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The Power of Generosity
February 12, 2014 7 Comments

The Power of Generosity

During the heyday of the independent comic book boom in the late 80s through the mid 90s, the Dallas Fantasy Fair (DFF) was third to only Comic-Con International in San Diego and the old Chicago Comicon. What set the DFF apart from other conventions was the support for independent creators by the person behind the show, Larry Lankford. Lankford didn’t care if you only had an ashcan preview and a dream to be published — if you made comic books on some level and you presented yourself even reasonably well, he gave you a table.

For free!

That’s a huge thing. Beyond that, though…if you made comic books and were given space, you were treated no differently than the big names bringing in guests: there was no waiting to get in, the provided space was always generous, and there was access to the pro suite, where you could chat with the people comic book geeks and pop culture fans only dreamed about paying to see at other conventions.

While rubbing elbows with one’s heroes was always cool, there was something even better about the shows…

Friendships Forged

I was fortunate to have met so many friends at the old DFF conventions; I’m still friends with many of the people I met back then. More than a handful have gone on to making a living in the industry, some now the very names people go to shows to see and meet.

The Dallas Fantasy Fair brought us all together. For many of us, the shows taught us to be serious about our dreams. While I no longer do anything with independent comic books, I carry so many lessons learned at those shows in my early 20s, all because Lankford was generous enough to let us in as guests.

Today, a good friend met at a DFF show in the early 90s told many other friends that Larry Lankford recently died. I had limited contact with Lankford, mainly just always thanking him for allowing my punk ass in for free so I could make connections and share my enthusiasm for the medium with other creators on my level and above.

The Last Show

The last DFF I attended was with my wife. We were in the process of working together on a book of our own, and while the venue had changed from Dallas Market Center to a hotel with far less room, Lankford still gave us a table. It wasn’t a table shoved off in a corner, but a spot in one of the busiest sections of the show. (It didn’t hurt that he seated us right next to Adam Hughes, one of my wife’s favorite artists.)

As the show went on, it was clear the lack of space was an issue. Lankford needed our table for a much bigger guest, and it was evident his decision to ask us to move was not an easy one for him. When the guest (Mark Waid) saw that we were leaving to give the entire table to him, he insisted on cramming the three of us behind the table. There was no way we were going to do that, even though it would have meant the chance to show Waid what we were doing. The show was tight on space, and we gladly gave up our spot, knowing how fortunate we were to be there at all.

Given a Shot

It’s easy to look back and say that Larry was ahead of others, realizing there were independent fans…so why not let independent creators in for free to draw those fans? Savvy marketers get that, now, but even today, the thought of even a well known independent creator being allowed into a large convention for free is crazy talk. It never seemed like a move to get more fans in with Lankford, though — he really seemed to take serious creating a place where all creators, regardless of where they were in their careers, had a shot.

That’s all any of us can really ask for in life: a shot. Lankford gave a shot to people like me, who never made it in comics…and he gave a shot to many who have lived the dreams we all talked about in our early 20s at Lankford’s Dallas Fantasy Fairs.

The Power of Generosity

If there’s a sad tone to this, it’s not intended. As I mentioned, I was not friends with Larry Lankford…just one of many acquaintances he gave a chance. If there’s any sense of melancholy behind all this, it’s that I’m a bit nostalgic as I think about how many great friendships and careers began at Dallas Fantasy Fairs. They were a lot of fun, a break from working in hot warehouses and believing, if only for a weekend, that something more was possible.

Most of us, on some level, have affected the lives of others in positive ways we may never know. I can name so many people who were affected by Lankford’s generosity. It was a little gesture, but I hope giving up our table when he needed it at one of his last shows was seen as the thank you it was meant to be.

We were all given a shot — and while dreams of making it writing comic books never happened for me, the friendships made because of one person’s generosity are far better than 23-year-old me could have ever imagined
. More than that, I hope Lankford’s generosity — something I’m not sure many of us even realized was as big and rare as it was at the time — lives on in those he helped make their dreams a way of life.

Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged: , ,
Body of Work II
February 6, 2014 8 Comments

Body of Work II

I’ve talked before about creating a body of work before (even used an image of piled wood to make the point). In fact, that post was in honor of the 25th episode of the Men in Gorilla Suits podcast. Today marks Episode 53 — our one-year anniversary!

Whether hit with overtime at work, sick, busy with other things that come with living life, or even just wanting a weekend or two off, we produced a weekly show for a year — never skipping a week! Looking at the Podcasts page of the site really is a bit like looking at a pile of stacked wood. Everything said in that first blog post about creating a body of work is true: sticking with something regularly results in the ability to look back and see a big pile of work you created!

In this case, it’s a weekly podcast, but it’s not much different than restoring a car over time, creating illustrations or paintings, or piling up pages of a book. The formula is simple:

Effort + Time = Body of Work

Speaking of Books…

The last time I posted, here, was to announce that I was taking a break from social media, and even slowing down with blogs. I wanted even better focus and clarity in the work I do
. It did not take long to find both. With the focus of really getting back to the novel-in-progress, I was able to see that the book I’m writing is really three books. So instead of one big book about June’s life and rise to fame as a magician, it will be several books about June’s life — and that excites me more than I’ve ever been excited about anything I’ve written.

For the sake of word count in a single novel, there were things I wanted to stick with longer, but had to move on to other things to avoid a ridiculously large book. June is born in a circus, and circus life lasts only three chapters in what I was doing. I’m now able to spend more time in the places that shape June as she grows into a young woman on her own by the end of what is now the first book of three.

In all the years I’ve been writing, I’ve never enjoyed it more…

Filed Under: Productivity Tagged: , ,
E-Hermitage
December 23, 2013 2 Comments

E-Hermitage

With the shift to so many digital things, it seems the “e-” prefix can be attached to anything:

e-book, e-commerce, e-trading, e-business, e-signature, e-etc.

As 2014 approaches, I propose a new e-thing:

e-hermitage!

E-Hermitage

I’ve written about my experiences taking a 101-day social media break. I even followed up with additional thoughts after returning.

I reread those two blog entries and realized that I’ve been quite e-interrupted since that break (and other breaks I’ve taken from social media — mostly around election seasons).

After coming back, while still making progress on the novel, I started focusing on blogging and other things people say matters if one is going to write. I lost the focus I had during the breaks from social media, and…I decided to write a novella instead. I started a podcast. I started blogging here, again, instead of just at The Juggling Writer.

It’s time for another e-hermitage: a break from being so connected
. Maybe the numbers of the podcast will drop without reminding people on Facebook that a new show is online. Maybe my blog numbers will plummet without reminding people on social media what I’m up to.

I’m okay with that. For me, an e-hermitage is finding Walden in an e-connected world and focusing on what matters most to me: fiction!

The Book

A Magic Life is the best thing I’ve written. It’s surpassed Old Man, now, as my favorite story…and it’s not even complete. I guess it’s probably half complete, and it needs to be fully complete in 2014.

That means stepping back from interruption and keeping the story in my head almost exclusively — rolling scenes around over and over to see the best way they should be presented. I know the advice says I must be available online, and that Twitter, Facebook, and other networks are every bit as important as what we write.

I don’t believe that, though. And I’m not so sure people who care about books on deeper levels than just, “This person has a big following that will buy whatever they churn out!” believe that, either.

So it’s time to wander into the e-woods and build my e-cabin and come out when I’m done with a new book.

I hope people understand.

Filed Under: Social Media
What Does Your Internet Diet Taste Like?
December 18, 2013 Leave a Comment

What Does Your Internet Diet Taste Like?

I’m not going to be so bold to claim that what you experience upon rising in the morning dictates the kind of day you will have (because we can often make decisions to improve things if the day begins poorly), but I don’t understand people who wake up and do this:

Ah…it’s such a gorgeous morning — the sun is coming up and the world is still quiet. I’m alone with my thoughts as I ease into the day. So much potential before me; I can think of no better way to begin the day than by jumping online and riling myself up!

