Want to Look Cute? Draw Yourself!

Is Tanuki saying I have a big head?

Drawing yourself can be easy and fun

Even if you’re not a cartoonist, knowing how to draw yourself as a cartoon character can be a unique addition to your journals, putting your face on little notes or cards you give as gifts to friends, family, and even your kids.

You can add personality to anything you’re writing by hand and make people smile if you can draw yourself quickly and cutely.

Step One: Pick a shape for your head

Choose a shape for your head. Even a square one could be cute!

Look in the mirror, take a deep breath, and be honest about your head shape. Do you have a long face? Round? Maybe you’re not sure, so you ask someone. If you have kids, ask them how they see you. Be prepared for hilarious honesty!

Truthfully, the shape of the head doesn’t really matter.

You can use any of the three. I draw myself with each one of these head shapes depending on how I feel. If you look back on some of my older posts, the cartoony version changes depending on the joke, how stubborn I want to come across (square heads are good for that), or how innocent I must look to clarify the message.

Step Two: Draw your eyes and nose along the same line

Drawing your eyes and nose on the same line helps you look cute.

I like to use simple dots for my eyes, but you can use circles with pupils inside if you like. The main tip is to keep the eyes level with the nose. For some reason, this helps your drawing of the face look young and cute.

If you move the nose down further, it will make the face look older. If you have a pencil or pen in hand, try it. Draw several head shapes and add a simple letter C-shaped nose, then place eyes higher or lower and see what happens.

The key to making it look like you can also be adding eyebrows. Are yours thick, thin, or bushy? Dark or light color?

Be honest!

I have thick dark eyebrows, so I draw them large and color them black. They’re so big that they rise above my head most of the time. Don’t be afraid to push the size of your facial features. Making your eyes and nose super tiny in the center of a large circle might look better than features that take up more space. Use variety until you get something that looks right.

Even an expression can convey your unique personality.

If you’re a smiley person, really push the toothy grin. Are you usually serious? Try out different versions of expressions that represent you until something clicks.

Step Three: Add ears and hair

Now, they look like people!

Hair can make all the difference. Being bald is undoubtedly a part of making the cartoon version of me look accurate.

What shapes are created with your hair? How do you wear it most of the time?

Is it up, down, curly on top? If you always wear a baseball cap or some other cool hat, like a fedora, put it on you. See if you can figure out a style that looks like the every day you and simplify it into a few curving lines.

You don’t need to look exactly like you—only resemble you.

Step Four: Add a midsection, then arms and legs

One of these just might be you.

Are you tall or short? Maybe your midsection should be broad or box-like. Once you get it more like you, add in legs and feet. Don’t be afraid to use the animation method of Squash and Stretch to pull yourself long if you’re tall and smoosh yourself shorter or wider if needed.

Keep your feet simple ovals or half circles to make drawing easier.

That middle guy looks more like me.

Add arms with two parallel straight or curved lines and place a circle at the end for the palm of your hand.

Later, you can add a thumb and little sausages for your fingers.

From here, try adding details to your clothes that look like what you would typically wear. If you’re using a pen, coloring something in black, like pants, a collar, or a shirt, adds visual interest to your drawing.

Check out these examples.

I like the pointy-haired guy. He looks like a muppet!

Will you look like a kid? Yes. Most likely. But you’ll be cute and easy to draw.

For practice, try drawing your friends simply or family members and see if you can capture them with dots, circles, and different body types. You’ve seen me draw my daughter several times in comics here, and I focus on her curly hair to make her distinct.

Make sure to try various versions of yourself and have fun. If you make something you like, let me know in the comments.

Happy drawing!

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Why Japanese People Live So Long- A comic essay

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The Easter Egg Hunters

A new Honeybuns comic about adventure with a purpose.

The Honeybuns and all characters ©khalid birdsong 2023

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Happy Easter to all who celebrate! It was fun making Baxter and Isabel dimension-hopping Easter bunnies.

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Meditation Cat Reaches the End of Thought

A cute comic about discovering deeper meditation.

Creating this story was a fun way to see if I could illustrate a cute character and also turn an article I wrote into a comic. I'm not sure if Rongo, which is a word from New Zealand's indigenous Maori people that means peace, will become a recurring character, but I enjoy drawing him.

It was so enjoyable I’m putting it out there as a practice for you too.

Assignment: Turn your writing, new ideas you’ve learned, or entries in your journal into a short comic. Try taking your writing, pulling out the main idea, and designing a character to show readers your experiences or ideas.

It could be several panels or something short, like a one-panel cartoon similar to the ones you see in The New Yorker. Even if you’re drawing stick figures, see if you can bring your writing to life or something you just went through yesterday with visual storytelling in a sketchbook or journal.

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If you’re interested in meditation, here’s the article I wrote in the publication Publishous on MEDIUM.

What Does it Mean to Reach The End of Thought?

You can get there with this frame of mind.

Photo by Ashley Batz on Unsplash

Getting up in the morning feeling nervous or upset about everything waiting for you in the day ahead can feel overwhelming.

I’ve been meditating for over twenty-five years and have always looked for simple ways to think about the practice. So many people tell me they can’t figure out how to do it or get to a place where they notice the benefits of being mindful.

I watched a powerful video by Dr. K on YouTube, or Alok Kanojia, a psychiatrist and co-founder of the mental health coaching company Healthy Gamer that stuck with me.

In the middle of “Why Finding Purpose is SO HARD today,” he explains about the concept of reaching the “end of thought.” I had never heard this concept before, but when he shared about it, I could finally put into words how to succeed in explaining the benefits of meditation.

Let’s go through the steps he talked about to reach this enlightened place.

Pick a time for mindfulness and sit with yourself

You can meditate traditionally with your legs crossed, sit in a chair, or even lie on a bed. Start breathing in slowly and deeply, paying attention to the different parts of your body one at a time.

It doesn’t have to be only while you’re sitting and not moving.

If you want to be mindful while taking a walk or even drawing, it’s possible if you intend to make the time to connect with the real you and avoid distractions.

“Get away from external stimuli so you can hear your inner voice.”

-Dr. K

There are several phases of awareness that will move you through to reaching yourself.

Sit with your “wants”

Most of your thoughts will first be related to something that’s irritating you or about what you want right now that’s outside of yourself.

Something you’re told should matter.

Mainly stuff you want to do today or think you need to possess, eat, play, or earn to make your life happy—aka desires!

Make it through the boredom

After all of your desires filter through, you’ll feel like you’re left with nothing but sitting there.

Bored.

Many people who try meditation give up on this part. They think, “I can’t meditate. It’s too damn boring!” Or, they think they’re doing it wrong and should be receiving some sort of divine guidance or inner glow after a few minutes of sitting and breathing.

Remember, boredom is your brain trying to get a hit of dopamine or excitement so that it can have fun again. Don’t let it stop you. Let boredom sit there and be bored.

Stay with yourself and give the emptiness time to just be. Don't get up.

You’ll notice your thoughts moving quickly at first and then start slowing down.

Reach the end of thought

If you’re still sitting with yourself, you’ll reach a place where all the other thoughts cease, and as you keep breathing, you’ll meet your true self.

When this happens to me, I notice a feeling of calm, and I even say hello to the real me. The me that’s not manipulated by what the outside world says I should want or do.

It’s lovely.

