Reluctant Cartoonist Syndrome

  
Why do I keep seeing people on Twitter or on blogs saying it's time to "get in gear" and go draw? Is it really that repellent that it takes force of will to open the sketchpad? Or is it a more casual remark, like tweets from people saying they just ate a burrito?


For me, drawing is a highlight of the day, especially if I produce good work. 


The presence of talent is not a commandment to draw.


I think everyone who is lukewarm about drawing should stop. I can see it in their work: they never improve, and the only thing they seem to learn is gimmicks for getting done faster. Grey tone, giant word balloons, rushed lettering, cut-and-paste, surplus frames where nothing happens... compare that to the artists who get better and better, like Victor Wong or Nanda from Ugly Girl. Neither one has expressed interest in a webcomic career, but their work improves in giant steps.


If it isn't passionate, it's just talent, shared with thousands of others. The mind and the soul must be involved to create work that matters.


And if it's not passionate, then it isn't squandered if you go do something else.