a one hundred yen coin, and dropping three of them in a gachapon feels easy and fun. I couldn’t resist taking photos of some of the more interesting toys available for your gacha gacha purchase.
Here’s a Naruto gachapon toy in my hand for size reference.
Who wouldn’t want birds hugging bread?
Cute animals are everywhere doing strange things. Maybe some of these are associated with manga or anime, or they’re mainly there to make you smile and wonder about their meaning.
Cute bears wrapped in food? Should you hug them or eat them?
Panda bread looks delicious!
Cute kitty cat pancakes. They don’t look very happy to me.
Aaaaah! Scary cats!!
Sometimes, the animals are busy doing one of their hobbies. Or waiting for you to squeeze them.
This one looks like a cat’s dream.
Nothing’s more relaxing than squeezing the life out of a cute squishy bird.
If you’re a foodie, I guess these gachapon toys might be something you could collect.
Oooh! The sashimi looks so fresh!!
Stackable burgers are so hot right now.
Wait. Is this even food?
I didn’t know furniture was an option for gachapon toys. If you’re into miniature models, these are for you.
Airplane seats that recline. Buckle your seatbelts.
I love the sophistication of this Karimoku collection. So rich!
I purposely avoided the standard cartoon character toys based on anime and manga you see everywhere. It was fun looking for ones that were creative and different.
I couldn’t resist these, though.
Mini Squid Game murderers for your keys.
You can get the whole bloody family!
If you visit Japan someday, make sure to get a few gachapon toys. They make great souvenirs and are fun to shop for while you’re sightseeing.
What creative capsule toys have you seen or bought?
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Illustrated by the author.
Being a success is overrated.
Why worry about making yourself better when the world is slowly spiraling down the toilet bowl?
Let's get real here, people.
Thinking positively does little to help your attitude anyway, and you just end up feeling like a fake. Facing reality and putting yourself down can work wonders. Take it from me, a generally positive person, at least that's what all my friends call me—I'm ready for a change.
These last few years, I survived a pandemic, watching good people die in droves even after being careful not to spend time in crowds but still end up catching covid. Wearing masks and washing hands only to still, that's right, see more people catch covid. Other self-proclaimed good folks believe they don't even need a vaccine, and it's all a hoax. They seem fine with themselves.
Meanwhile, I lose my job and have to learn to survive and find a new one while everyone else is fleeing theirs. Should I try to be happy? Make it all the better by telling myself positive mantras?
If someone can decide what life means to them and choose how to live it the way they want, even if it's ridiculous, I've opted that thinking positively is getting thrown out the window.
Here's a mindset shift that defies what self-help gurus preach, so we can start demotivating ourselves and get honest about our situations. It's time you gain power from negative self-criticism.
Criticizing yourself and your appearance after waking up in the morning, looking at your sad reflection staring back, is the new motivation for success. Dominate your mind with negative talk about how you need to lose weight and exercise more.
I bet your hair looks awful. Isn't it time for a new hairdo?
Yeah, your job sucks. Who cares. What are you going to do about it? Nothing. I thought so.
Doesn't this feel good?
Destructive self-talk sculpts an image of yourself that's hard to break unless you recognize you're doing it in the first place. Embrace this downer version of you and let the Eeyore-like side shine.
What? Is all this negativity silly to you? After smelling all your garbage, you should want to clean it up.
The more you fan a flame, the more it burns. It's time to grow yours into a roaring fire with negative self-talk. How bad can you make yourself feel?
Dare yourself to try. How many crappy details about your life and failures can you drum up? Life ain't always great, so stop pretending.
Give it all you got, and feel that fire rage inside. The worse you feel, the better.
You might get so enraged that you get completely sick and tired of being sick and tired. So what?
Why don't you do something about it? Oh, you're too lazy, huh?
If only you cared enough to think of times where you made the right choices and succeeded. Accept that some things in life work out, and others don't.
Feeling bad about yourself can help make you feel good.
The other day I cursed at myself for making a wrong turn and having to re-route the directions to an appointment—one I was already late for anyway. I could have been kind and talked to my brain about how everything will be fine and work out well in the end.
But it didn't. Me being late made everything worse and upset people I care about. Maybe next time I have a meaningful engagement, I should leave super early because I suck at finding new places.
Making sure to step outside yourself and see the bad can help you know what to improve. You shouldn't hide behind positivity if you want to make real change.
You have to be unkind to yourself to know where to grow and get so upset you actually do something instead of just talking.