How long it takes to reach the end of thought depends on how much is going on in your life and how often you meditate.

I find it takes me around ten minutes to get there.

Not as long as you might think, huh? The nice thing is that you want to stay for a while once you get to that place within yourself. It’s comforting to sit with who you are and be at peace.

I look forward to it every morning.

If an emotion comes up, you can feel it intensely and let it dissipate when it’s done showing itself to you. Your shoulders relax, and you become more aware of your body as a whole.

Discover your personal goals

With your quiet connection to yourself, you’ll start to hear only your internal goals speaking.

Anything that’s important to your overall fulfillment will come into your mind. The values that are important to who you are will be easier to notice and remember.

All the distractions are gone, so you can find out what it is you really need.

The hard part will be accepting what your true self is telling you.

Create a life based on your values

One of the greatest benefits of meditation is the ability to tap into yourself and see what you need in order to be fulfilled.

Not what your parents want you to be. Not what society says you should be.

What do you truly want and need to be doing during your time on this planet? You might be surprised at what you hear.

Meditation helps you become aligned with your personal life goals. Once you know them, you can do the things you need to pursue and reach them.

Anytime you get distracted by external messages, remember to sit with yourself and tune in through mindfulness. You can always find yourself with a little quiet and patience with the present moment.

Dr. K talks about how people are always looking for the reason why human beings are here. What’s the meaning of life?!

“The purpose of life is not in life, it’s in you.”

-Dr. K

It’s all inside of you. Stop looking for someone to tell you what your purpose is and find it in yourself. Then, decide to take the real you exactly where you need to go.

Try meditating again today — maybe after reading this article — and sit for a long enough time to find where your thoughts end and your true self begins.

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An Open Letter to Dilbert Cartoonist Scott Adams’ Racist Rant

I won’t hate you, but I’m filled with pity as a Black Cartoonist.

Dear Scott,

You described Black people as members of “a racist hate group” during an online video show and ranted about how white people should distance themselves from all Black people.

Now that newspapers are, unsurprisingly, dropping your Dilbert comic strip and your syndicate is letting you go, you’re complaining about a lack of free speech in America and surprised you’re being “canceled?”

Listen, Scott, you can go on all the ridiculous racist rants you’d like in public, but you still have to deal with the consequences of your actions. You don’t get a pass.

No one is that famous.

As a Black cartoonist myself, not as famous as you are, of course, but my comic strip Little Fried Chicken and Sushi is syndicated online, also through Andrews McMeel on GoComics. I know how hard the weekly grind can be for publishing new strips consistently, and they must be funny and topical always without even a week off or break.

Making a syndicated comic strip is enjoyable but an endless marathon.

It can drive you crazy, but you’re also smiling and trying to make gags that get a laugh. Your over thirty years of drawing Dilbert for over two thousand newspapers worldwide is mighty impressive.

Why would you ruin all that, even though the pressure can drain you, by saying racist crap for attention? You’re already getting plenty.

It’s obvious you’ve been going too far for a while now, and perhaps you haven’t noticed how offensive you are. Some things aren’t funny, though.

Losing your career is a painful way to learn.

I don’t like what you did and am pretty pissed about it. But I’m not going to hate you. That would be too easy.

Let’s see if I can understand you. After all, I’ve read plenty of your comic strips and two of your books over the years, and I’d like to think I was one of your fans.

So what went wrong?

You play the victim like you’re expecting something from Black people.

On your Coffee With Scott Adams online video show, you said Black people are a hate group, citing a Rasmussen survey which shows nearly half of all Black people do not agree with the phrase “It’s okay to be white.”

Adams stated, “I would say, based on the current way things are going, the best advice I would give to white people is to get the hell away from Black people.”

I’m not sure if he’s trying to make a joke, but he states that at one time, he chose to identify as Black and didn’t get any respect for it. What the hell, Scott?!

Apparently, he had been identifying as Black “because I like to be on the winning team” and that he used to help the Black community. I’m not sure how, though.

Adams said the results of the Rasmussen poll changed his mind.

“It turns out that nearly half of that team doesn’t think I’m okay to be white,” he said and decided it was time to return to being white. “I’m going to back off from being helpful to Black America because it doesn’t seem like it pays off,” he said. “I get called a racist. That’s the only outcome. It makes no sense to help Black Americans if you’re white. It’s over. Don’t even think it’s worth trying.”

“I’m not saying start a war or do anything bad,” he added. “Nothing like that.
I’m just saying get away. Just get away.”

Do you want us to give you a medal for being a good person toward a minority group? Once again, I don’t know what he did to “help” Black people. I hope you don’t think finally adding a Black character to your comic strip counts.

I’m a Black man and a cartoonist. I don’t hate white people. I do dislike people who are racist and unwilling to see how closed-minded they are.

I guess you feel you should have the freedom to say whatever you want about Black people, and we won’t get angry or upset with you because you decided to care about us. That’s never going to happen. Being rude and racist is never okay. No matter how much you believe, you’ve done for people.

Think about it. What if you were friendly and helpful to women? Does that mean you can call them names or openly talk negatively about women just because you decided—in all of your high and mighty white male privilege—to be a good human being?

And doing all of this during Black History Month?

You should have expected severe backlash. Or, maybe that’s what you wanted.

You want to escape drawing a daily comic strip that isn’t working anymore

Leaving such a successful comic strip must be a challenge. I bet you’re sick of it and couldn’t figure out a way to escape. Writing gags about working in an office when you haven’t worked in one for years.

You can’t relate to today’s office worker. There’s no authenticity to your gags. Just idiocy. How can you get away from it all? Make everyone think you’re a racist, so they have no choice but to drop you.

I know how getting tired of a project feels and wanting to let it go. My Little Fried Chicken and Sushi strip on GoComics wasn’t working right, and I worked hard with my editor trying to improve it for two years.

After seven years of trying to find my humor and voice through the characters and gags, I ended the strip. Fortunately, GoComics runs the repeats twice weekly so new readers can find it and, hopefully, enjoy the years of work I put into the comic.

Admitting it wasn’t working was hard, but instead of going on a rant and blaming my readers, I fessed up to failing to make the comic successful.

Stopping production on my strip was easier because it wasn’t a big hit. If it were, maybe I would have felt the pressure to keep making it and trying to improve. I might feel trapped. Living inside that small comic-making factory might drive me to say insane things too.

But I doubt I’d turn to fear and hate like you, Scott. You should be ashamed of yourself.

The only upside to this is that you will get people rereading your comic strip and buying up all your books. Controversy, unfortunately, is a powerful drug people want to snort up their noses.

Look at me; I can’t stop talking about you.

I hope your next chapter includes more kindness, but I doubt it.

Unlike most cartoonists, you like to draw your cartoons and write blog articles and books. I respect that as someone who also clearly enjoys doing the same.

I hate to admit it, but you’re interesting.

You’re someone I’ve enjoyed watching and reading to hear your take. Also, I’ve learned how pushing to the edge of culture, and free speech can backfire on you. It’s a slippery slope, and I get that.

You may end up with only an alt-right white supremacy fan base from here on out, but I bet you’ll be able to make plenty of money speaking at Klan rallies and Donald Trump appearances. Probably not as much as you’re used to from those fat Dilbert paychecks rolling in over the years.

I hope you’ve saved your money.

Or, maybe it’s time to retire. You know, stop talking.

