I started this journal right before heading out to San Diego last year. In one of the posts, I said something to the effect of, “I think this is the last year that I will attend this convention as a spectator.” Then I drone on and on about my fancy-pants plans and stories and entertaining the masses.

One year later, I am not attending the Comic Con as a spectator, as promised. What prophetic ability!

Surviving Creativity

Here’s a stretch: yesterday at work we had a “team-building” exercise where we had to solve a survivalist problem. We were in a plane wreck in the middle of a very cold, snow-covered land. (minus 40 at night.) There were creeks around. We were dressed in business clothes. We could only take 5 items from a list of 12.

• ball of steel wool
• axe
• loaded .45
• cigarette lighter with no fuel
• extra clothes
• 20 X 20 burlap canvas
• can of crisco
• chocolate bar for each person
• newspapers
• map
• compass
• pint of whiskey

Our group decided the strategy was:

1. Stay put
2. Stay warm
3. Get Found

We were close on our answers. The correct response was:

1. Fuel-less cigarette lighter - So what if it doesn’t have fuel? It can still spark.
2. ball of steel wool - This will burn with a spark from the lighter.
3. extra clothes - warmth, bandages, string, signaling things
4. canvas - shelter, warmth
5. crisco - This one we didn’t get. (We put axe.) You use the lid as a reflective device to signal planes. You can use the can to boil snow, water, etc. I wonder why a can of Crisco was on the plane? Maybe it’s standard issue on planes for its survivalist qualities.

Here’s the stretch: Making a comic could use the same strategy.

1. Stay Put - Don’t stray from your idea. Follow it through til the ending.
2. Stay Warm - Uh. Hmmm. Focus on the passion of your craft? Don’t let banality freeze your creativity? Don’t surround yourself with passion-killing people. Don’t get lazy and cold.
3. Get Found - Market. Websites. Comic Stores. Diamond. Friends. Pros. Publishers. Libraries. Bookstores.

Maybe. Gotta work.