Stress and Coffee

Instead of a quiet beginning to the day, a Web browser opens and suddenly the peace of the morning is shattered by this:

Oh, this story about the family that killed their baby and ate their dog ruined my morning — I’m sharing it on Facebook!

So-and-so [politician/government/group] did this [thing] and it’s made me mad. Grrrrrrrr!!! Grrrrrrrrrrrrr, I say!!!

Not naming names, but some people need to check their attitudes at the door…you know who you are! (The cryptic social media post.)

Did you see that pop star I claim doesn’t matter shaking her butt again? I’m so angry, I’m trembling!

You Are What You Eat

We’ve all heard the saying, “You are what you eat.” It’s become an almost tired phrase, but…there’s truth to it: fill your body with unhealthy food and you’re much more likely to feel like crap than if you eat well.

Jumping online and seeking negative information all day long is like eating lard with a spoon three times a day and then wondering why you feel terrible
.

There’s so much good food out there; why eat from a garbage heap?

How to Develop a Better Internet Diet

Everybody has to find what’s right for them, but if you believe it’s impossible to be online and not be swamped by negativity, you’re doing it wrong. Some suggestions:

Stay Away — Don’t go online for information the first hour or so of your day. Do something productive so that if the day goes south, you’ll at least have done something that makes you happy — even proud. Write in a journal, start a blog, or get a jump on the day’s tasks so that when your workday is done, you can relax.

RSS is Your Friend — Once a day, I check blogs. I go to Feedly after writing in the morning and everything there fuels my day. I see art and photography; writing news and positive essays (usually about making things). It’s easy to set up a feed that nourishes you — not drags you down.

Filters and Groups are Your Friends — The angry people on Facebook? You don’t have to see them anymore. Most social networks allow ways to hide angry and negative people. If things break through when a big news story hits or an election is in full swing, step away from it all for a month or two…or go directly to the pages of people you know are more positive.

Avoid News Sites — When’s the last time a news story directly affected your life? Maybe the weather report, but the sensational case about a parent maybe/maybe not murdering their kid? It’s fabricated misery, and it has no actual bearing on your life. So drop it. In an age of always-on news, it’s easy to watch and think the world is doomed. It isn’t.

Listen to a Podcast or Read — There are plenty of short podcasts out there, and we could all spend a lifetime reading full time and still have many good books left at the end. Why not learn something in minutes, or get lost in a good book?

Enjoy Silence — I spent the first 15 minutes of the day sitting in a chair while doing nothing. Not dozing back to sleep or even really thinking about anything: just sitting and enjoying the quiet. With so much rushing about, there’s something empowering about claiming time to just sit and do nothing.

Filed Under: Life Tagged:
Waking Naturally
December 11, 2013 Leave a Comment

Waking Naturally

Between a big project at work and an ice storm, I’ve been working from home more than usual, lately. I typically work from home on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but I was home all last week. Much like the times I’ve worked from home exclusively, my sleep fell into a much better pattern when working from home. I can’t remember the last time I heard the alarm; I woke up between 5:00 and 6:30 on my own, depending on what my body needed
.

Today, it’s back to the office, and while I woke up before the alarm as I usually do, there’s a sense of a starting gun going off and then a rush to get ready. The routine is much more “get up and go” than last week. (Well, I do have time to write this blog entry while eating breakfast because I woke up early enough to do so.) On mornings when I have to wake up at a certain time to allow for the preparation that comes with readying myself to head into work, there’s less free time in the morning to ease into the day. I have mornings like today, when I wake up well before the alarm, but as I get back to the in-office routine, there will be a greater sense of hurry in the mornings, and I might even hear the alarm sometime next week.

