Comments on: Work is Good

By: Jeremy_A

Jeremy_A — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:10:01 +0000

Great post, Colleen! Due to a speech impediment I usually felt more comfortable conveying myself in writing and have done so for as long as I can remember. I’m not saying my writing is professional, but it can be cathartic after a stressful day or week. I mainly write for myself. There is a mentality that unless someone is paying for your work, whatever you’re doing is of no value.

Thanks for expressing that someone’s private self-expression is of merit.

By: Colleen

Colleen — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 02:07:53 +0000

I couldn’t ask for better feedback than the response I get to the Work is Good posts.

I’m glad they are helpful to people. It is also good for me to remind myself of these things, sometimes.

By: SusanDL

SusanDL — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 02:03:10 +0000

Wonderful post. All things I need to remind myself of. I’m going to print this out and put it next to my drawing board.

By: scribblerworks

scribblerworks — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 22:08:54 +0000

Brava, Colleen! Soooo true!

This modern age has degraded the real meaning of “amateur” to mean ONLY “beginner, novice, untrained, unpolished”. The fact that it originally meant “one who did it for the love of it” has gotten lost. I use it over myself in calling myself an “amateur scholar” – but I always add “because I do it for the love of it” or “in its truest, original sense”.

I’ve qualified the use of “professional” when talking with writers, though. Mainly, because with writers, it is harder to see the improved skills that are so plainly evident in artwork. I usually try to convey to writers that it is not the *selling* of manuscripts that makes one a professional writer, it is one’s attitude about craft and dedication. Especially in writers from the comics arena who decide to “get serious” about pursuing their love of storytelling. If they continue to think of themselves only as “fan writers”, they will inhibit their own progress.

By: Brian C. Williams

Brian C. Williams — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:28:48 +0000

I’ve followed your blog for a while and I think I have only left one comment before but I wanted to say these kind of words are good to read on days when everything in doing what you love to do is not easy.