The Power of Your Network
Even amidst unpleasant surprises like the pandemic, wonderful surprises can happen too.
Last month a freelance project came to me TOTALLY OUT OF THE BLUE by someone I hadn’t seen in at least 6 years. It was an animation project. I hadn’t even DONE animation in that many years due to people expecting so much work from one creator for so little $. At first I was hesitant to take on the project, as I didn’t even have an updated reel to show my friend.
But I just asked more questions about the project and we agreed upon me creating character and scene designs with a few extra motions of arms and moving elements. Then he’d pass it on to another animator. This worked SUPER well and fast too! Animation was really meant to be created in a team environment, not just one person doing everything themselves. I really liked being part of a team again & the crazy deadline felt very energizing & motivating (although I wouldn’t want that lifestyle all the time… just eating TV dinners with no time to cook isn’t healthy long term!)
The animation was part of a video series called “Behind The Cover Art” by @art on Instagram. This episode featured Kenny Gravillis’ story creating “The Tipping Point” album art for The Roots. See the video with animation here.
My animation story is an example of how we already have an amazing network of people even if we don’t realize it or think of them as a “network.”
If you’re on unemployment and are currently job hunting, applying to jobs online is a joke. I feel like it always has been, but now even more so. Some state unemployment sites like to see evidence that you’ve applied to jobs online because that’s something that they can measure, but it’s still not really an effective strategy to actually get you a job, especially with the unprecedented competition with our tanked economy.
I don’t know the ultimate solution, because the unemployment crisis is larger than any one solution. But I do know that it’s always been the case for me that my own network has come through for me over the years. A project coming from out of the blue isn’t all that uncommon when you know a lot of people that know what your talents are. If people know that you’re skilled at x,y, and z, then they’ll come to you for those things. If you’re stuck, just start talking with people about anything, then talk about what projects you’re working on. They may say “oh my friend needs a designer” or something.
You may have heard the advice of “ask people what they need help with, then help them with it.” This will lead to a lot of unpaid work. You can do this, but it’s more of a long-term strategy. I don’t really do that strategy mainly because usually I have a que of projects always going. It may not be a que that makes me “rich” monetarily, but it’s something that keeps me afloat and makes me rich in fulfillment. This is also one of the strengths of freelancing. If you have a fulltime job and the rug gets pulled from under you, you have nothing. But if you freelance, you can still keep juggling the eggs still left in your basket, even if it’s only a few.
In other news, this is one of my last few blog posts using my current method and mailing list. Many thanks to those who have expressed interest in joining my new and improved mailing list! If you haven’t replied already to keep getting these updates, please do so. Just reply to this email and I’ll put you on the new list. Many thanks and stay safe!
Fun & Hope
Remember Wayne’s World from classic 90s SNL? One of my best friend’s husbands thought of this idea for a T-shirt for their toddler, and with some Mindy Indy magic, the T-shirts are alive! You can get one on RedBubble.com
You can also get the design on a onesie or a hoodie in different colors. Redbubble is awesome and you can print a design on anything like a sticker or a clock (potty TIME, get it?). Meanwhile – behold, the cutest model ever! (Used with permission :)
I started this project in late March when COVID cases were rising in NYC. It was so great to work on something purely FUN and lighthearted during that time. It was also fun to learn how to make patterns in Illustrator (the plaid on Garth’s shirt). Always keep learning.
Projects like this remind me that even amidst the chaos of our world today, there is hope for creativity and new, fun ideas. To my artist friends - even though it may seem bleak and that nobody has $, that’s just not true and there ARE people out there who value your work and WILL pay you for your skills and talents. You just have to find them, or they need to find you, which is all about marketing, which I’m learning more about myself.
And part of that plan is that I’m revamping my mailing list. Please reply if you’d like to keep getting Mindy Indy updates in your email! Many thanks to all of you who have stuck with me through thick & thin over the years. I appreciate your email support :)
Changes
I created this illustration for a New Jersey ER team. Happy to work on this project in the midst of the pandemic! NYC is thankfully at a much better place now, but my heart goes out to others in the country who are suffering from COVID.
I realize I haven’t updated this blog/mailing list in awhile (since May!). In the past I used to post each time I was in an event, but comic cons and many other events aren’t happening now due to COVID. Also I got some advice recently that blogging or emailing people on your list doesn’t have to be a super big thing – it can be many smaller things more often, which I’d like to practice going forward.