Slow Starts vs. Fast Starts

Maybe when working from home, the subconscious knows it doesn’t have to leap to action and hit all the morning points to ensure I’m in on time, even if I wake up early. There’s no background thoughts of, “Soon, you must get ready!” and because of that, I rise easier and feel well rested–even with less sleep some days. I’m still lucky: I work close to home. When I think about the times in my life when I was the most exhausted, there was usually a long commute after waking, eating breakfast, showering, and heading out.

When I read articles about how little sleep many people get, I know even on days I go into the office that I’m doing better than most. But there’s a different mindset on mornings I know I’ll have to jump into what passes for traffic on my commute (don’t miss the hour+ long (one-way) commutes of the past)…on those mornings, there’s a much greater sense of hurry. On mornings when I can wake up and not lose time to traffic or other tasks that come with heading into the office, I’m more likely to work longer hours if needed, and I’m much more alert in the work I do.

(All right, instead of another hour to ease into the day, it’s time to get ready for work!)

Filed Under: Productivity Tagged:
There’s Something In The Bushes
December 2, 2013 8 Comments

There’s Something In The Bushes

Last night, my wife called me to the bedroom to look at something outside.

“What is that?” she said.

In the bushes, something glowed.

I said it looked like a reflection, but as a car passed by, the object seemed to emit its own light. Light from headlights didn’t affect it at all.

My wife said, “I wonder if someone threw a cigarette in the bushes?”

“It’s kind of…up there,” I said. “Like it’s floating.”

“Well, if there’s a discarded cigarette in the bushes, best to head down to put it out.”

Downstairs

Standing before the bushes, the light was gone. What was there a moment before had vanished. Could it have been a one-eyed cat looking directly at a light on an angle different than the road? Maybe the cat heard us approaching and took off?

“Is that a cable?” my wife said.

It definitely looked like a cable in the bushes.

And if it had been glowing, I wanted to be sure it was done. I got a much closer look and saw a metal clasp — the source of the reflection. I realized it wasn’t a cable; instead, it looked like…shoelaces? As I pulled on the black cord, I felt something swing out of the bushes.

At the end of the lanyard now in my hand was a key.

My First Thought

Upon seeing the key, my first thought was, “We need to look for the trap door beneath the bushes that this key opens!”

In my mind, we had found a key to a different realm. Then I realized someone probably just lost their apartment key…or maybe a kid prone to losing their key was forced by their parents to wear it on a lanyard. Maybe bullies grabbed it and threw it in the bushes? Regardless of how it got there, it didn’t open a secret door.

And that made me kind of sad.

Sunday Night Sorrow

There was a time when Sunday nights depressed me. Sunday nights meant the weekend was over and a return to the day job was near.

I like my job these days, so that feeling is a thing of the past. But last night, in that moment of thinking, “This key is special,” it reminded me that I had a long weekend full of adventure. I saw people I cared about, and my wife and I spent a lot of time together. We even did this. So for the first time in a loooooooong time, I felt my heart sink a little bit at the thought of returning to work.

I’d spent five days living the life I imagined when I was 20 years old. I spent a little time traveling. I spent time writing. I spent time with my wife. Full time — not interrupted by any schedule but those we agreed upon
.

Strange Perspectives

The feeling didn’t last long because, now that I’m in my 40s, I know the life we imagined at 20 is an unlikely thing. The day job is good and affords the luxury of a fun day trip, time with my wife, and time to write and make other things I enjoy making.

But finding that key — if only for a moment — represented something more. Putting the adventure through a magic portal thought aside, the key still represented open possibilities on a Sunday night. Not knowing what door it opened, it could open anything I imagined. Instead of ending a great and long weekend to return to work, that key could have opened something bigger than the usual routine.

My Key Ring

That key — that glowing key — represented so many possibilities. Of course, so does writing and all the other things I do.

If I look at a story, a novel, 4-5 podcasts a month, blog entries, and other things I make…I’m like the guy with a big key ring [full of possibilities]. And because I make these things regularly, a day is more likely to come along when one of those keys will open something really cool.

Filed Under: Life Tagged: ,
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