Yeah, the allure of the spotlight is too much to turn away from at this point. You’ve tasted success, felt the burn of controversy, and loved the attention. I’m looking forward to seeing how you spin this into something new.

Once again, I don’t hate you, but I’m happy you’ll stay away from Black people. We don’t need your racist rants or fake attempts at “helping.”

I don’t promote segregation, but in your case, I’m fine with you keeping your distance. Just leave us alone and do you.

All the best,

Khalid Birdsong

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You Can Give Up on Art And Come Back Later

If you’re sick and tired of creating — then stop.

My caricature of artist Jean-michel Basquiat.

If you love something, let it go.

You’ve heard the saying. It doesn’t have to be forever, though especially when it’s a hobby or skill you love dearly.

I’ve been drawing all my life (at least since I was three years old), and it’s a skill I’ve worked hard to develop. Unfortunately, I still feel I’m not good enough compared to other talented artists I see online.

I feel like giving up.

I’m forty-seven, and everything I’ve worked hard for in art hasn’t gone as far as I thougth it would career wise. Making comics, drawing a comic strip syndicated online for seven years, and even freelance illustrating have only taken me so far.

I know I should stop, but I can’t.

When you love something and see it as a part of yourself, it’s hard to let it go.

Actually, that’s not totally true. I’ve met people who were smart enough to try making art or cartooning a career and then let it go after years of letdowns. They moved into something else more profitable and never looked back.

Being one of those people is so hard for me. Is it because I’m stupid?

I want to think it’s because I still enjoy making art. The consistent work you have to put in practicing techniques feels good when you see yourself improve.

The whole “Journey is more enjoyable than the destination” thing should be what we focus on more than money.

But what if you don’t care about creating your art anymore?

Stop making art and see if you can live without it.

Giving up feels good. Making your passion less important in your life can relieve creative stress and expectations. There’s beauty in letting it all go.

If, after a few months, or maybe even years, you feel the pull to create again, maybe your love of the art is more a part of you than you realize.

You can always start it up again and slowly and gently add more time into your schedule for creation.

There might be times in your life when it’s harder to make your art. Like when your are a parent of a young child or you’re adjusting to moving to a new city.

When I lived in Japan for two years, I barely drew anything. I didn’t open up a sketchbook, and I rarely drew any comics. Do you know what I did do, though? I learned to speak Japanese — which takes a lot of time and effort, let me tell you. I dated and met my wife. Spending time with someone special takes effort and dedication. Giving time to explore a new country, culture, and relationship was some of the best times I’ve spent in my life.

And I wasn’t drawing or writing. I was too busy living.

Towards the end of the second year, I started writing the script for my graphic novel, Tales of Tritoria: Youngbloods, and it was refreshing to spend some of my time in creation mode.

I didn’t start drawing pages and going all in on the production of the book until I moved back to the states. Yeah, it took me a few months to get back into the swing and stamina of drawing comics again, but the time away was worth it.

I felt refreshed and excited to produce comics again. All I needed was a break.

If you decide to take a break, you might come back at just the right time.

“What if I give up, and then my type of art becomes popular? I’ll miss opportunities?”

I doubt that.

Number one, you will have work you’ve done in the past you can pull out and sell or share. Number two, timing is something you can’t predict. The right time period in your life, combined with trends in the market, could be in your favor.

You never know. That’s why focusing on doing something you enjoy is the key.

The International Society of Caricature Artists (ISCA) holds a challenge in January called Caricature Resolution with a list of names of famous people each day you can choose to draw from.

Today’s person, for example, is 1980s Neo-expressionism artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.

It took me several tries to get closer to his likeness. At first, I tried different head shapes and placement of the eyes and mouth. You get the sense of him, but in my opinion, they didn’t have his likeness.

A lot of times with caricatures, you have to try different combinations until you get it right.

THe real basquiat for comparison.

I’m still working on getting better at drawing the likeness of celebrities, and it’s even harder than you might think. I’ve studied books, my favorite being Tom Richmond’s The Mad Art of Caricature, and watched several videos on YouTube to brush up on my skills.

Twenty years ago, I lived in Orlando, FL, and worked as a caricature artist for a small company set up in hotels and special events. All of this while starting to teach elementary school Art during the week.

I was just okay at it. You have to move fast and draw people in three to five minutes, then, I used watercolor to finish them off, and it was truly a challenge.

Sometimes people like how you draw them, and sometimes they don’t.

You grow a thick skin, but mine didn’t thicken up enough. I got tired of the demands of live caricatures and gave up after two years.

I wish I had continued. My drawing skills would have grown so fast, and who knows where it might have taken me. I never worked in Disney or Universal Studios theme parks, but that would have been the ultimate challenge.

My eyes were on making comics and publishing. Funny enough, most of the freelance work I get now comes from caricature illustration.

I’m looking to do more practice work in 2023 for art that generates more income for me.

Caricature is that art form. Why fight it?

I’ll keep practicing regularly.

Take a break for as long as you like, and art will be there waiting for you to return.

Don’t say you’ll give up forever.

Making a living solely from art is extremely difficult. If you tried it and you got burnt out, take a break. Try art directing or going into a completely different field. You can always create art in your free time when you want to get back into it.

There may come a time in life when opportunities open up again for you to get paid, and you can jump back in with both feet.

There’s nothing wrong with seeing your art as a life long pursuit. You can create until you die, so why rush things?

I’m doing everything possible to keep the caricature practice light and fun. Improving is definitely a goal, but I don’t have to be pro level anytime soon.

The real actor grace kelly.

the real malcolm x.

Who knows, in time, I might try getting back into live caricatures again. The thought of drawing people in person with everyone watching seems scary as hell right now. But I’ll go with the thought.

At some point in the future, it might be nice to have this skill to have fun and make money when I can.

If you’re tired and run down from not getting where you’d like with your art, take a break and give yourself time to see it in a different light.

Your passion will be waiting with open arms when you’re ready to return.

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Tire Pressure

The Time Traveling Anthropologist

A comic about visiting a lost culture.

A Real Raccoon Uses the Tokyo Subway?

Sticking out isn’t always bad.

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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Baby Yoda Helps My Daughter Sleep

You never know how something small can make a big difference.

©2022 Khalid Birdsong

My daughter couldn’t stop coming to sleep with my wife and me in our bed every night, even when she was nine years old.

Nothing we tried to keep her comfortable in her bed all night worked. We spent time reading and singing to her before going to sleep—even falling asleep with her and then going to our bed later.

Anything we could do to make her feel at ease and comfortable, we tried it. She had stuffed animals and dolls that helped a little, but still not enough to keep her in her own bed all night.

I’m unsure if she was anxious or truly wanted people with her all the time because it felt more comfortable. When we visit family in Japan, she sleeps on the tatami mat floors on futon mattresses with family members next to her.

Traditionally, this is how most Japanese people sleep, all together in one room, even though beds and separate bedrooms for kids are becoming popular.

I have no problems with her loving sleep time with family; I think it’s adorable, but our bed is only so big when we're in America. I’m a tall guy and need space to sleep deep comfortably.

When my daughter’s in with us, I end up pushed to the edge of the bed with my body forced to stay stiff as a board. My wife and I usually wake up the following day with neck pain.