Our country is going through a lot of changes right now. Social changes, safety changes, economic changes, & more. I’m changing some things up myself – I joined a MASTER MIND group! MasterMinds are great ways to brainstorm with like-minded people who are on the same path as you. It kind of feels like an independent study where I’m taking courses online, then we zoom monthly to brainstorm on problems we’re facing. Getting to know others who want to take their comic careers to the next level is inspiring.
I realized I need to take more of my sales online due to conventions being wiped out. I think I’ve mentioned Tyler James’ ComixLaunch podcast on here before – he’s leading the mastermind. This dude funded his most successful Kickstarter ever (SHE from ComixTribe) when the pandemic was gaining steam in April. I was impressed – he knows what he’s doing and seems like a great leader.
Which leads me to another change. I’m going to be making changes to my mailing list!
If you want to continue to get updates from me in these emails, simply reply and let me know!
Then I’ll make absolutely sure that your email gets entered into the new system. I’ll mention this in upcoming posts before the change too, as I know people don’t open every email. It’ll be a transition, but one for the better. I’ve struggled a lot with various tech problems over the years, and this one is a doozy – the details of which I won’t bore you with. But after each tech problem I conquered, I was SO GLAD with the results after. I look forward to having better templates, making it easier for people to sign up for my mailing list online, and keeping track of analytics.
Hope that you’re safe and well! What kind of changes are you making lately?
Patreon Is Where It's AT
NYC is FINALLY mostly “over the curve” and now we’re all in the phase of “NOW WHAT?” Definitely a time of soul searching and exploring career/life choices for many people on Earth. One thing I’m super happy about is that through all this, my wonderful patrons on Patreon have not only STAYED, but I gained some NEW ones and some people even pledged MORE! I’m truly grateful to each and every patron that has supported my work.
Backing up a bit, Patreon is a crowdfunding website, much like Kickstarter, but it’s for ongoing work, not for one particular item. For example, I launched my Patreon so people could see the behind the scenes world of how I create the AER HEAD comic series. Whereas I launched my Kickstarter specifically to print 100 copies of AER HEAD issue #1 once it’s all complete. Building my Patreon definitely helped me understand how to better launch a Kickstarter when the time was right, and I highly recommend artists launching both.
If you’re an artist, musician, or other creative and don’t have a Patreon, BUILD ONE NOW! Now is the time where, even though you may feel like the world is crumbling around you with instability, there ARE actually people out there that still have stable jobs working remotely that would love to support you during this time. I share a lot about the stages of building my own Patreon in the first few public posts. Public posts are posts everyone can see, whereas you’d need to join one of my monthly membership tiers to see some other posts.
For example, here’s a sneak peek of a recent post for the “See the Present” tier (lowest tier level at $2/month) where I went into detail about the scanning and cleaning up process for my AER HEAD comic. If you want to level up your comic creation skills, this is a great tier to join at a low price!
Also, as part of MerMay (drawing prompts where you draw mermaids for the month of May & post on social media), if you join my “Custom Character Artwork” tier, you’ll get a drawing of one of my AER HEAD characters as a mermaid, usually on a surf board!
This is a $50/month tier, but this is the price I normally charge for a color sketch of one character at a comic con anyway (btw MoCCA Fest is officially cancelled). If you’d like a mermaid sketch, you can always sign up for one month, then cancel later. If you’re missing that in-person comic convention experience, this is a great way to get some cool unique art and support me as a freelance artist in these troubling times.
Just go to patreon.com/mindyindy and select a monthly tier. It’s super simple - you can even pay with Paypal. Many thanks, and I hope to see you on Patreon!
Know Your Limits
One of the things I realized in the midst of this pandemic is that I can only do so much in one day. I’m used to geeking out about productivity and trying to squeeze in something into every hour and pushing myself. At first I thought that more time stuck at home would mean exponential productivity for me, but I wasn’t prepared for the mental challenges that “sheltering in place” would entail living in NYC.
The anxiety and overwhelm I’ve experienced, especially in the last week, has limited me to doing only about 3 main tasks per day (instead of 5 or 6). This underlying anxiety is like a program running in the background of a computer that takes up more RAM and slows the computer down. It now takes a lot more mental effort for me to “figure out” what steps I need to do to start a new project like a custom comic or logo. I can still do it, but it takes more time, and I’m learning to accept that. I’m also taking more breaks and making more time for talking to family and friends.
