Thank you again to everyone who has been reading master of some. The response to this small publication has meant a lot.
It has been an eventful week. The semester ended and work has entered a strange limbo of feeling slow with underlying busyness. There was ample time for thought and reflection this week so I wanted to share some personal notes here. I also share art at the end.
This is a newsletter about courage, competition, and experiences.
First off, here’s a tune:
The Need for Courage
The best stories are the ones that feature a need for courage. While it is easy to take the path of least resistance, as I have observed myself doing at times, there is something gratifying about succeeding through adversity. Coasting is how I describe myself creatively sometimes: doing what I am good at—what comes easy. Coasting does not require courage but relies on certainty of a result; the result is stagnation. Neither bad nor good, just there. I thought about how mastery requires courage.
The courage to explore areas of weakness, admit imperfection and accept the presence of room to grow. It requires the courage to learn from those that are ahead, and to experiment with new ideas (that could potentially flop). It requires the courage to pivot when necessary, and to stick with the craft through the difficulty.
What I want is on the other side of fear - Marc Typo
On Competition
I came across an anime called Ping Pong the Animation a few years ago. The title was so on the nose that I had to check it out and I’m glad I did. Ping Pong is the story of two high school table tennis players who grew up together playing the sport, each having their own ideologies around competition. The anime explores very interesting ideas around (healthy and unhealthy) competition through its characters from ideas around the limits of natural talent to the reasons we compete to begin with.
I hate losing. Naturally, in games, I get competitive and I will admit, my competitiveness has had less than respectable expressions. On the topic of competing, I have been thinking about the concept of competing well. Giving someone the respect of putting in 100% of your effort with the complete intention of winning, understanding they want the same thing as I do.
If they win, they did a good job and that is worthy of celebrating. Competition helps us get better at what we do. Competition also helps us explore ourselves. Competition is fun. It is important to celebrate other people’s wins as we celebrate our own.
Side note: Ping Pong is a two-volume manga. Incredibly, it felt more dynamic in the illustrated form than the animated version.
Go Outside
We live in the arctic tundra most of the year but it is finally warm enough to hang out at the park. Excessive indoor time spent looking at screens is a habit of the winter. Every week, I share things I have been enjoying in the newsletters. Recently, I have struggled with that section. What can I share when I’ve hardly been exploring anything? Creatives need to take some time away from making things; away from screens. Touch grass lol.
Over the weekend, I chose to explore the city on my own rather than be bored at home. I say “I took myself out”. During the day, I walked into an art shop (that I had never been in) and spoke with the owner about a local comic publication he had on display. Noticing my interest, he asked if I made comics and I explained my art form(s) to him. He told me how to get into the publication! I wouldn’t have known if I didn’t leave the house. The experiences we have outside inspire the work we do inside.
Some Things I’m Enjoying Lately:
Music and comics (+manga) have been my main forms of entertainment recently.
In the newsletter, I referenced a manga, Ping Pong. I finished reading volume 2 and despite already having seen the 12-episode animation, I was amazed by the depth of storytelling in such a short body of work.
Ụlọ Radio vol. 2 is a playlist I made that is filled with good music. It’s what I’ve been listening to recently.
I’ve also been reading the 2021 X-Men run. Eve and I decided to get Marvel Unlimited back so I was keen on exploring the stories of one of the most loved groups in the Marvel Catalog.
It’s springtime now in central Canada (for real this time) and I have been enjoying the freedom to go outside without the threat of the wind. We have a new threat though, the Raptors.
Some Art for You:
I want to take the opportunity to share the art I have made in master of some. Take a second with each one. Enjoy.
Loved this reflection on competition.
I'm also two episodes into Ping Pong and am loving it!
Great recommendation 👏🏽
“It’s springtime now in central Canada (for real this time) and I have been enjoying the freedom to go outside without the threat of the wind.”
it’s safe to say spring is officially here. fr this time. The snow tried to show its ugly head some 2 weekends back but it’s over for it.