All this wasn’t so bad back when she was three, but a growing nine-year-old did not give her parents enough space to sleep comfortably. Plus, I firmly believe she needs to soothe herself by learning to wake up in the middle of the night and get back to sleep without help.

Something changed when a baby Yoda toy arrived in the mail.

I was obsessed with The Mandalorian series on Disney plus, and my daughter got pulled into it, too, mainly because of Baby Yoda. Yes, I know his real name is Grogu, but I’m not a fan of it.

It seemed like forever for them to make a toy version, and as soon as pre-orders were available, I put my money down. Several months later, we were pleasantly surprised with our Baby Yoda. He makes cute sounds when you squeeze him and truly is super cute.

My goal was to have him as a collectible toy, but my daughter was so excited that she started asking to carry him around and play with him. Pretty soon, he became the most popular toy in the house. So much so that we gave him a name.

Earl.

Maybe to you, that’s no better than his real name, Grogu, but we love calling him Earl and, as crazy as it sounds, started having fun acting like he was a part of our family.

Earl popped in for a visit.

Naturally, my daughter asked if she could add Earl to her stuffies on her bed and sleep with him there too. At first, I wasn’t too keen on the idea. This toy was supposed to be for me and something I would keep in decent condition. But after a couple of days of begging with puppy dog eyes, I gave in to her.

Thank goodness I did.

She cuddled with Earl at bedtime and went right to sleep. I’m not sure if it’s because of the toy’s size, shape, or the fact that we pretend he’s alive for fun at home, but my child’s been sleeping through the night on her own for several years now.

My now twelve-year-old daughter admits to needing Earl with her to sleep well at night. She’s not ashamed of this at all. We take him with us on trips and even to Japan.

Even though we’re thankful for her little green, pointy-eared security blanket, I’m pretty sure she can sleep well without him at this point. She just enjoys having a little buddy with her for that familiar feeling of comfort and safety. I get that.

It’s cute how Star Wars fandom has helped my parenting. Not to mention adding good vibes to our home and family relationships.

I’ve learned the power of staying open to receiving assistance from the unlikeliest places. You never know what will make a difference to you and your loved ones.

Let it in and let it flow.

We talked in a previous post about how planning to submit your project to a publisher or online can help give you the energy to get work done. But what if you need something to motivate you to start the kind of work you do?

This is about more than just your “why” reason for doing what you’re doing. Even if you’re solid on your intended outcomes, you might not feel like making stuff for a day or several weeks.

You can easily lose motivation.

Knowing how to pull yourself back into creating again is what I’m talking about in this case. You don’t need a baby Yoda toy to hold when you’re feeling lazy, but having something similar, like a way to inspire yourself or a system to follow that gets you going again, is vital.

Planning time every Saturday morning to work on your personal project for two hours, for example, is an excellent way to make it actionable. That’s how this newsletter gets done. I think, read, sketch, outline, and plan here and there during the week, and on the weekend, I put in the time to finish it.

I love this schedule.

Perhaps many things exist that can keep you going each day and pursuing what you love. If you haven’t found them yet, keep trying new techniques or hacks. Don’t give up on your motivation.

I have something to look forward to with this weekly newsletter and feel a sense of accomplishment finishing creative work I hope inspires you.

Thanks for being a part of this creative journey.

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Are You Like This at a Concert?

Going with or against the crowd should be up to you.

Illustrated by the author. ©2022 Khalid Birdsong

Last week, I took my twelve-year-old daughter to her first big-time concert.

For their Never Ending Summer Tour, we saw the uber-popular group OneRepublic at an outdoor venue—much safer being amongst the fresh air during covid times.

With hits like “Stop and Stare,” “Counting Stars,” and their latest “I Ain’t Worried (from Top Gun: Maverick),” we had a phenomenal time. They put on a good show.

I didn’t know that the lead singer, Ryan Tedder, writes songs and has written hits for all kinds of artists. The group spent twenty glorious minutes playing short versions of some of the songs he wrote. Like “Halo” by Beyonce, “Love Somebody” by Maroon 5, and “Rumour Has It” by Adele.

Spending the concert in a section far away, I watched most of it on the jumbotron screens where they did a good job filming all the action on stage. They also turned to the audience on occasion.

Cameras zoomed in to a part of the crowd cheering and dancing, and everyone was ecstatic except for one guy in the middle standing there stone-faced.

No emotion, no excitement.

Perhaps he was tired or didn’t want to be there. His partner or friend could have forced him to go when he’s not even a fan—come on, we’ve all been there.

Or, that’s the way he has fun. This guy doesn’t need to smile, dance, or scream at fun events like an awesome concert by one of the biggest bands in the world.

No. He’s fine, just standing there stoically, spacing out.

Could it be we all experience fun and excitement differently? His insides might have been poppin’ with joy and grooving to the beat. He doesn’t need to move. Staying completely still may be how he feels more enjoyment. Is that so wrong?

I wish I could be as comfortable as he is showing and being whatever he’s feeling at the time. It shouldn’t matter what people think.

Being a people pleaser

I enjoy making other people happy. Heck, that’s one reason why I’m an art teacher. The joy on a kid’s face when they discover how a new painting technique can make their art look more real is fantastic.

Helping others succeed is joyful to me—another reason I love writing this newsletter and sharing what I’ve learned from living a creative life.

I’m a people pleaser.

Everyone isn’t. My daughter likes doing the right thing but isn’t concerned with people pleasing. She won’t pretend to be excited about something just to make another person feel better. I was concerned for her, but now I see that she doesn’t need to be like me.

Making sure she’s kind and polite is definitely part of my job, but overall, I should let her do what feels right.

Maybe growing up with divorced parents or being the oldest child shaped me into this person, but it’s hard to deny. I’m happy being a people pleaser and teaching others to create and hopefully smile.

At the concert, everyone stood up when OneRepublic first came out and never sat back down. After a summer off, this concert was in the middle of my first week back at work. I was tired.

You better believe I sat down on the grass and stayed there for the entire time. I danced while sitting and had an amazing time.

I didn’t feel like people pleasing by standing up so that the friends who came with us or the other fans surrounding us would be happy. I wanted to listen, enjoy, and rest.

My daughter stayed standing and enjoyed every minute. Good for her.

Choose to be who you are wherever you can

Your job may make you dress a certain way or wear a uniform while at work. There are written and unwritten rules of society we have to follow.

On those rare occasions where you can decide how you will show up, make it a way that feels authentic.

I’m not an expert at noticing these times yet, but I’m improving. At least, now, when I’m invited to party or get together, or even when I’m getting up in front of my students in an art class, I realize it’s my choice how I present myself.

Normally, I choose the fun-loving playful artist persona, but if I’m feeling down, it’s okay to show that too. There’s no need to fake it to make others happy at all times. I don’t have to be the person they expect every time. And that’s fine.

I just thought of something.

What if the guy who looked upset at the concert was that way because he just noticed the camera was on him and then froze? After it switched to somewhere else, he could have started dancing and jumping back to his usual fun-loving self.

He might hate when people put cameras in his face. Who really knows?

Either way, learn to do you.

Who cares what people think? Especially at a concert.

