Leave me alone, I'm drawin' trees!

It's just after midnight and I'm drawin' some trees.

So?

Who cares, right?

You should care. Yep, you. With the coffee, squinting at the tiny text in your browser, procrastinating.

Listen. I'm gonna tell you some things I've never written before and it's gonna matter. It's kinda like a story.

Part I-Just drawin' trees, ya know?

Tonight I was doing the same thing that I was doing when I was 16 (drawin' trees with headphones on). I think I even have the same pants. Isn't the Gap awesome?

"Leave me alone, I'm drawin' stuff!"

If there's one thing I hope that I pass on to my kids, its the ability to remember what it was like to be 16. To remember what you wanted your life to be like.

Because when you forget, you get sucked into all kinds of things to do that are just about keeping up with other people. You treat people badly. You forget who loves you. You yell at the people who love you because you feel stuck in the wrong life. You hate your job. You buy $300 sweaters because it makes you feel like a grown-up when all you want to do is forget about being a grown-up for ten fucking minutes.

I've done those kinds of things. Hey, it happens. You forget. You become some stuff you don't like sometimes.

Remembering what it was like to be 16 isn't about nostalgia, or middle-age getting back in touch bullshit. It's about having that kid slap you on the head and say, "What the fuck are you doing here? We were supposed to be doing that other thing, right?"

Part II - Art is Work

This morning my daughter asked me, "When was the first time you were satisfied with one of your drawings?"

I told her that when it happens I would let her know, heh heh.

Don't be satisfied. Don't make the mistake of thinking that being what you want and getting what you want is easy. It's work. It's hard work sometimes, so you really should love it.

I hate get-rich-quick schemes, or the new passive income scheme of "Just write an e-book" to make gobs of money. The whole idea is repugnant to me, this scheme of making easy money so you can sit on your ass and collect it. 

Can you love that?

People have been telling me lately, "Why work so hard? You should create a passive income and create more time for yourself."

Maybe that works for somebody. It sounds like hell to me. You know why?

Because I'm sittin' here drawin' trees. Leave me alone, I'm drawin' trees!

I want to draw trees. I *like* drawin' trees. People pay me money for drawin' trees.

If I had a gazillion and one dollars, I would still sit here and draw trees.

That's it. That's my thing. I hope you have a thing and you do it, because having a thing and not doing it sucks. I know because I did that, too.

Not having a thing at all is impossible. You have a thing. Maybe you don't know your thing, but I guarantee that you have a thing or I'll give you your money back.

Do your thing.

Part III - So what's your excuse?

I'm doing my thing now and it's awesome. Love it. Sometimes it gets stressful and I fuck up, but most of the time it's awesome.

I didn't always do my thing.

In fact, I've done a lot of things that weren't my thing, but you know what? Every one of those things taught me something that I use to do my thing now. Those things got me here, some-frickin--how. Who knows how? I think Merv Griffin had something to do with it, because that guy was into everything.

Possible Excuses for Not Doing Your Thing:

• I'm poor
  
• I'm in the military
  
• I just moved here
• I just had a kid
  
• I just had another kid
  
• I work at a bank
  
• I don't have any experience
  
• I'm not good enough at the thing I want to do
  
• I have to support my family
  
• I don't have any time
  
• I won't make enough money doing my thing
  
• I'm too old, it will take too long to get there
  
• I just had another kid

Guess what? It's all bullshit. I know it's bullshit, because I was in all of those situations and thought those same things.

Now I do my thing. That sounds easy, like I just wrote that sentence and it worked out, right? Nope. It took 18 years for me to get to do my thing. See, to me that's not something to brag about. I Always feel like I should have been here sooner. But that's me. I'm never satisfied so I don't quit, even when it "takes too long."

Here's another secret. In 2007 I made over $100,000. I had a nice job and could have kept running with it, but it wasn't my thing. This year, doing my thing, I'll be happy to see $30,000.

Happy? You schmuck.

Is that what you're thinking? Cool. Then find another blog and leave me alone, because I'm drawin' trees!

Will I make $30,000 forever?

Haven't you been reading? No, I'll make much more, but that's not the frickin' point. The point is, it's my thing. My thing is worth more than not my thing for buckets of money.

Part IV - Take a Fucking Chance Already, Jeez!

Um, that's it. I can't really improve on that statement except to say that I've seen a lot of the world and experienced a lot of things that way. I also failed... a lot.

I took some chances and I failed. But hey, I'm here now so...

I hope this made some sense to you. I hope you can use it. I hope it came at a time when you needed it. I wish someone had said all of this to me when I was working at a frickin' bank, working on my sad, sad art portfolio. So I'm saying it. It's out there now.

Or don't listen to me, what do I care? Read this and snicker to yourself. Feel awesome. Complain to my editor. Think I'm a jerk. Go hug some fluffy bunnies and pat little children on the head. Vote Democratic. Vote Republican. Vote Mohican. Vote Automatic.

I'm cool with it, because I'm drawin' trees.