I Get Knocked Down, But I Get Up Again

...only an entire year later. NBD.

In March of 2024 I learned about an opportunity (paid, of course) to submit a picture book dummy for review from a well respected, well liked studio. This chance would not come again until 2025. I had been working steadily since 2020 writing four picture book manuscripts. I had storyboards for all of them, but that’s as far as I’d gotten.

There were only three spots left to submit dummies for review, and the deadline to hand them in was less than 36 hours away! I wish I could say that, since I realized I could not complete a dummy in under 36 hours and also expect to eat, sleep, and take care of the needs of my six year old son, I decided to hold off until the following year. But no. After talking with a couple of similarly overzealous friends, I tapped the “purchase ticket” button. At that moment my fate, for an entire year, was sealed.

As it turns out, you can draw a dummy in less than 36 hours. But it won’t be up to your standards, or anyone else’s really. The studio I submitted to stated they were not looking at artistic aptitude. Rather, they were looking to see if the story flowed, if the page turns made sense/ built suspense, if the layout served the story, etc. “Okay,” I thought, “if they aren’t going to pick apart the actual drawing technique, I can get this done.”

Well, you can guess what happened. They gave me some helpful notes on ways to vary the layout of certain spreads, some nice compliments on the page turns and use of my character’s actions and expressions to tell some of the story without the words having to do all the heavy lifting. But they also, in a very nice tone, picked apart my drawings, like little chickens pecking at an ear of corn. They cited aspects of drawings that, if I’d have had more time (and more sleep), would have been different. Yes, the people giving the critique could only go off of what they saw. And yes, I let them know that I drew the whole thing in a day and a half.

No matter. It has taken me an entire year to come back from that critique. To build my confidence back up. And I want to share with you what helped me get out of this slump. It was 30 Days of Drawing with Wendy Mac. The project started at the beginning of January, and because of the fires here in LA, I stopped at about a week and a half in. Then, after things settled back to a somewhat “normal” state around here, I picked it back up. The project’s premise is that we are all artists, we just have to believe it. Every morning you get a lesson and a prompt. You read the lesson, and set your timer for 10 minutes. You complete the lesson in the allotted time, and you share your work. As it turns out, 10 minutes is the perfect amount of time to shake off the cobwebs, draw, and put down your pen, feeling excited to pick it back up again the next day. That excitement is something I hadn’t felt for an entire year, since getting the critique. While participating in the 30 Days of Drawing, you quickly get to a space of being comfortable with “good enough,” and you gradually and naturally just start to let go of perfection. Man, I needed that. It felt so damn good to just let it go, and feel secure in the knowledge that I can draw. We all can.

Now, I’m not trying to tell you that you need to subscribe to Wendy Mac’s Substack right this second, and she doesn’t know me from Jack. But I do highly recommend joining in on the 30 Days of Drawing next January. I will definitely be doing it again. And who knows what ills it will cure me of next time! ;)

This is a 5 minute sketch done during 30 Days of Drawing that solidified my love for line first, shape second.

Have you ever had a critique, or even just a few casual words of criticism or opinion, that threw you off your game for a while? I’d love to hear how you got past it? Or if you haven’t, maybe we can brainstorm some ways you can.

Talk soon! Xx