MoCCA Fest Postponed & How to Work From Home

I feel like this is kind of old news by now, as the corona virus changes life for us daily. I aim to blog about once a week, not daily, but a week feels like an eternity now! Just to clear some things up, MoCCA Arts Festival is POSTPONED, not cancelled completely. Lots of events are being outright cancelled, but being postponed just means that the event will happen at a later date. Life will eventually return to “normal” for us, but none of us knows when.

Meanwhile, I was just talking with my room mate (who is now working from home) that sometimes my life as a freelancer seems chaotic compared to a stable job. Now, I’m feeling more stable compared to people with “normal” 9-to-5s that aren’t used to working from home. But I figured I’d share some tips on how to best work from home!

Business Tips: Working From Home

• Structure your day in some way. If you’re not quarantined, get out and jog or take a walk first thing in the morning instead of your commute. If you are quarantined, get yourself moving inside (also helps minimize depression).

• Take regular breaks & eat at regular times so life doesn’t seem like one long continuous day and you either snack on crap all day or forget to eat.

• Minimize distractions. Bosses are not hovering over your shoulder, maybe your pets or kids are around, and of course the internet is ever present. Working from home has its benefits but also challenges to focus. You WILL get distracted, but the key is to recognize when it’s happening and go back to your work. Example from today - my room mate got a text from her sister about the name of a character her son likes, so my room mate asked me about it. I realized the character was from Voltron, so I showed my roomie a clip of the show’s intro instead of explaining the whole thing in words. When the clip was over, I admit it was DIFFICULT to NOT delve into other Voltron clips! But I recognized this as a productivity trap and made the conscious choice to close the Voltron tab on my browser and get back to work. Now here’s a challenge for you: are you going to click on the Voltron link and binge watch the show, or are you going to get back to work?

DO FREELANCE TAXES EASIER Class!

Make the most of the grizzly “winter” weather by tackling your freelance taxes now instead of the spring when you’ll want to frolick outside! (Winter is in quotes because I haven’t seen much snow lately, but it’s still cold, gray, & rainy).

Each time I do my taxes I think of ways to simplify the process, and would love to share my findings with other freelancers. Note that this class is HALF the time for HALF the price of my past Business Basics for Freelancers classes! Only $25 for a 90 minute session. You will leave the class MORE EMPOWERED and CONFIDENT of TAKING CONTROL of your tax situation!

The class is Thursday, February 27 from 3P - 4:30P. Yes, it’s a time that only freelancers can go to :)

Caffeine Underground is always a great host for my classes - cozy atmosphere, yummy treats, and of course various drinks with caffeine in them! Make the trek out to Brooklyn for this class - it’s worth it!

Please sign up here - there are only 15 spots available.

I’m curious - what’s the one thing that you struggle most with concerning taxes? Just reply to this email if you’re on my mailing list. If you’re not on my mailing list, just email mindy at mindyindy dot com. Also feel free to ask me any questions concerning the class! Thanks and hope to see you there!

Want to Teach Art?

I've been teaching comics at Harlem Children's Zone for almost a year and wanted to share some of my experiences with you.  I lead an after-school comics program for high school and middle school students 4 days a week, with a focus on entrepreneurship.  In the picture above, the students are selling the mini comics they created at the end-of-semester event in December, and donated all proceeds to charities as an "act of kindness" (which is the HCZ theme for the year).  Throughout the fall, it was great seeing the stories the kids came up with, watching them learn to fold the mini comics, get excited about games we played like "The Price Is Right" (to learn about pricing their mini comic products), and much more.  We threw a pizza party for the middle school club, who raised the most money (almost $50 for the Red Cross!), and reflected on their experiences selling their comics.  The students said it felt good to show other people their artwork and make sales.  I could go on forever about how awesome it is teaching these kids, but I'd like the focus of this blog to give you tips if you want to get started teaching comics or any kind of art.  

Some of the high school mini comics!  These comics are one sheet of paper, folded like origami, to make 8 pages.

Want to Teach Art?

