Have a job.
I won’t sugarcoat it, or bury the lede.
There was a bit of online chatter recently about how people support a life in the arts [and in comics particularly] and it got me thinking about my current state of play, and what I want 2024 to look like.
I’ve been writing comics for over 10 years now, since I self-published my first one-shot back in 2013. In that time, I’ve published a decent amount of comics and managed to maintain a steady flow of writing. Steady-ish. I write every day, and I’m either writing to a deadline, or I’m writing on something so that I can get *lucky* with it later on [because luck is opportunity meets preparation].
I’ve worked with some cool publishers - Vertigo [just a short story, but I never miss an opportunity to fly this flag], Dark Horse, IDW, Black Mask, ComixTribe, Mad Cave - and I’ve been lucky enough to drink from the glowing and flowing fountains of sweet Hollywood Option nectar [more than once].
In all that time, I’ve always had a full time job. And, I believe, I always will.
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Now, here are some deeper thoughts on this.
There is a balance to be found in a day job and a career in the arts. Because I work full time, it leaves me little time to write, and so I can realistically only ever write so much. If I took more time off work, I would have more time, and could write more, and then could make more money in writing, and thus would cover the time not working, right?
It’s possible to tip that scale until it’s a full time writing gig.
I hear of many people that work, and write, and the writing slowly gets more successful and they get more opportunities and eventually the working gig is holding their writing back, so they drop the 9-5 and they write full time.
It’s the cauldron of overflowing gold trinkets at the end of the rainbow.
I assume, or so I’m told. I never quite cracked that journey over the Bifrost. Probably because it’s partly a gamble, and it’s partly really difficult to do [due to time, but maybe more importantly talent].
But the rub for me is: I never steered into this balance too hard for two reasons.
One is mostly money - and I’m a teacher, which isn’t even the most high paying job around. But it’s very steady work, the money is decent, and up against the money of comics and it isn’t even a comparison. Even including that sweet bump of US dollars transmogrifying into Aussie Dollarydoos. Comics, in the creator owned world, is a sum of small numbers that will not pay my bills, mortgage, nor family lifestyle.
Early on, I knew I wasn’t going to make my kids live an artist’s lifestyle because I wanted to write comics.
The second thing is something that might be specific to me: I really like my job. I enjoy teaching, I put a lot of effort into it, and time. It is already a fulfilling space in which to exist. Though as far as time goes, it often takes up more than most people think. Though most people think it’s just 9-3 and then 12 weeks a year off. I don’t know when those people think I plan, create lessons, mark work, attend meetings, professionally retrain, or do parts of the job I want to evolve or value-add. Anyone that thinks a teacher is a babysitter merely for the hours the children are there is wearing clown shoes.
But that’s another whole diatribe.
For now, I’ll say, not only do I love teaching, but I find the balance between it and writing both rewarding in both spaces, but also they work really well together. It could wiggle, sure, but I cannot imagine dropping teaching. I’d be broke inside the year, but I’d also suddenly have no pension/retirement plan [boring as that is to be considering for someone over 20 years away from such times].
And I won’t go into raw numbers, but I will say there’s money to be found in these here writerly arts. Annually, I usually add about 20% to my skyrocket through my writing, and I’m hugely thankful for that. But the inverse is, to drop over 80% of my annual income and try to find 4-5x more comics work to end up in the same financial space just seems…unfathomable1.
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Caveat time: there are plenty who manage this. I salute them. Hell, I often know them.
They have more talent than me, more drive than me, more luck than me [see definition above].
It’s not that this isn’t possible. But it’s interesting to peek behind the curtain because often people won’t talk about it. Quitting your job to write is rushed off and seen in the same breathy tones as running away to join the circus.
Thankfully, those who do it usually do so with a better plan than just a bindle on their shoulder.
For me, my plan is to work a gig that’s usually 55-60 hours a week [average] and then plink away at the keys from 4-6am and see what magic spills forth.
It’s the life2 I chose, not the life that chose me.
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In other news - DEER EDITOR IS COMING
You can still sneak in under deadline and get your store to preorder copies of DEER EDITOR #1 by Sami Kivela, Lauren Affe, Jim Campbell, and me :]
It’ll be out in stores in early January.
Mad Cave just posted up a little interview with me about the book - please read it and let my charms draw you into exchanging money for this comic :]
You can read my character bios here - they were fun to write.
It’s a blast of antler noir to start your year, and Darcy Van Poelgeest agrees - and if you haven’t checked out his LITTLE BIRD at Image Comics, or his current LOTUS LAND at Boom Studios, then you should.
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Who is Ryan K Lindsay?
I’m an award-winning Australian comic writer. I’ve been published by Black Mask, Dark Horse, ComixTribe, Mad Cave, IDW, Heavy Metal, Vertigo, and a few more. Kickstarter has been a home for many short comics. I often get to collaborate with great mates, and this brings me joy.
I write about balancing this creative game alongside a full teaching load [currently College English and University Intro to Creative Writing] and a lovely family load and the forever melting brain that is modern man. I think about a lot of stuff, I still don’t know if it’s the right stuff. ymmv.
to someone of my talent and connections, I’m sure this doesn’t apply to *you*, because you are amazing, so collect that prize.
and that life is someone who must write, but also digs teaching, and also wants to provide for a wife and kids, and is also probably scared to make any kind of risky leap.
Not a problem at all.. that's a shame yeah that'd be good put the link up cheers mate and enjoy the holidays.. biit of a bummer but that's life.. thanks for letting me know appreciate it...✌️
Yeah hi Mr Lindsay..umm merry Christmas and all that.. I was just wondering a few months ago that a fistful of pain was solicited for release in comic shops..I was speaking to my local all-star comics in Melbourne and they said that it's been cancelled before it got a chance to be released could you just clarify that for me and how I might be able to get a copy? Sorry for the lack of punctuation I wouldn't make a very good writer. Yeah bit bumped out about this one but that'd be great if you could let me know how to get a copy now cheers my or is there a new release date now is it going back to kickstarter? So many possibilities cheers might have a merry Christmas where is fistful of pain"..cos I could deal with a fist full of pain right now..lol.. thank you.