You have triggers that make you feel down on yourself or give up, and you might as well discover them so you know when you're spanking yourself. When we feel at our lowest, we are often about to make a breakthrough.
If you can tell when you're at rock bottom, you can be open for the moment of clarity that helps you see where to go next. Giving yourself a chance to notice what pulls you down can help you know how to climb back up. Or, better yet, how not to spiral down in the future.
Times are tough in the world right now, and we need to be tougher. You can't always fix everything by just thinking positively.
You've seen those old black and white photos of families from a hundred years ago. They weren't smiling, and they were surviving.
They didn't finish a day on the farm, working out in the hot sun, smiling, and telling themselves how happy they were. Looking in the mirror, telling themselves life can be easy and fun when life was hard. Our ancestors had very few options.
It's much easier now, but we act like it should be a breeze.
Life is still challenging, no matter how nicer our living conditions have become—facing negativity and letting it run all over you is how to understand what gets you down and leads to change.
Unless you suffer from chronic depression, you might want to see a doctor and get on medication if that's the case.
The rest of us can learn to live with our negativity and practice some grit.
Cheers to the new you.
Want more? If you’re struggling with making authentic work, click here to join my (free) email list, and through comics, articles about culture, and living your truth, you can discover how to upgrade your mindset and share your creative writing and art with the world.
Coming up with creative ideas for topics or stories to write about consistently can be challenging. Even when you get them, how can your writing feel authentic and full of life?
In an interview with cartoonist Jef Mallett of the syndicated “Frazz” comic strip, he gave simple yet powerful advice on writing for his same cast of characters week after week.
“Get a life and steal from it.” -Jef Mallett
In his opinion, only taking from other books or TV shows isn’t as powerful as swiping from your life. To do that, you need to live a little. There’s a richness to personal experiences readers can feel.
Leave your house, take risks, and then write about them.
Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash
Dear Crossing The Line Blogger,
You continually write "I love you" in the sign-off of your articles like you're my lover. When I read it, it makes my insides shudder. Not in a good way, mind you. In the way, that feels like someone is coming on too strong, and I want them to back off.
I appreciate your kindness and would like a little more space between us. How about you only share your life-changing information? I get my one takeaway and can then move on in peace.
Stop acting like we have something special together. I don't know you like that. You may say you love me, but I have a hunch you don't even know how true love feels.
Here’s a sample of the end of one of your articles:
“The life you choose is the life you get. If you want new experiences, it’s your job to go after them. Take a risk, and live the good life you’ve been dreaming about.
I love you,
Jack”
Stop coming on so strong. If you think I'm smiling and feeling special because you get to confess your love each week in your articles, you're wrong.
Have you thought about how this might make your readers feel? I mean, really feel? Maybe you think you're a wonderful person who genuinely cares for others and would never do them harm, but I don’t know you.
How do I know what kind of person you truly are when you log off of your computer? You could be treating your real loved ones like dirt while telling me I'm in your love circle.
Here's a frightening thought, you could be an abuser. Your love for everyone could be crossing so far over the line, you’re saying it to every person you meet at all times.
If you're finishing at the checkout at the grocery store, for example, and the clerk gives your change, then you whisper, "I love you." Wouldn’t that be crazy?
Control yourself.
What? Am I presuming too much? I don't know you after all. Maybe you're a good person with a kind heart. You want me to know someone out there loves me. Well, I'm getting plenty of love, buddy. I don't need your empty words.
I have no desire to get love from someone who probably gets off the bus, turns around slowly, focuses their dreamy eyes on the driver, and says, "I love you." The pride you feel for making the bus driver’s day gives you a pep in your step. So much so, you catch the eye of others on the street walking by, and they can't help but say "Good morning" in response to your positive energy.
What do you say in return? "I love you," of course, and scares the heck out of them.
Are you that person who goes out with their coworkers after hours, gets drunk, and yells, "I love you?" while falling all over them at the bar? They tolerate you until you barf on Tim from accounting’s shoes.
Consumed with shame, you look up at him, with those inebriated puppy dog eyes, and exclaim, "I love you, man!"
I think it might be time to hit the unsubscribe button.
Letting you know how uncomfortable your sign-off of love feels is pretty hard, but maybe it will help you make different decisions in the future. Think about it. Saying you love me and all of your readers takes away from the power of showing it through your advice and the value you provide.
Like the phrase, "show, don't tell.” And in this case, you should definitely stop telling. Your love should already be present in the type of articles you write.
Stop ruining the vibe.