P.S. We just had a teacher work week before starting a new school year teaching middle school. During one of our faculty meetings, we all sat in a circle, sharing how we felt about getting back to work. Many people appreciated having such amazing coworkers, and others were impressed with how safe they felt to get back on campus during the pandemic that will never end. I shared feeling more at ease than I have in several years. Partly thanks to vaccines and having students back on campus instead of teaching on video via Zoom. Getting back to being in my art room and knowing how to teach within it, even if I’m wearing a mask, is something I did last year, so it’s familiar territory. I’m not as concerned with what will come, and confident I can make a creative and warm atmosphere for my students. I see now how life and work experience can help you feel at ease with being yourself.

Discover A New Creative Life right here.

Gachapon Toys in Japan Are Wild!

Photos of the strangest capsule toys you can buy. Even a bird hugging bread?

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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There Are Two Ways to Admire Successful People- Only One is Right

Be honest. Would you do what it takes to be as good?

Photo by Obie Fernandez on Unsplash

Success is easy for them. They're naturally talented and famous. Why couldn't I be born with such exceptional skills?

I bet that's what you're thinking when reading a book by an author you admire or watching an actor play their role superbly, and it fills you with admiration.

Perhaps, even jealousy. You want what successful people have but feel you're not ready yet. Or maybe you'll never get there.

As a writer, cartoonist, and teacher, I have friends who have succeeded further than I have and others who haven't, for various reasons. Of course, the ones who have done well have me envious of their accomplishments.

I use the word envy because jealousy sounds like I'm unhappy or upset with them—quite the contrary. I'm excited when people succeed in the arts and get to where they want to be.

I do feel it's essential to put it into perspective, though. When you see someone doing well, it looks easy. We know there's no way it's as easy as they make it look, but still, we think it's beyond our reach due to some unknown advantage they have.

Take a look at these two ways to think about what they've accomplished.

Which one are you?

1. Natural talent created their good luck

"That writer is so talented. There's no way I could ever be as good as them."

Guilty. I've uttered this phrase. Sometimes I believe it must be nice to be born with natural talent and ability, making creativity easy.

Cheering for your favorite basketball player is the same idea: natural talent can't be ignored.

In your mind, natural talent is all it takes, and you tell yourself that to avoid the uncomfortable truth.

Getting good takes hard work.

Sure, that sports star practices regularly, but they're doing it full-time. It's their job to be good, and you don't have that luxury, so it's not your time yet.

You have to work a day job and find time to practice what you love after taking care of all your responsibilities. It's so much harder.

I often feel helpless thinking about how much better I could be with more time to work on writing and drawing each day. It's easy to be envious of people who look like they were born great and have endless free time.

If you ain't got it, you ain't got it. You can make that your excuse to stop trying and sit back and watch, read, and be as jealous as you'd like because they're more special than you'll ever be unless there's more to their success than you initially thought.

2. Many years of hard work created opportunities

Talent is only one part of their astounding skill. What helps is commitment and consistency for success.

Admire their hard work as well as their talent. Successful people commit to something important to them, not only for a few months but for many years. Most likely ten or more. A lifetime even.

Putting all that time into something you're not sure will pay off is a risk. Even if it doesn't work out the way they planned, successful people know to pivot and put their efforts into something else until one of their pursuits turns into a viable business or career.

Trial and error is no fun; you must keep your mental state strong and become comfortable with uncertainty. Can you do that?

Luck does play a part, I'll admit. Meeting the right people who can put you in better situations to shine is an ingredient. Being prepared from working on your craft for years helps. If you're not ready to play in the big leagues, it could all fall flat—luck or not.

Maintaining success when you get it is also a challenge. Everyone can't keep a cool head when they're suddenly hitting it big and making more money than they ever imagined. Surrounding yourself with good people and pacing yourself can help the good times remain sustainable.

Admire the work, not the fame

I understand that you want everything you put a lot of effort into to succeed without fail, but that's not possible. If you want to achieve, you have to learn to deal with the highs and lows.

All the successful people you're envious of certainly are.

Become a person interested in making it big through consistent practice, treating others with respect, and staying positive even when reality looks bleak.

Be someone to admire by putting in the work even when life is hard, and there are zero opportunities. You'll reap the rewards, even if it's not how you imagined.

Want more? If you're struggling with doing original work, click here to join my (free) email list, and through comics, articles about culture, and living your truth, you can upgrade your mindset and share your art with the world.

Why You Should Practice The Boring Stuff When You’re Young.

And 3 ways to love the fundamentals and master your craft when you’re older.

Photo by Kaizen Nguyễn on Unsplash

“I don’t need to practice [insert art skill]. This is just my personal style.”

How many times have I heard that from my art students? Way too many times.

If you want to get good, you have to learn to love practicing the fundamental skills of your craft when you’re young. Whether that’s in visual art, music, sports, or, yes, even writing.

It doesn’t get easier with time.

Getting good means knowing what good means. And that takes experience.

You learn by growing through repetitive practice in stuff you, at a young age, can’t see as important right now. Passing your lack of experience off as a style trait is lazy and misguided.

When you’re in school and even into your twenties, you have more energy than you know what to do with. Why make excuses for putting in the work as a creative? I bet it’s because you don’t have a coach riding your a$$ every day to write for two hours, or practice drawing portraits.

You can bet athletes hire or must attend a certain number of practices each week to stay in shape and keep their sporty skills in tip-top condition. I also bet there’s no way they would practice that much without someone holding them accountable.

But what if you can’t hire an art or writing coach? You’ve got to be the one who motivates yourself to keep going no matter how old you are.

Once you get decent at the basics, we can talk about flipping them on their head and claiming you can practice less because it’s your style. At least, that’s what I say when teaching art to middle school students. They want it to be easy right now, and it doesn’t work like that, unfortunately.

You may even be older and know how important it is to practice but still can’t get yourself to work on the boring stuff you know will grow your skills.

One thing young people don’t understand is how heavy responsibilities, like raising children, and dealing with surprise health issues, not to mention being just plain tired, make it so much harder to put in time practicing skills as you age.

No worries. All it takes is a mindset shift and a little creativity. Treat it like you’re young—fresh-faced and open to discovering more of how basic skills can improve your work.

You don’t have to love practicing the fundamentals, but you have to work on them regularly to improve.

Here’s what I tell young creatives that can also help my over-forty crowd, who need help consistently doing the things to improve their work.

Make it a game to get fully engaged

Creating your art, drawing or writing should be something you enjoy no matter what, right? I’ll give you a hardy WRONG on that one! Yes, making whatever you feel like when you’re in the mood is enjoyable, but if you want to improve, you have to work even when you’re not feeling it.

Gamify your practice times to incentivize learning the boring stuff that makes you cringe. Use your creativity to make learning the basics fun, and it will be easier to want to sit down and get to work.

Let’s say you need to improve your skills in drawing hands, and what artist doesn’t? You sit down and challenge yourself to draw five hand gestures in your sketchbook in twenty minutes. Set a timer and see if you can beat it.

Figure drawing practice within thirty minutes.

Even if you’re practicing playing scales on an instrument—not the most fun activity but important—use a similar method. How many can you do in a limited time? Can you play them in several different rhythms like a song?

Becoming a better writer takes, well, writing often. Challenge yourself to see how many days a week you can write for a specific amount of time. Try one hour a day at the same time of day. Or, give yourself a word count, like 500 words each day, mark a calendar when you complete them, and on Sunday, see if you’ve won.

The act of spicing up your fundamentals will help make sitting down to do them more fun. Unfortunately, gamifying is not enough. Naturally, we all want something when we win.

