Tooned out for a while
Hi everyone. As you may have surmised, I've had a bit of a hiatus from blogging recently. What started as a few days off turned into a week, then two weeks, then three and (embarrassingly) a month, as the pics waiting to process mounted up and became increasingly daunting to tackle.
Of course there's more to it than that. Frequent readers will know that I've endured a spectacular upheaval in my personal life, as my seven-year marriage ended just in time for the holidays last year - casting doubt on everything I once believed, cherished, dreamed of and took for granted. The subsequent house shifting, studio relocating and intensive soul-searching followed at blinding speed, and the past four months have passed in a blur of daily deadlines, taking care of children, meeting my minimum social obligations and still trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy amid the chaos. It's been difficult and enlightening in equal measure, but it has also taken its toll.
Like a lot of people who have endured major trauma, I stumbled through the early weeks with an almost giddy persistence and obliviousness to what was happening. Only later did the gravity and full ramifications of the situation sink in, and with it a pleasure-sapping funk that I struggled to shake at times. It's felt as if I've had to retreat into survival mode, abandoning anything that consumed extra time and energy as I focused on my most immediate and important obligations. That isn't to say that Tooned In hasn't been a vital and rewarding part of my life over the past year and a half, but it has become a casualty of my new circumstances and I haven't had the enthusiasm to maintain it as I once did. This is sad and has contributed to my unease, but the prospect of taking a break is a great relief and obviously indicates it is the right thing to do.
I'm going to toon out for a while, to reflect on life for a couple more months and consider where I want to go and what I want to do. The editorial cartoons will keep coming as always. Ironically, the pressure of that daily deadline has been a godsend for me, pulling me out of my solipsism for at least a few hours every day. Cartooning is also one of the things I most love doing, and spending even more time on it excites me as few other things do right now. At some point I'll have more to say about my work, the business, the craft, the issues and the cartooning community, but for now I'm content to step back and not participate in the chatter so much.
In my first post some twenty or so months ago, I wrote about how my return to editorial cartooning was the completion of a circle and the resolution of some longstanding unfinished business. Abandoning Tooned In makes me feel much the same way as I did when I gave up editorial cartooning in my early twenties: necessary, but unsatisfactory. I'm not a quitter, and relinquishing anything before I've realised its full potential is extremely disappointing and unfulfilling, especially with an opportunity such as this blog where I've connected with so many readers and have been able to share my passion for comics and cartooning. Hopefully a little break will allow me to consider how to improve this dialogue, modify the format and broaden the appeal of Tooned In, so that when I return it can become almost exuberantly self-sustaining. That's my hope and my plan anyway.
Huge thanks to all the people at Stuff who have offered encouragement and help along the way, and who have fundamentally made this blog possible. Thanks to my family and friends, and to the larger community of readers who have dropped by and commented. Receiving your feedback has been an integral part of the artistic process in many ways, and has been as important as any other step along the way. I feel grateful and privileged to have enjoyed part of the journey with you, and I look forward to resuming the discussion soon.
Mike
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Looks like I 'Tooned In' at exactly the wrong time. A slow day at work means I've read back over a few of your blogs. It's a shame I won't get to see more for a while. Take care mate.
Why not have Gerrik Tremain fill in for a bit?
His cartoons don't have to be featured, but he might have a few observations to make about the craft.
I run an email list, post a global finance system meltdown list and a few other things and I am technically swamped...
I feel I speak for most who follow your blog in saying "thanks for letting us know and we look forward to your return"
Take care Mike.
:)
Wow, brave and honest stuff. Kudos for consistently producing the strongest cartoons on stuff day-to-day amid the turmoil of your personal life.
Thanks, Jess, thanks everyone. I've always appreciated your encouragement and good wishes, and connecting with readers has been the best thing about writing a blog. I miss that hugely, even as I catch my breath and chill out for a while. Take care. Mike
Hang in there Dude. We eagerly await the resumption of your blog, but please make sure that you take all of the time that you need. You work has been an inspiration for me.
Cheers Kel
Hey Mike I know the marriage beak up thing is a bummer!But Mate, you havent got a malignent brain tumor?.Get a grip.You cant keep wandering about in a state of self imposed inertia and self pity all year.Get a haircut and shave every morning.chuck out the t shirts and jeans.Buy some decent clothes, treat yourself!Move out of Mums place in Nelson.Try Auckland or Wellington,where people are doing things!Enrol for a fne arts diploma, extra murally, It will improve your art which if I might say so,is static & 2 dimensional. Enjoy Life!
Hey Mike, You are sounding a bit like Tony Veitch here.Wake up smell the daiseys. Dont be such a self focussed loser ,sorry but its written all over your latest blog. Snap out of it! Debbs
Ha ha, thanks Debbs and Willy but it's not that bad! Maybe when you find me in a car outside Blenheim overdosed on pills you can have a go, but I'm far from that. Anyway, I appreciate the 'tough love' kick in the butt, and it doesn't hurt to be reminded of life's pleasures and opportunities. You may not believe it, but having gone through such a testing time recently, I actually have a keener sense of them. All options are on the table as far as I'm concerned, and right now I'm just surveying the feast and deciding what I want to partake in. I think it's probably my right to pause for a few weeks and do this. Despite what I've alluded to and revealed in my blog, it's not the whole story of the past few years, and like everyone I need a break now and then too. If you know me at all, then you'll know I'm pretty motivated, and I sure don't wallow in self-pity for very long! Anyway, thanks for your comments. Cheers, Mike
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Later Mike. Your insights into the thinking and evolution of your cartoons will be missed.