If you're always saying it, I know readers will think you're not genuine and cancel you. Like I'm about to do.
My days of dealing with discomfort because of your poor choice of words are over. Even though I’ve never met you in person, I can tell you need help. I’m good at noticing these types of things. If you learned something, I hope you’ll change how you talk to your followers.
Goodbye.
Oh, and I love you (see how cringy it feels?),
A disgusted reader
Want more? If you’re struggling with creativity and putting your work out regularly, join my (free) email list, and through comics and articles, discover how to upgrade your mindset here.
Photo by Jake Weirick on Unsplash
*This article is fictional and meant to be humorous. Enjoy!
Your writing skills ain’t got nothin’ on me. While you struggle to post your one article today, I already posted six.
How do I do it, you might ask?
I could boast about my ability to schedule hours devoted to writing articles back-to-back in bulk. Balancing life with two kids and a demanding wife.
I do write in bulk, but here’s the real key. I’m always writing. Bulk writing is my life. My entire life.
The wife and kids I mentioned earlier, I rarely ever speak to them in person.
They write me. In texts, via email, even on Facebook messenger. They know my goal is and must remain, being a top writer. This is what I live for, and they give me the space to pursue it all.
Sleep? Who needs it?!
I can survive on two hours a night. Even with that one day a month where my body gives out completely, and I crash into the bed, sleeping for 24 hours, I am still a consistent writing machine.
I keep a notepad by my bed and it’s filled with notes I generated subconsciously in my sleep. My wife says when my hand is writing, she dare not wake me lest I lose the next Kubla Khan.
I might be a writing God.
I was once like you. Disappointed with my writing progress and wondering how to add more words to my documents each day.
While you stress over what time to squeeze in a little typing time, I’m writing like lightning. Striking my Macbook like pebbles in a tornado.
A storm that never lets up.
I was once like you. Disappointed with my writing progress and wondering how to add more words to my documents each day.
After reading several articles on productivity, it came to me.
I must go all in. So, writing is all I do. Taking time to shower is a luxury. Even after I get out, my laptop is waiting next to the sink. I only dry my hands as I begin writing again, letting my bare body air dry.
I bet you think my wife is jealous. She’s more envious of how much time I spend caressing my coffee mug. The number of coffee beans I need to fuel this obsession could fill a grain silo. Make that two. My wife knits constantly and shares this devotion to caffeine and productivity. We never buy clothes, thanks to her incredible knitting prowess.
Before you start getting worried about who takes care of our kids, let me calm your fears. We practice “Free-range Parenting.” That’s right; our children take care of themselves. We homeschool, and they fend for themselves. My kids learn more from the Disney Channel than they would in college.
I will admit we have groceries scheduled for delivery every Sunday, so food is provided. Every Saturday, we have cleaners come to wipe away a week's worth of our creative survival mode. We’ve thought of everything.
The harness with a desk attached makes it easy to go out for walks while writing. Writer friends talk about how they get inspiration during their walks. Well, I get to walk, get ideas, and write them immediately. In fact I send them to the cloud with Siri for when I get home. The cloud doesn’t care where I am. You shouldn’t either.
I’m a full-time writer, after all. This is the life I built and the one I choose to live. If I let up on the gas, I might lose it all. The only way to win is to keep adding and pushing harder.
Before you start getting worried about who takes care of our kids, let me calm your fears. We practice “Free-range Parenting.”
Everyone wants to be like me. They don’t have the fire to make it happen. These wannabe writers are lazy, unfocused. I know what it means to give your all for what you love.
Your passion.
If you can’t do what you love, every day, all day, then what’s the point of living? Those of you with weak wills full of fear know—you have what it takes to succeed. Put a razor-sharp focus on your goals and eliminate everything else. You will be rewarded with fame, fortune, and millions of words written a day.
With success comes more work and more hours of writing. You never know when someone will inch up behind you and take your spot.
Don’t let them pass.
My last and final goal is to discover how to write three 600 word articles every hour for 24 hours with original illustrations. Anyone can do Unsplash. I want people to link to my stories when they use my art. I will get there, mark my words.
Top that, losers.
Image from CNN.com
Is a giant squid statue worth all the controversy it’s getting?
If you haven’t heard, in the coastal town of Noto, in Ishikawa, Japan, they spent $230,000 of the $6.2 million received from the government for Covid relief on a 43-foot sculpture of a flying squid. Could they have used their money on something more important — probably?
But I’m not mad.
In fact, I like that they spent some of their relief money on art. Mainly to promote tourism for their small fishing town. Apparently, the area is the center of squid fishing in Japan.