Reward yourself sweetly to make winning fun

When you reach your gamified goal, reward yourself with a treat — whatever that is for you. I love eating chocolate chip cookies. Sweet treats are a solid motivator for me, and I feel like I truly won an award when I get a treat afterward.

The other day, it was hard for me to focus on writing. So, I got some of those Mini Chips Ahoy cookies as motivators. They’re small so I could eat one after ten minutes of writing. Chewing on it with a smile as I write more, then after ten minutes put another in my mouth. Writing and eating treats as I go.

Not great for my waistline, I know, but I got through finishing an article. And drank a big glass of almond milk after.

You may decide you can’t watch your favorite TV show until you’ve drawn something for an hour or two. Pick the things you really do not feel like practicing, and add your best reward treat to completing them successfully.

I enjoy knowing I can draw whatever I want if I put in a certain amount of time on fundamentals. That could mean drawing three figure drawings, then a funny cartoon character.

The harder and more boring the skill, the better the reward. You’ll be getting fundamental practice easier and more often.

Drawing bunnies is a lot of fun after figure drawing practice.

Upgrade your thinking to always keep going

If you’re dedicated to your chosen art form, you must learn to work with the difficult and boring parts as well as what’s enjoyable. They do go hand in hand. Even if you’re doing it mainly for fun, you’ll want to get better, telling yourself improvement doesn’t matter is a waste of time.

When you get up to go to work or school, you have to mentally prepare for the day. Why? Because it’s important. You know there will be a mix of great and not-so-great, but you take it on as a part of the experience. Do the same with your art and creative work.

Know it will be hard at times, especially when you’ve got family or health challenges, but the hard stuff makes you better and pushes you ahead. If it feels too easy, too fun, you’re probably not growing. Look for the obstacles. Find ways to work on the difficult parts because you know you need it to improve.

Doing this sort of mind shift, especially when you’re young, will help you make it a habit you continue into older age. You set a precedent that growing as a creative person takes doing the parts you enjoy and the parts that help you grow.

Trying to get yourself to do what you know you must when you’re older is harder. You become more set in your ways, and life responsibilities make it easier for you to make excuses not to create. When you have a mindset of creating regularly set in your brain, getting started, even if times are tough, is easier.

When you seek out creative challenges, find fun ways to work on them regularly, and reward your accomplishments, the boring stuff won’t be boring anymore.

Want more? If you’re struggling with doing original work, click here to join my (free) email list, and through comics, articles about culture, and living your truth, you can upgrade your mindset and share your art with the world.

Two Words That Make Success Easier

This is what it takes to get where you want to be.

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash

Don’t be fooled by quick and easy success stories. Making it big takes a lot of hard work.

It’s even more hard work than you think because success involves getting out of your own way.

I know you want to believe you can stay the same, and luck will bless you and suddenly change your life for the better, but this is juvenile thinking. Growing up and realizing that you have to put in time and effort to succeed is significant.

Success takes two essential ingredients most people run away from like the plague—even if they know working hard is a primary key.

I’ve lived a pretty good life, worked as a writer, artist, and teacher, and even traveled the world. Without two truths, I could have never done all that I did and plan to continue doing in the future.

If you can get navigate pushing through these two words, success can be more effortless for you to attain.

1. Failure

As a writer and cartoonist, naturally, I’m a fan of animated films, especially ones made by Disney. You may feel like everything the company does has always been a success.

So not true.

The Walt Disney Company has had successes and failures over its almost 100-year history. Slow times and fast. But it kept figuring out ways to keep going because they understood disappointment is a part of taking risks and doing business. Walt ingrained this idea into the studio.

Before Walt Disney started the company with his brother Roy, an editor at a newspaper he worked for told him he lacked imagination and had no good ideas. I bet that pissed him off a bit but gave him the fuel needed to prove him wrong.

“I think it’s important to have a good hard failure when you’re young… Because it makes you kind of aware of what can happen to you. Because of it I’ve never had any fear in my whole life when we’ve been near collapse and all of that. I’ve never been afraid.”

-Walt Disney

You have to be willing to try and fail. Yes, you may look like an idiot or embarrass yourself, but what you’ll learn will help you make new and different choices next time.

If you look at failure as a part of the learning process, something you need to get better and discover what works, you can use it.

People who never fail never really try.

You don’t have to like it, but make friends with it so you can reach your goals.

2. Discomfort

No one knows how to face discomfort like stand-up comedians. I may love writing humor in a comic strip format and have to face the possibility my readers won’t laugh at the joke, but I don’t have to meet them in person.

One of my favorite comedians is Jerry Seinfeld. Not just because he was able to get a hugely successful TV show with his name on it, but because he has a unique style and delivery, and most importantly, he never uses curse words.

That’s tough to do.

After his first set doing stand-up as a young comedian on the circuit, I read that it didn’t go well. Seeing the audience made him freeze when he set foot on stage, and he was booed off.

Think about it. Seinfeld could have said “Screw this!” packed his bags, and left that world forever.

Instead, he decided to get over himself and make success as a comedian more important than his discomfort on stage. I bet he could tell it was something he could get over if he practiced more. If writing jokes gets easier the more you do it, so can dealing with standing up on stage.

Of course, we all know how that turned out. Jerry Seinfeld was right to keep working through the discomfort.

Truthfully, it’s still uncomfortable for me to put my work out there, but I’ve learned to get used to that awkward feeling. You have to know that not being comfortable means you’re growing. The skills you’re learning, or the way you’re thinking about something new are being stretched.

Even though that’s a good thing, it’s only up to you to decide to keep facing discomfort head-on.

Make a point to try new things to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Talk to random people on the street and ask them questions about their life, volunteer to present new ideas during meetings at work, put your writing out online wherever you can, and brace yourself for criticism.

Doing what you fear will build up your tolerance for it and make it easier over time.

“According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.”

- Jerry Seinfeld

Getting good is the real secret

The main reason to grow more decisive in dealing with failure and discomfort is to get better at doing your craft. People want to read, watch, and hear good quality work, and if you make stuff and make it well, they’ll notice.

It’s incredible how easy it can be to give up because we can’t handle things not going the way we think they should. You will win when you give yourself the space to fail and feel like crap, but get back up and keep making—even if your success takes years.

If there’s one thing we can’t deny, it’s high-quality work. Good writing, beautiful music, and clever ideas get noticed, even if we’re unsure why it’s so great.

A combination of daily work, to get better, then facing your fears to put it out there can make a difference. When one of my articles gets a lot of attention or a comic strip receives many positive comments, I know I connected with people.

Even if that doesn’t happen for every piece, I put out, I know continuing to produce, learn, and iterate will help give me more chances at success.

It’s never just luck, even though luck can help. Working through setbacks and challenges will get you where you want to be in the long run.

Your success in life is proportional to how much risk and discomfort you can handle. Now get out there and fail more.

Want more? If you’re struggling with doing original work, click here to join my (free) email list, and through comics, articles about culture, and living your truth, you can upgrade your mindset and share your art with the world.

Why Elon Musk Thinks Japan is Doomed

Making babies isn’t easy when you have out-of-date thinking.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Japan’s population needs to grow faster, or it will cease to exist.

At least, this is what billionaire Elon Musk believes. Japanese people need to start making more babies for the country to survive. I agree, but I think it’s more complicated.