1.  Have a college degree

If you want a more stable, long-term teaching job, this is essential.  I started out teaching comic workshops at MoCCA (Museum of Comic & Cartoon Art) and private tutoring, which was great for experience.  However, if you want to move to the next level and teach consistently for a part-time job, you must have some kind of college degree.  It doesn't even have to be an art-related degree or a master's.  The main goal of our program at HCZ is to get kids to college, so it's important for all employees to experience college.  Sometimes artists think they can get by without an official degree, and while that may work in some cases, not having a degree will really limit you in the future, even if you can't see it now.

2.  Have great communication skills

Not all artists can be good teachers.  Sometimes it's difficult to even explain what we're doing, let alone explain everything step-by-step to another person and guide them to create a complete project.  If you have an interest in teaching, but feel you may need to "level-up" in this area, watch YouTube art demos or Envato Tuts+ tutorials (a fantastic resource) and study how the presenters break down the material step-by-step.  

3.  Like and/or can relate to kids/teens

This may sound obvious, but we've all come across some teachers in our lives that probably made us wonder why they chose that profession.  Teaching isn't for everyone, and to weather the chaotic times, you've got to have a firm grounding in caring about the students.  I find that I relate to the high schoolers by remembering some of my high school experiences, and the middle schoolers and I can bond over animations we like (Dragon Ball Z is STILL popular!  And hey I still know about Pokemon!).

Hope you find this helpful.  Applying for arts teaching jobs will have other specific components, but I think these 3 points are universal.  The arts have been cut drastically from the public school system, but they are much needed for youth development.  There are many teaching opportunities in cities, and if there aren't many where you live, MAKE them!  If you really want to be an arts teacher, reach out to some organizations in your area and see if they'd be open to incorporating an arts element to their programs. 

Happy President's Day from (D)(R)!  When's the last time you went to a library?

Comic-Con International in San Diego was Awesome!

(Crowd photo by Geek Shot)

How can I begin to tell about the awesome time I had at Comic-Con International, the biggest comic convention in America?  I was on the wait list for an Artist Alley table, and my main goal was to enhance my career.  I got all my merchandise ready, and felt that even if I didn't get a table, I could still benefit greatly from the portfolio reviews and informative creator panels.  It was a bit of a risk - the plane ticket was pricey all the way from NYC, but I got to stay with my sister and brother-in-law :)  The risk was totally worth it, as I ended up getting a table half-way through the convention! 

"Let's Fighting Love!!" South Park life-sized scenes.

At other conventions, I don't really get to walk around and fully enjoy the fun due to working at my table, but this time I got to do BOTH!  My favorite thing to see was the life-sized recreation of the town of South Park, complete with some of the most popular scenes.  Neil DeGrasse Tyson sponsored a virtual reality section too. 

Did you know that at SDCC, there is a whole section for folio reviews?  Other conventions I've been to don't have this.  I researched the listed companies and what they were looking for, and the week before, I got together 3 folios: storyboarding, comic, and coloring.  These were reviewed by people from Nickelodeon, Disney, and comic companies like Action Lab and Arch Enemy.  I did this all Thursday, because I knew it would just get crazier with each passing day so I had a better chance of being chosen.  If the list is too long, no luck - I didn't get in for Cartoon Network which was only on Friday.   I actually went to SDCC a decade ago and just had a student folio.  I noticed a considerable difference in the response to my work now that I have years of professional experience in the comics industry!  I think artists at any stage in life can benefit from these reviews - people pointed out things in my work I'd never thought of before.  Many cards were exchanged... we'll see what happens!

Most of Friday I sat in on a bunch of panels.  I was amazed at how many wonderful creator-themed topics SDCC had!  Everything from industry pros telling their career stories to cool Photoshop techniques and more!  My top 3 were:  1.  Artist as Brand: Rise of the Artist Entrepreneur, where indie creators talked about the struggles and rewards of business stuff and owning their creations.  2.  Creating Comics with the iPad- I had no idea of the incredible advances in technology and freedom artists can have on-the-go.  3.  Cartoon Creatives: Women Power in Animation- since I'm considering getting more into the storyboarding world, it was great to see many strong women with major roles in the industry! 

I've gotta say, New York Comic Con has been lacking in creator-themed panels in the past few years, probably due to a "fans first" policy.  But before I began tabling at NYCC, I remember they used to have more good artist panels.  Last year I didn't find many good NYCC panels to blog about that I'd be interested in as a creator (if I had time to go) - they focused on celebrities and fan themes.  By the way, SDCC "pro passes" are still FREE, whereas NYCCs pro passes keep going up in $ each year.  Overall, I feel that San Diego CC respects, appreciates, and represents creators more than NYCC. 