I never visited Noto while living in Japan. Still, now I’m interested in seeing the statue next time I can travel back to one of my favorite countries. Squid is a delicacy in Japan. Even though Americans might not be interested in eating it, it doesn’t mean the statue is a waste of money.
When it was unveiled, Japanese people were surprised by the timing, and so were people on Twitter. Guys, a ton of readers, most likely people who have never been to Japan, were upset about this giant flying squid.
According to this article by CNN news, someone commented, “No matter how you look at it, this is wrong. They have to return that money.”
Really? Is it that serious? Indeed, there are more important matters to get this upset about.
Here’s my take on why this isn’t such a huge deal.
In a town of around 16,000 residents, there have been fewer than 30 cases of Covid-19. Not that this is okay. It’s still a concern, but why can’t they take this opportunity to do something to put their area on the map?
I’m pretty sure that at the time this statue was approved and sculpted by the artist — most likely a year ago or so — Japan was doing pretty well controlling the virus. They probably thought it would be a positive way to celebrate victory over covid.
Unfortunately, cases have spiked in larger cities like Tokyo and Osaka, and hospitals have trouble keeping up with all the new patients. Scary times right now, for sure, and I’m hoping for the best. The Osaka area is my second home, and I want its citizens to stay healthy and the cases to drop.
Even though the statue’s unveiling timing is abysmal, I think they did what they thought was right when it was being created. Should we punish the town of Noto for that?
Even if Japan was doing well-handling covid, the virus was still causing huge dips in tourism. This town found an opportunity to provide funds to local artists and construction workers in this time of economic turmoil.
I bet this statue helped provide much-needed work while also investing in a new piece of fun, publicly accessible art — the perfect socially distanced tourist attraction.
Even I want to go and take a picture in front of it.
Art is essential and beautiful. Squid is delicious and well-loved by the people of Japan. If a family visits the town of Noto, you know the kids will laugh and smile while taking pictures. Parents and couples will share their squid photos all over social media.
This statue will bring not only tourists to the area but excitement and joy.
It’s easy for people outside of Japan to hear about this and think it’s ridiculous. Why? Is this an easy way to take a cheap shot at Japan? With all the controversy over the summer Olympics, should we cancel them or not, here’s another reason to be angry at Japan. I say, calm down and let a town beautify itself.
There are plenty of frustrating things about living in Japan and the experiences I went through. I didn’t fully understand why it’s that way. Still, I smiled, and whatever it was, let it go. As a Black man, having middle school students rub my skin to see if the brown would come off, for example, was one of those.
If I compare that to a small town deciding to use the money for a wild, eye-catching work of art to put their area on the map, I say go for it.
I’m confident Noto, Japan is not a corrupt town. If they needed the money to help save lives in their area, they would have used it for that purpose. Japanese people are pretty in tune with the needs of the many. Especially compared to other parts of the world where the culture revolves around thinking more about ourselves.
If I had any issue, it would be with the government giving so much money to an area with so few covid cases. They could have passed some of that on to bigger cities. Or, saved it for emergencies like the spike in cases happening right now.
With all the negativity, fear, and death in the world, let’s try and see the good in a tiny town trying to make the best of it all with the help of art.
Photo by Michael Marais on Unsplash
You are on a mission. A mission to reach success and live the life you’ve always dreamed of. If only you had a solid way of thinking and living to help guide you on your journey. It’s a big galaxy out there, but success is not as far, far away as it might seem.
My name is Din Djarin. I am a bounty hunter. You may know me as The Mandalorian. I’m here to impart my wisdom and moral code to you. Only if you choose to accept it.
Why you ask? After successfully delivering the child, baby Grogu, to Luke Skywalker of the Jedi Order, I’ve decided to take some time to put down my thoughts on success so that others can benefit. I have met others I thought lived by the Mandalorian way — such as never removing their helmet — but changed the rules to fit their personal needs.
With this in mind, I have come to understand you can start with beliefs you were taught as a child and build on them to create a code of your own to follow without fail. A code that helps you reach your goals with more ease. If you do not live by this code, I believe you will most likely fail.
As a Mandalorian, I have many sayings that I live by. Such as:
“Justice by single combat and always honoring one’s deals.” -The Mandalorians
I live by this but have also added new phrases that can help you on your travels towards prosperity. Whether it’s here or throughout the galaxy. If you are ready to level up, then follow my words.