Living in Japan for several years as an English teacher taught me a lot about the culture. Being married to a Japanese woman and then visiting from America regularly over the past twenty years gives me an inside and an out-of-the-box view of the issues.

Even with this knowledge, I was surprised by Elon’s tweet.

Screenshot of Elon Musk’s comment on the Kyodo News article.

According to this article, he comments on; the birth rate has been a problem for many years now. I remember the Japanese government even pays people a thousand dollars, maybe more, to have a baby in the city of Osaka.

I’m not sure they can pull themselves out of this any time soon, but I don’t think Japan will “Cease to exist” in the way Elon thinks. But they need to change their views on what it means to be Japanese and adapt to the modern world.

Marriage and parenting in Japan is a trap

Young people run away from marriage in Japan like crazy because you have to give up so much of your freedom. How is this different from everywhere in the world?

Most likely, old-world thinking and rigid gender roles.

In Japan, you live in prescribed roles to fit into society, and you’re expected to follow the rules of those roles.

It’s like 1950s America on steroids.

If you’re a husband working in a company as a salaryman, you must give all your life to your job and do everything your boss tells you, even if that involves going out for drinks until 11 pm after work each night. There’s a good chance you won’t have time for your wife or kids, and no one cares if you’re unhappy with that reality.

Overwork and sacrificing your health are how you show respect to Japan and its culture. This is why business people randomly sleeping on trains or park benches are seen as hard workers and well respected.

If you’re a woman, you’re expected to quit your job when you have children. At least you can keep your job after marriage now. A Japanese teacher I worked with while living there in her fifties said years ago that she quit her job to be a full-time housewife when she first got married. It was incredibly dull, and her husband worked all the time. She was lonely every day, wondering why she got married in the first place.

Raising kids is traditionally supposed to be for mothers without full-time jobs. If you work as a mother, it’s incredibly unfair because you’re expected to take care of all the household responsibilities, cooking, cleaning, even managing the finances, around your job, and taking care of the kids. The husband is expected just to work and be taken care of by his wife.

This is acceptable—not liked by most—but a part of Japanese culture. It’s no surprise that people there are against marriage and having children.

Japan needs more foreigners

When they’re open to more people from many other countries coming in and having a fair chance to live and succeed in Japan, their population will grow. Not just by the influx of new immigrants, but with them marrying Japanese people and, in turn, having more children.

Closing itself off to the world has always been a part of Japanese history. Seeing themselves as unique and unlike any other country has caused too many issues to discuss here.

When you live in Japan as a non-Japanese person, you are consistently treated like and looked at as an outsider. You can’t come there, live for twenty years there, and be accepted as an equal citizen.

You’re always seen as a foreigner.

After two years of living in Osaka, I was fed up with working my butt off learning the language and cultural rules, only to realize because I’m a Black man, I will never be seen as Japanese.

If someone moves to the U.S., they may deal with discrimination for being from another country, but they can become “American over time.” Not so in Japan.

What makes a Japanese person as far as physical looks need to get upgraded. In America, we know Americans can look like many races, and Japan can grow in this area if they make it easier for non-Japanese people to get a visa and live, work, and start businesses.

Of course, this means that Japanese people will look more mixed-race as more foreigners mix with the population over the next ten to twenty years, but if this helps the country open its minds and grow, it might survive.

News outlets in Asia have been talking about this for what feels like forever. I’m no immigration expert, but I’ve lived abroad enough to know opening up your borders can positively affect countries.

I love Japan, but Japanese people have to gradually embrace that their society and ideals need to change to make it in the end. Being incredibly shy and insular is hurting the country.

Let’s hope that if more prominent voices like Elon Musk point out the challenges Japan faces, Japanese citizens can change their views so future generations will flourish.

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Why I Hated The New Batman Movie- Until I Watched It

I refused to see it at first, then changed my mind.

Illustrations by the author.

Let's make one thing crystal clear. I'm a Batman fan. Unlike most people, I actually read the comics and watch the movies and animated series. In fact, as a comic artist myself, I love drawing Batman.

The only problem? I'm kind of tired of him.

We've had way too many Batman movies, and in just the last ten years, we've had Ben Affleck and Christian Bale play the caped crusader in the films.

Moving aside from Affleck, I loved Bale as Batman in The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan's second film in his series. Perhaps, you'll agree that it's one of the best Batman movies ever made. Pitting him against Heath Ledger's masterful take on the Joker is legendary.

As much as I love seeing Batman do his thing, I felt we should have had at least 3–5 years without new Batman films after Nolan's run. Give us a break, and build up anticipation for seeing him again.

The Justice League movies pulled Affleck out as a hefty Bruce Wayne, inspired by Frank Miller's Dark Knight, breaking bones and whispering raspy to give us a mediocre Bats performance.

Enough. I was done. Time for a Batman pause, don't you think Hollywood?

Nope. The money is just too good. They had to keep the train moving and announced a new film with Twilight actor Robert Pattinson as The Batman and directed by Matt Reeves—known for the Planet of The Apes films.

What?! Are you kidding me? Pattinson? That skinny, whiny dude? No way I'm watching that one. I guessed Hollywood figured people would spend money on a Batman movie no matter who's playing him.

Before watching The Batman

With Pattinson playing Bruce Wayne, I lost interest. It felt like anyone could play Batman nowadays. If just anyone can fit the role, why not get Channing Tatum or Finn Wolfhard—the kid from Stranger Things. As a Black man, I'd love to see Jaden Smith take on the caped crusader. Heck, let's go ahead and break the ground wide open, dig deeper.

Hint. Hollywood didn't.

So, when The Batman came out, I decided there was no way I would see it.

The trailer of him walking up to a gang with Joker painted faces and beating the crap out of them made him look like a psycho. And a bit silly. The scenes with Detective Gordon looked like they were trying too hard to look dark and gritty.

In my mind, I was okay with missing this one. Plus, the fact that it's three hours long! My issues with these saga-length movies recently were discussed thoroughly in a previous article about how they’re too damn long.

I avoided it the first month it was out. Then, my birthday came up, and I needed something fun to do for myself. As a husband and father, I rarely get out of the house for something only I want to do.

Looking up the reviews of The Batman, I discovered the critics were pretty happy with it overall. They said it was a bit too dark, with no jokes or light moments, but a pretty decent movie.

As a gift to myself, I decided to try the movie. If it sucked, I could write a review on Medium and make it an excuse to get my frustration out through the craft of writing. I am a Batman fan, after all.

After watching The Batman

I loved it. That’s right, I was hating on it before and was nervous it would be the worst three hours of my life, but surprisingly, I thoroughly enjoyed The Batman.

Yes, it was dark, sad, heavy, and they made Bruce Wayne look like a weirdo, but I like this take on him. If you think about it, a guy running around in a bat suit fighting crime is crazy.

For the first time, they addressed that he’s a billionaire orphan who thinks he has it the worst because his parents were killed. A tragedy to happen to anybody, but he can still live a privileged life. So many people have to go through worse, and it doesn’t drive them to become reclusive vigilantes.

Pitting him against The Riddler was interesting because it allowed us to see more of a detective Batman, still figuring out how the Gotham city underworld works. It’s only two years after Bruce started going out as Bats, so he keeps having to decide who he is and what to do at every turn.

