Creating your own map path by path
starting new intentional journeys in your creative practice
I’m not a comics artist and, although I draw for a living, often in ways that might appear to the outside world to be comic-ish, I’m quite clear in my mind it’s a very different skill set to being a graphic recorder or live illustrator.
It is certainly graphic recording adjacent; there’s definitely a sliver of overlap in the venn diagram of illustration. I’m not sure I can name everything that sits in that overlap, but being able to tell a story with pictures and have it be understandable to an audience is no doubt in there.
I read graphic novels and admire visual journalism, but it is only in recent times that the itch to create my own has become too irritating to ignore. So here I am, decades into one creative practice finding myself tiptoeing onto a creative path that’s new to me.
I confess I like the exploration. I like the idea of not having to already be accomplished at something, it’s freeing even if I feel a bit exposed. I train people to do what I do (Graphic Recording / Live Illustration) and I know it does me good to be in the position of learner instead of tutor for a change.
I have decided to be purposeful in my exploration, because I do like a plan even if I’m not great at following them. I am going to start laying a path to my desired destinations, whilst knowing enough to accept that the destination may change somewhere along the way. For me laying a path involves identifying some tangible steps I might take. Not too many, I’m not planning far ahead, but just the first few paving stones that I can put in place to get me on my way.
Step 1 was to start The JOTT, a weekly visual note, with the aim of telling my own initiated stories (unlike graphic recording where I visualise other people’s content and conversations). I started a visual journal sharing small domestic stories and observations from my life. This exploration I’m calling (on a little signpost inside my head) the Visual Reportage path. JOTT by JOTT I’m going to lay this little path and see where it takes me. In time I hope to branch out and start telling wider longer stories, but right now I’m enjoying being at the here at the start.
I’ve also started laying a second path called Graphic Novel. With that in mind I decided to attempt the Hourly Comic Day (first started by John Campbell in 2006). Each February 1st, comic artists from around the world create a comic or comic panel for each waking hour of their day. I thought I’d give it a go and share with you how it went.
It’s fair to say it is not an easy challenge. I worked with Procreate on my iPad, which I’m quick at using because of my day job, and aimed to capture what I was doing every hour on the hour. I quickly realised that drawing a slow Saturday was challenging for lots of reasons, not least of which was the mundanity of what was happening: shopping for garlic anyone? Picking up socks? Then there is my ability to get distracted by shiny things, which meant that by 5:30 I’d pretty much forgotten what I was doing and missed a few hours. By the time I remembered I couldn’t face going back into it and so my day was a 7:30 - 5:30 amble through a boring domestic day.
As with The JOTT I’m finding comfort in this domestic focus. It might be because it’s winter and I’m busy hibernating, but I think it speaks to how long I think the journey ahead is that I’m not quite ready to look up from my safety bubble. That’s okay. I’m happy to be at the start of these 2 new explorations, and I’m excited to see what this map I’m creating for myself will look like in 6 months, 6 years… who knows where I’ll end up? and for me, that’s the fun of it.
Cara x
I love your comment ‘because I do like a plan even if I’m not great at following them.’ Excited to see what paths you follow on this adventure.