If you cannot consistently get the work done you vowed to complete, you will fail. No magic can save you. With life moving at lightspeed, you must practice discipline in all you do. Having the mindset to work consistently on your goals is the key. For that, you must decide to be a disciplined person — one who makes certain to complete all the tasks on their list no matter the circumstances.
I was trained from a young boy to follow what I was told by the elder Mandalorians. They taught me to listen and follow, but I have learned to take full responsibility for my life as a grown man. It is my job to take what they taught me, keep myself strong, and not blame them for my faults.
Only the discipline of adhering to daily training and hours of focused work will help you get where you want to go. Decide on why you are pursuing your mission. Make sure your “why” is compelling enough to get you up and rise to the challenge.
Find the same time each day to do the work. Use your disciplined mind to ensure you stick to a schedule you have planned out in advance. Do not throw your day together whenever it suits you. The morning is a productive time for getting thinking work done or exercising your body. When I rise, polishing my Mandalorian armor until it gleams is a cathartic practice. My mind is clear, and I am fully present with my thoughts as I plan the day ahead.
Utilize the technology of your planet and block off time in your day for what you must do. If you have trouble remembering, set a droid to remind you. Do what you must to make your routine into a habit, and your mind will expect to tackle everything on your list each day.
I believe in the mornings because no matter what planet I’m on, the sun rises and sets. Even if my days as a bounty hunter are unpredictable, at some point, the night will come, and I must sleep. Your routines will be accomplished if they are during times, you can always rely on.
The truth is, you must practice improving. Remember that the amount of time does matter, but not as much as what you practice. Make sure it is of value.
Study the masters and discover what they practiced. Learn what you must to grow and then go all-in on your training every day.
Maneuvering the Razor Crest during a chase is definitely a stressful situation but, because of the flight training I acquired working with experienced pilots as a youth, knowing how and where to move to evade danger is now intuitive. I might not always get away, but from practice and experience, I have a fighting chance.
When you have focus, consistency, and patience, anything is possible. There were days when I thought Grogu would never get to the Jedi. I could not see the way forward. I know now that my singular focus on that goal, combined with consistent action, invariably led to a person who could assist us. My training helped us escape perilous situations, attracted a little luck, and manifested good fortune.
Photo by Jimmy Nguyen on Unsplash
All of this would not have been possible without living by a code I adhere to through good times and bad. Write out yours. Make decisions about how you will live your life and stick to them as closely as possible.
One day you will be able to share your code with others and tell them, “This is the way.”
Star Wars, The Mandalorian, and its characters are the property of Disney and Lucasfilm.
Every time I sit down to write an article, I remember an amazing show I forgot to watch on Netflix or a video I needed to see on YouTube. Do you know what I do? That’s right, I get up and watch them both. They’re so good — and they help me write. A story idea could be in there or some exciting take on a concept to improve my writing. Other writers I know tell me to stop watching and start reading. Books are where you learn to write. Reading another writer’s words helps you grow. Who has time for that?
Read MoreSometimes you need to sleep. I’m talking about amongst the people, on a train or bus, or even in the park. Life can be exhausting. Why can’t we do some of our recharging in public?
Well, now you can, with this simple three-step method inspired by my years living in Japan. The word “inemuri” means being present while you sleep. It’s synonymous with sleeping on the job or in public places. The Japanese are so overworked that it’s become commonplace to see a large number of people sleeping just about anywhere.
Taking naps is said to be a good thing. Even though accepted in Japan, it’s not allowed at work—even though that rule is mostly ignored all the time. If you’re in a location where you can set an alarm to wake you, it’s relatively easy, but what if you’re on a train or the subway? Not waking up in time for your stop can be frightening.
Listen in as our Japanese raccoon, Tanuki, from Fried Chicken and Sushi comics explores how to nap on the subway in three steps.
Decide to give it a try with the intent to master inemuri with help from others.
2. Pick a friend or family member who you know would never let their guard down.
3. Ride on a train with a loudspeaker that penetrates your soul.
Great job! If you follow these Tanuki steps, you too will be sleeping on the train in no time. Just imagine the freedom you’ll have to get the rest you need anywhere you have to wait.
Take these tips to the cafe, while waiting for your coffee, or to the DMV, waiting for your number to be called. There are so many uses, and you’ll feel well-rested and ready to tackle whatever life throws at you daily.
Now, get out there and nap.
Fried Chicken and Sushi is a Blog and humorous comic strip about living in Japan and Japanese pop-culture.
© copyright 2010 - Khalid Birdsong All Rights Reserved.
