Marijke! I had Zoo You Mind by my side as inspiration when creating today’s strip.
Thank you for your beautiful book that shows me what’s possible!
While watching an episode of Emily in a Paris I was inspired about… inspiration! Emily went to see the Van Gogh exhibit and the next day while pitching a client who sold beds, she proposed a campaign with people sleeping under the stars in prominent locations.
Inspiration is everywhere! Thanks for your courage of creativity that inspires.
I like thinking about how our “be-ing” guides our “do-ing”! Kind people do things like this… generous people do things this way… creative people do amazing things!
Yes! That has become almost reflexive for me. On Twitter this morning a person from New Zealand greeted another “Morena!” Off to Google where I learned it’s Māori for “Good morning!” I have come to appreciate this community, and others, for my continuing life studies in the humanities. Curiouser and curiouser.
Sometimes the learning is accidental. Yesterday, moved to have an avocado, almond butter, and sprouts (alfalfa) sandwich, I grabbed the ingredients while shopping. When the building of sammies commenced, the sprouts were Broccoli, Radish, and Red Clover sprouts! Unexpected, but delicious just the same!
One of my favorite quotes in this theme is by former British Prime Minister David Lloyd George: "Don't be afraid to take a big step if one is indicated. You can't cross a chasm in two small jumps."
I'm not sure how it works for you, Gail, but anytime I notice that kind of immediate reaction and activation around a new idea, I'm convinced I'm on the right track or heading in the right direction. I'm happy for you that this happened!
Thanks Mary Ellen — me too! I’ve often heard expressing something complex in simple form is a challenge for the creator and a gift to the experienc-er. I’m thinking of Winnie-the-Pooh, Peanuts, and I’m sure there are many more examples I’m not thinking of!
I feel energy behind giving it a go with the muses!
Thank you for sharing your experience. Lots of ideas come… and fall flat. I’m learning to pay attention to the ones that grab ahold and say, “Let’s go!”
Thinking of Liz Gilbert’s book Big Magic… Where one of her novel ideas migrated to another author when Liz ignored it for too long.
I LOVE Tigger. He is my favorite!! And why, because he's bouncey, trouncey, flouncey, pouncey and he's the ONLY one!! Not sure I understand "thought strips" unless they area several pictures with no words but each picture leads to the next and eventually you can imagine what comes next. If I'm not mistake Calvin and Hobbes, Charlie Brown and a few others have done this too.
No words?! Yikes… that would take some working into on my part. 😂
Yesterday when Gary suggested he replaced the word comic with. Thought before the word strip. I thought he might have done that because I once told him I didn’t want the muses to look like comic book characters. 🤷♀️
Regardless, attempting frames with limited words will give me an opportunity to build my skills at expressing myself in an even simpler manner. I also think limited words shows trust in an audience to use their thinking muscles to sort meaning out for themselves. Less teaching? More learning?
I am humbled that my book inspires you to make comics. That is so great. My daughters often make a comic too. Or they think of a comic I should draw. Always good fun too.
What fun! Not unlike watching a star go Super Nova!! Einstein stated, “Matter can neither be created nor destroyed.” Better still, that also includes Energy!
So I propose that paintist, sketchist, thinkist, typist is being Transformed, the term Einstein used. As Bob Dylan wrote, “She who ain’t busy bein’ born is busy dyin’.” Born into new ways of being, before our very eyes.
Pretty cool, huh?
And this reader/viewer realizes one challenge for creator extraordinaire is to create cartoons/thought strips without the traditional linear, left to right orientation of the individual panels. Perhaps some of us older followers (moi?) could find the present configuration “unstrippish!”
The panorama function of smartphone cameras can record the strip look but small screens of phones and SubStack formats don’t lend themselves to ideal representations?!
Newer generations and social media I bet render this a non-issue?! Tal may lament her loss of dots and eyelashes. Nia, with her penchant for precision and details, may suffer at first. Maybe you can present this art form as a form of sign language?
If The Muses threaten rebellion, just use me to illustrate a point, “Consider the possibility to convert an avalanche of words into a four panel thought strip! Then create some empty panels titled, “Silence Is Golden.” 🤣
whoop whoop for strips!!
I love how you try out so many things. It's GREAT.
Marijke! I had Zoo You Mind by my side as inspiration when creating today’s strip.
Thank you for your beautiful book that shows me what’s possible!
While watching an episode of Emily in a Paris I was inspired about… inspiration! Emily went to see the Van Gogh exhibit and the next day while pitching a client who sold beds, she proposed a campaign with people sleeping under the stars in prominent locations.
Inspiration is everywhere! Thanks for your courage of creativity that inspires.
Strips, Thought strips? Yes!
“I find that the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving.
~Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. • via Typist”
The direction we are “moving” determines everything! It decides what we can and cannot do… Doing makes all the difference. Yoda talked about this…
The only thing better is “being.” Like “be not afraid” or be kind, be generous, be curious, be…
“Be!”
“I am always doing things I can't do, that’s how I get to do them.” ~Pablo Picasso
Everything is in the “doing” of it…
Yay for Strips! 🙌🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼🙌🏼
Thank you for this encouragement!
I like thinking about how our “be-ing” guides our “do-ing”! Kind people do things like this… generous people do things this way… creative people do amazing things!
