Should Old Acquaintances Be Forgotten, by Michael Davis – Straight No Chaser #99

January 2, 2009 Michael Davis 13 Comments

I’ve been sick the better part of a week. Truth be told I’ve probably been sick longer than that but I was too stupid to admit it. I attended no holiday parties went to no ‘get togethers’ sent out no Christmas cards and purchased few gifts.

All this during my absolute favorite time of the year.

I hate being sick.

I hate being sick but being sick is about the only thing that makes me slow down and reflect on things.  While I’ve been laid up I’ve been thinking a lot of about the way I am and how I look at the world.  A new year is the time when most people resolve to do or attain whatever they haven’t for whatever reason.

A long time ago I stopped making new years resolutions, I never keep them and they are always something unattainable by ‘wishing.’ I usually get what I want but rarely does it happen by putting in on a list and attaching a time limit to it. Case in point, I’ve lost 30 pounds over the last year, don’t worry ladies I still have that amazing ass and extra large pe…personality.
I know if I had made a list and put ‘losing weight’ on the list I would be sitting here with a much bigger belly. I lost 30 pounds by simply doing what I needed to do with no fanfare. So, I’m not making any more lists but I am going to make some changes in the New Year.

First I am going to devote the majority of my time to creative endeavors. Over the last decade I’ve been about the ‘deal.’ In 2009 it’s all about doing some great work. I still have some business, which will require me to wear an executive hat but clearly it’s back to the drawing board and the MS word on the MacBook Pro.

I have some fantastic creative projects I’m blessed to be working on and more important I’m working with some great people. One of those people is Mike Richardson at Dark Horse. I love Mike, he’s always been great to me and I’m happy to say that the project we are doing together is being overseen by him personally. He also takes you to the best places for food.

Thanks to my good friend Mike Baron I have made what I’m sure will be a lifetime friend. I’m doing 2 projects with my new friend Tom at the Attainment Company.  Both of those projects are nothing short than DREAM projects and I have worked like a dog (putting my health in the state it’s in no doubt) to make time to devote to them.

Some people will tell you that’s there’s a fine line between fine art and illustration. They will tell you that a fine artist and an illustrator are two sides of the same coin and there is really no difference.

That’s bullshit.

You know the difference between an illustrator and a fine artist?

The ‘artist’ makes dinner, the illustrator makes reservations.

Look I have nothing but respect for fine artists. In fact my cousin is one of the most important painters in the world. No shit. I’m not kidding. One of his paintings cost more than my house and I have a badass house.

As I was saying, I have nothing but respect for fine artists, but me, I’m an illustrator. An illustrator and a writer and I want to do nothing but that in the coming year. Except for a TV and publishing deal I’m working- that is what my time will be spent doing.

To do that- this year I had to make hard changes in my life.

Hard changes.

But in making those changes it has cost me to do the one thing I do resolve this year…

Raise my game.

People rarely ‘get’ what I do. I use to try and explain it to people but now I just smile. I realize the only people who I need to ‘get’ me are the people who make the decisions to write me a check.

So, I resolve to raise my game. That means cutting out any and all bullshit to reach my goals and by any and all I mean people who waste my time.

YOU know who those people are, you have them in your life just like I have them in mine.

So yes, some old acquaintances should be forgotten, like that fat chick or guy you did it with when you were really drunk.

I hope that we all try and raise our games. I hope we all try to do a better job, hug a little tighter, tell those we love how happy we are to have them in our lives, care about those people who need caring about and to just give a damn.

I know this is sappy but understand that when a workaholic, perfectionist, A-type personality like me wants to raise his already HIGH game; that to me is worth being a little sappy.

So I’m still a bit sick but I’m JAZZED OUT OF MY MIND about 2009. Man this is going to be a fun ride. I’m a mentor (See you Monday James) so I’m thinking about posting progress of the work I’m doing on MDW.

What do you think? I think it will be an invaluable tool for young illustrators and writers and yes even fine artists, to see what really goes into a creative project from soups to nuts.

Before I go, let me mention that I’m also putting a deal together with Mike Gold and Comicmix (you know those guys who fired me because I was bl…nah that was last years joke.) I’m excited about that also, mostly because in a meeting Mike Gold is the badest mofo in the room.

So happy New Year.  Oh, if there are some people out there who are wondering if they are apart of the old acquaintance that should be forgotten, the answer is yes. If you have to think about it then you already know your shit is shaky.

I’ll leave you with this, be good people, be really good at what you do and care about it. Really care about it.

I did my undergrad work at Pratt Institute and Pratt’s motto is this:

Be true to your work and your work will be true to you.