For anyone who has been following me on Instagram, you’ll know that today is the last day of my #30ComicsCountdown. Basically, I’ve been counting down for the past 30 days; revisiting each of my previous comics and telling little personal stories as a way of celebrating today’s comic – the 30th Geekasaurus comic.
I’ve been creating Geekasaurus for over 30 weeks. That’s drawing one comic a week for more than half a year, which is a big accomplishment for a parent who is trying to build a creative career from home while raising an infant (now toddler). I’m working under hostile conditions. There are constant interruptions, days where nothing can get done because nap time doesn’t happen, setbacks as tiny fingers grab and delete files from tablets, and panic whenever the living room gets too quiet and I realize that the Dinosaur is on the verge of shoving handfuls of tissues into her mouth.
It’s also perfect. I’ve watched my baby take her first steps and speak her first words. I get to snuggle my little girl before every nap. We save a ton of money by not having to put our daughter into daycare every day. And I get the opportunity to pursue work that is meaningful and valuable to me – work that makes me happy.
I’ve been successful and lost it all a couple of times. It hurt every time. It can be enough to make a person want to give up and quit. And I did. I quit things that I was good at because they weren’t making me happy. I realized that I was trying to live a successful life based on other people’s standards. But at the end of the day, it’s my life. I’m the one who has to live it. I’m the one who has to be happy with it.
When I asked myself what I saw as a successful life, I saw myself with a family. I saw myself writing books and creating art. I saw myself telling stories that make people laugh, cry, and become inspired. And I think I’m on my way. I’m finally on my right path.
Life is an individual journey. There’s more than one route to happiness. Each route is as unique as the people who travel them. We all have dreams. We all give up on them and leave them behind at one point or another. Those dreams, however, will always be there. Those dreams are never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you. Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye, never gonna tell a lie and hurt you.
To read all the comics that you missed, click here.
This might be my favorite comic so far! You rock!