Let us see where this new doing leads!
Bravo! 🙌🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼🙌🏼
Graphic novels and even memoirs are the "in" thing these days, so you're right on trend, Gail. Or, perhaps, starting a new one!
Great! This is fantastic news. And now I have an opportunity to add my own “Gail” twist. 🎉
Perhaps a Gailic graphic novel?
Haha! I don’t even really know what a graphic novel is!
Google… help!
Yes! That has become almost reflexive for me. On Twitter this morning a person from New Zealand greeted another “Morena!” Off to Google where I learned it’s Māori for “Good morning!” I have come to appreciate this community, and others, for my continuing life studies in the humanities. Curiouser and curiouser.
Sometimes the learning is accidental. Yesterday, moved to have an avocado, almond butter, and sprouts (alfalfa) sandwich, I grabbed the ingredients while shopping. When the building of sammies commenced, the sprouts were Broccoli, Radish, and Red Clover sprouts! Unexpected, but delicious just the same!
Life is like a box of sprouts!
BUTTON: “When’s the right time to tell your dog they’re adopted?” 😁
I like the thought strips! Always try stuff, Gail, you come up with the most amazing things!
Henny’s “gotcha day” is coming up! July 21. She is in part responsible for bringing Thalia out of hiding. Woof!
One of my favorite quotes in this theme is by former British Prime Minister David Lloyd George: "Don't be afraid to take a big step if one is indicated. You can't cross a chasm in two small jumps."
I’m currently working on my fifth book which is… a poetry picture book!
I would love to publish in a variety of genres. I have a file started for a novel/novella and an idea for a muse children’s book.
Let us see what happens!
Thanks for the quote! I love it, too!
"Where one of her novel ideas migrated to another author when Liz ignored it for too long"
That particular story blew my mind!
Mine too!
The Universe/God is trying to express itself through us and when we refuse to take the hint, it finds another who is ready?
I'm not sure how it works for you, Gail, but anytime I notice that kind of immediate reaction and activation around a new idea, I'm convinced I'm on the right track or heading in the right direction. I'm happy for you that this happened!
Thanks Mary Ellen — me too! I’ve often heard expressing something complex in simple form is a challenge for the creator and a gift to the experienc-er. I’m thinking of Winnie-the-Pooh, Peanuts, and I’m sure there are many more examples I’m not thinking of!
I feel energy behind giving it a go with the muses!
Thank you for sharing your experience. Lots of ideas come… and fall flat. I’m learning to pay attention to the ones that grab ahold and say, “Let’s go!”
Thinking of Liz Gilbert’s book Big Magic… Where one of her novel ideas migrated to another author when Liz ignored it for too long.
Love these quotes Gail - very appropriate for me today. Thanks!
Happy to share!
I LOVE Tigger. He is my favorite!! And why, because he's bouncey, trouncey, flouncey, pouncey and he's the ONLY one!! Not sure I understand "thought strips" unless they area several pictures with no words but each picture leads to the next and eventually you can imagine what comes next. If I'm not mistake Calvin and Hobbes, Charlie Brown and a few others have done this too.
No words?! Yikes… that would take some working into on my part. 😂
Yesterday when Gary suggested he replaced the word comic with. Thought before the word strip. I thought he might have done that because I once told him I didn’t want the muses to look like comic book characters. 🤷♀️
Regardless, attempting frames with limited words will give me an opportunity to build my skills at expressing myself in an even simpler manner. I also think limited words shows trust in an audience to use their thinking muscles to sort meaning out for themselves. Less teaching? More learning?
Emily in Paris is my guilty pleasure...
I am humbled that my book inspires you to make comics. That is so great. My daughters often make a comic too. Or they think of a comic I should draw. Always good fun too.
Thank you for your courage too!
What fun! Not unlike watching a star go Super Nova!! Einstein stated, “Matter can neither be created nor destroyed.” Better still, that also includes Energy!
So I propose that paintist, sketchist, thinkist, typist is being Transformed, the term Einstein used. As Bob Dylan wrote, “She who ain’t busy bein’ born is busy dyin’.” Born into new ways of being, before our very eyes.
Pretty cool, huh?
And this reader/viewer realizes one challenge for creator extraordinaire is to create cartoons/thought strips without the traditional linear, left to right orientation of the individual panels. Perhaps some of us older followers (moi?) could find the present configuration “unstrippish!”
The panorama function of smartphone cameras can record the strip look but small screens of phones and SubStack formats don’t lend themselves to ideal representations?!
Newer generations and social media I bet render this a non-issue?! Tal may lament her loss of dots and eyelashes. Nia, with her penchant for precision and details, may suffer at first. Maybe you can present this art form as a form of sign language?
If The Muses threaten rebellion, just use me to illustrate a point, “Consider the possibility to convert an avalanche of words into a four panel thought strip! Then create some empty panels titled, “Silence Is Golden.” 🤣
I’ve been thinking about my man Heraclitus and… not the same river, not the same man.
Another mentor once shared, “Reinvention is a core competency.”
Your “unstrippish” comment has inspired another configuration I’m going to try. Sweet!
Author Toni Morrison said something like, “If you learn to catch the wind, you can ride it.” Wheee!