The Most Random Sketch Award goes to this dog as an Ewok-Gremlin!

Every day I got to the convention super early and checked in with Artist Alley registration to see if a table opened up.  And Saturday morning IT HAPPENED!  I couldn't believe it!  Little did I know, SDCC's Artist Alley is notoriously difficult to get into, with the waiting list being "years long."  It's complicated to explain exactly how I was able to get this table, but it was a combination of being qualified, prepared, persistent, some tips from the inside, and some luck!  If one of these aspects had gone wrong, I may not have gotten in, but I guess it was meant to be! 

I realized that SDCC's Artist Alley is different than other artist alleys because it's made up of mostly old pros that have had major industry work for like decades!  I was right next to Len Wein, creator of Wolverine and other X-men characters!  Ken Penders, one of my heroes from Sonic the Hedgehog, was also tabling.  So there were giants like these, and then... me, somehow! :PI was sketching up a storm though, and was successful enough to pay for that plane ticket + more :)  There was lots of encouragement among the rest of the artists, with words like "good luck, kiddo!" and I did feel like I fit in there more.  Oh Katie Cook was in the row right behind me!  Her career has grown so much over the years, she's very inspiring!  So it looks like the next generation of cartoonists is on the rise at SDCC.

Overall, I had the most ideal experience this year at SDCC, with a great balance of fun, constructive folio reviews + networking, informative creator tips, and making $!  If you're on the west coast and in the comics or animation industry, SDCC IS A MUST!  If you're in the midwest, it's worth a road trip!  If you're on the east coast and have a place to stay, the plane ticket is definitely worth it.  If you don't have a place to stay, hey AirBnB is on the rise.  It's cheaper if you stay farther from the convention and take the trolley.  Hope to see you there next year!

Did I mention that I got sick the week before SDCC?  Just like what happened last year before NYCC!  I guess I burn myself out preparing.  I went to the same clinic and they recognized me :PLuckily antibiotics are like tiny microscopic superheroes!  Comic cons are exhausting enough without being sick.

Productivity Podcasts

I've been wanting to do a blog about podcasts for awhile now.  I've been listening to productivity podcasts for about half a year, and I feel more people should know about them, because they've helped me a lot.  There are podcasts for everything these days for improving any kind of skill.  There are lots for cartooning, and maybe I'll do a separate post on those, but productivity/time management is something that everyone can improve, and that artists in particular have a hard time with.  I always listen to podcasts in the "in between" times, like cooking, eating, or doing dishes.  It's great because I'm learning at the same time I'm doing something else = multitasking! 

Time Hackers www.imjulie.com  Julie Sheranosher has become one of my favorite people.  She shares short bite-sized 10 min segments on time management tips.  Never say you don't HAVE time.  There are always ways to MAKE time and she's great at explaining things in a clear way with a bit of spunkiness.  She also has a "Super Hero Edition" each week where she interviews other entrepreneurs in a hero-themed way.  One time I emailed Julie and she made a whole episode about my question!  Not saying she'll do this for everyone, but if you find a mentor-like person you admire online, go ahead and reach out to them - you never know what could happen!

Beyond The To-Do List www.beyondthetodolist.com Erik Fisher has hour long interviews with productive people, showing you how to complete a good work/life balance.  I found the Time Hackers podcast from this site.  He hosts a lot of interesting entrepreneurs as guests!  Not all guest situations may apply to you, but you can still gain useful knowledge no matter what area of expertise the entrepreneur specializes in.

The Unmistakable Creative Podcast www.unmistakablecreative.com Srini Rao has hour long (sometimes longer) interviews with leaders from all walks of life.  The word "creative" has a broader meaning than just artists in this and other podcasts, and applies to all kinds of entrepreneurs.  This one can get pretty deep and philosophical.  Most of the people interviewed (that I've listened to so far) have been writers, artists, and "performance psychologists."  I love the cartoony drawings throughout the site!

Hope you find some of these helpful!  As Julie says "Keep calm and hack time."

The days are getting shorter and colder, so why not stay in and brush up on some skillz?