column_breakout.gifSo, you really want to work in an industry where your work is time-consuming, mentally and emotionally draining, and on public display for thousands to see, ridicule, bitch about, dance on, sacrifice, and maybe provide an occasional, “Eh, it’s all right.” Everything (that’s all-inclusive there) you work on will have people that like it, people that absolutely hate it, and people that are indifferent (most likely just buying the book to add to their collection). And the people that hate it…well, they tend to be louder than most when expressing their disgust (but hey, you stirred up some strong emotions in them…way to go). These are just some of the things you’ll need to be prepared to deal with on a regular basis.

When the job takes up a lot of time, you’ll still need to make deadlines. When your Muse says she’s had it with your crap and takes off on a little sabbatical, you still need to deliver great work. And when the criticism from the readers seems overwhelming, you still need stick to your guns and believe in yourself. On top of all that, you really need to love what you’re doing…and you need to love all aspects of it (good and bad). Long hours? You could be spending just as many hours writing up reports or working graveshift in computer tech support. Creatively drained? At least all those ideas aren’t bottled up inside you and driving you crazy. Negative criticisms? Any kind of feedback is better than silence…and just think of how many of your favorite movies got bad reviews or spat on by “fans”. If you truly love the work, you’ll accept these things as part of the job and embrace them fully (ewww…not that kind of embrace).

I relate this one to “masochism” because survival in this industry often means you need to love the abuse. You’ll work hard and probably receive little positive recognition. And those awkward situations at formal social events where everyone’s talking about their “prestigious” professions aren’t going to boost your self-image much either. But if you love doing this, it won’t matter. The right attitude and some thick skin can carry you through all that easily.

And even if you learn to love the abuse, that doesn’t mean you have to just sit by and let other people slam you. Just let your actions speak for you most of the time, and if you do need to respond, pick your battles wisely. Handle the situation professionally, and you just might earn some people’s respect along the way. And if all else fails, I sometimes resort to something one of my old bosses used to tell me (even though I’m not sure where he got the line from), “Professionalism is the ability to insult someone and have them walk away feeling good about themselves.”

A great attitude helps in any creative endeavor. Learn to spin off the positives from the bad things, ignore the little things that shouldn’t concern you, and keep a great attitude about things…even through the hardships. Comic book creation can be painful at times. Don’t hate the pain…don’t give it power over you. Love the pain instead…diffuse it and just work on through it.