The action scenes were pretty good, but I felt it looked a bit similar to The Dark Knight, but it is Batman, so there are certain things he has to do in the movies. I loved Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, and her performance brought the whole film together for me, and the world wouldn’t have worked without her.

The cinematography was gorgeous, and it’s a movie I will buy and watch while drawing. I could put it on in the background, mute the sound, and enjoy watching the images as I write and create to keep my energy up.

I went to the restroom once during the film. But all in all, the three hours moved by quickly. They needed the time, and I’m glad they used it. When I was in high school, I dreamed of a dark Batman movie, and my young dream came true with The Batman.

Sometimes movies aren’t always what they seem

You can’t judge a movie by its trailer. At least not always. I’m pretty good at detecting a stinker from watching the previews, but this surprised me. If you’re a Batman fan and on the fence whether or not to spend the time to see it, I say go.

You can wait until it’s streaming online somewhere, and it will be worth your time. I’m glad I saw it in the theater, though, and it was more dynamic to watch the action scenes on the big screen.

I’m willing to admit I was wrong. The Batman is a good take on a character done to death. The movie showed me how you can still make characters fresh and breathe new life into them.

I’m looking forward to the sequel and where they’ll take Pattinson next.

Want more? If you’re struggling with doing original work, click here to join my (free) email list, and through comics, articles about culture, and living your truth, you can upgrade your mindset and share your art with the world.

3 Reasons You're Unsatisfied With Adulthood

And how to change your mindset to get more out of life.

Wincing at life. Illustrated by the author.

I bet you thought becoming an adult would be so much fun. You would have complete control of your life, no parents telling you what to do.

Thinking the same almost ruined me when I got out in my twenties. "Wait. You mean I have to make all the decisions now and stop blaming everything on my parents?"

Yup. It gets real, real fast.

“As a child I assumed that when I reached adulthood, I would have grown-up thoughts.”
― David Sedaris, Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls

I get what makes it feel sucky at times as a creative professional, husband, and father through more than twenty-five years of adult life after college under my belt.

I learned it’s about more than just screaming "Life sucks!" every time events don't go your way. Paying attention to these three reasons below can help you stay confident while slaying adulting.

1. Life is complicated no matter where you are on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Life is tough no matter what. How much you have or gain doesn't exclude you from the difficulties life throws at you constantly. I know you want more out of it, and for a good reason, but you forget, or perhaps aren't appreciating, everyone isn't in the same place as you.

Even if they were, it wouldn't matter anyway. Hard to hear, perhaps, but taking an honest look at where we are right now can help give you perspective.

Understanding where you are on the hierarchy of needs pyramid can help you know where you're going and give you faith things can improve.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs poster courtesy of playvolutionhq.com.

Let's say you reached the top. Self-actualization is all yours now. All your financial needs are taken care of; you have time to create, have meaningful relationships, and control your daily schedule. Does this mean nothing negative will ever happen to you?

When life is going insanely well, we tend to despise setbacks when they happen, almost as if we've earned the right not to have to deal with them. It's almost as if only the good things should be in our lives because we have it so good.

Consequently, if we're towards the bottom of the pyramid and our basic needs aren't being met, we want to climb up and believe getting more will solve all our problems. Life will be easier when you're at the top but not devoid of tough times.

You'll be in a more balanced place to deal with the poop as it flies at you, but no amount of security, money, or love can stop the truth of life.

Bad things happen to good people. So, accept it, take full responsibility when it all goes sideways and take care of what's necessary to get your life back on track.

The excellent news, hard times can and will get better, even if it doesn't feel that way today.

2. You think successful people are 100% happy

Striving to become a better person is good, and only working your a$$ off to buy a bigger house is not.

Scrolling social media makes you jealous of others and their perceived joyful and prosperous life, and it's never as great as it looks. Still, you want to do more, have more, and be more because you see it's possible.

The people you admire as successful do not have a perfect life, and an ideal life doesn't exist. With all the money and power, the CEO you gawk at could be having marital problems at home or health issues they're hiding from the public.

We're all battling something.

Admiring the success of others is inspiring and can fill you with joy. Put keep your mind in the reality zone. Adulthood should be about striving for the personal success important to you while understanding life can never be perfect.

Are you able to think through everything you have at this moment, good and bad, and still smile? What gives you pleasure, even though the pain?

Everything you work hard for should feel worth the stress and strain. When times are hard for me, I love drawing as an outlet. Opening up a sketchbook and trying my hand at a portrait or a funny animated character helps me smile again.

When you take stock in your achievements and where you still want to go, appreciating what you've already accomplished goes a long way. Gratitude is the key to joy, even if it's only because you understand how important life's basics are.

If you're healthy and able to go for what gets your excitement rising each morning, you have a lot to be thankful for—let that empower you.

“You’ll never see a happy ungrateful person.”

Zig Ziglar

3. You compare yourself to the wrong people.

We're all sold the idea, in America at least, that making it equals big paychecks, lots of sex, and a mansion the size of an art museum. You're not genuinely making it if you're missing these symbols of success.

Not valid for everyone, and it doesn't have to be what you desire either.

Why are you doing all of this? Is it a part of your life purpose, or because you saw someone else doing it and decided it would be cool?

Make specific, thoughtful choices. I decided a long time ago going after vast sums of money wasn't going to be my goal. Life taught me money makes things easier.

I had to understand it's OK to want to make a good salary to take care of basic needs and save for retirement; it took years to accept I enjoy travel and need enough for at least one adventure a year.

Maybe that's not necessary for everyone, but travel matters to me. Seeing the world helps me feel wealthy, and I love learning about other cultures and cities.

What do you need to benefit you, your family, and your overall mental health right now? Write down a list of your needs and wants. Getting serious about what matters to you as an individual, not what you think you "should" desire is a good goal.

Are you in a place mentally to work towards being a self-actualized human being? If you don't know where to go, you can't stay on the right road.

Once you have a list of what you truly want, you can find people who have done what you strive for and learn from their experiences. Read about them, or better yet, talk to them in person if you can.

You will reach your goals if you compare yourself to the right people. The people doing precisely what you aspire to do in your life.

“Don’t you find it odd,” she continued, “that when you’re a kid, everyone, all the world, encourages you to follow your dreams. But when you’re older, somehow they act offended if you even try.”
― Ethan Hawke, The Hottest State

Figure out a way to pursue your dreams

You have roadblocks to your goals. But if you get creative and find a way to go after your dreams, your life will feel loads more fulfilling and enjoyable.

No one said a good life would be easy.

Even doing what you love part-time, or dare I say, as a hobby, can create balance and instant smiles each morning you wake.

Take full responsibility for your life and do what it takes to do what you love. Yes, it may be more challenging if you're a person of color, or suffering an illness, but there are always ways to make things work.

• Take time to plan how to save enough money to give you the freedom to do more of your passions.

• Ask for help from people who can assist you on your journey or give you advice. Or, even better—mentoring.

• Work a job that doesn't take all of your brainpower, and do your passion during your off hours until you can do it full-time.

• Spend more time in groups with people who enjoy what you love. Life is less crappy when you spend it with others.

Permit yourself to love life by structuring it in a way that benefits your interests.

Keep your head in the right place. Not wanting too much all the time and giving thanks for what you have can change your outlook.

“I’ve been very blessed in my personal life and in my career and I have never been ungrateful for what I have.”

Mandy Patinkin

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