It’s easier for me to continue work on projects I’ve been doing for awhile (like AER HEAD! Almost done inking!), which is good. I’m thankful to even HAVE some client projects and know that many artists are struggling more than I am for the time being.
New York on Pause is slowing New Yorkers down, and I’m starting to be OK with doing less. Last Friday, for example, mid-afternoon I decided to just take the rest of the day off (which I NEVER do!) and start reading The Artist’s Way, a very inspirational book for all people, not just artists. I’ve been writing my “morning pages” daily since then, although it’s in the afternoon but who cares! Morning pages are like a daily journal/writing exercise. I chose the smallest journal size I had so I could more easily fill 3 pages.
This past Monday in the late afternoon I became overwhelmed, and decided to move other projects to later in the week and just ink AER HEAD earlier in the day instead of my usual time. I usually ink a page or half a page after dinner, but it’s OK to break the schedule.
I’ve also switched my news intake to every other day instead of daily, and only at dinner. A few weeks ago (or was it a month ago?) when everything was shutting down in various stages, it was super important to keep on top of things. But now that we know to just stay home as much as possible (I’m only going out once a week for groceries), it doesn’t matter if I “miss” anything because my actions will be the same for the foreseeable future. Setting my limits on news has definitely helped my anxiety. And if I’m having an anxious day and it’s a day I’m supposed to watch the news, I’m OK with skipping that day and I watch Avatar: The Last Airbender instead. It has been one of my favorite animations and one day I hope AER HEAD can be something like that.
Setting limits on work, news, and other things is important because our mental health affects our work. Freelancers are impacted in particular by this because we usually get paid per project, not by a salary. For example, my roomie gets paid the same amount regardless, but if I need to take more breaks, that’s money that I’m not making. This is one of the trade-offs of having the flexibility of freelancing though.
Take care & be well!
Remote Working + Artist Resources + Javits Hospital
News
Of particular interest to the comics world, did you know that the Javits Center is being turned into a temporary hospital for coronavirus overflow? New York Comic Con fans will immediately recognize the iconic structure that has been part of our lives for many years. On Tuesday, Governor Cuomo gave his daily update on the state of the crisis right from the Javits. Details on this will continue to unfold and I hope that all goes well (or as well as it CAN, given the circumstances).
Other news: Tax Day is delayed! Amidst everything, nobody is thinking of doing their taxes right now. Luckily we have another 3 months to get it together. Our taxes are now due on July 15 with no interest or penalties! Again, since I blog once a week this may be old news to some people, but just in case you’ve been taking a break from the news, there it is. I took a break from it yesterday and today too. I’m not sure if I’ll hold an online version of my tax class, but if I do, you’ll be the first to know.
Resources
Over the past few weeks I’ve gotten a bunch of emails & messages that list many freelance artist resources! I’ve gone through some of them and they range from financial help to mental help and more. I understand that many in the artist community have had multiple income streams stopped. My heart goes out to actors in particular, who usually supplement acting gigs with restaurant or bartending work and can’t really work from home on stuff like visual artists. Hopefully you can find some help in the below links:
https://covid19freelanceartistresource.wordpress.com/
https://cutaway.shift.io/assistance-for-freelancers-and-gig-workers-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic
For now, my freelance work has been holding up and I’ll be ok until the end of April at least with my current projects. I’m wrapping up some design work, sketching illustrations for 2 children’s books, have 2 custom comics, and some other illustration work. Of course, if you’d like some art during this time, feel free to reach out and I’d be happy to create something for you.
More Tips on Working From Home
Since many people are working remotely now, & I got a great response from the last post, here are more working from home tips! These have to do with time management and boundaries:
Designate “work hours.” This is about setting boundaries for yourself so others know what to expect from you. If a client calls you at 9pm and you pick up, they’ll expect you to always pick up. IT’S OK to NOT answer the phone and go to voicemail for non-urgent things. You can then communicate what your hours are and that you’re unavailable at certain times. The work/home lines are blurred now, but that doesn’t mean our whole life is work for others at all times. Some artists are uncomfortable bringing up this subject with clients, but it’s best to be straightforward & the client will usually understand.
Give yourself an actual “weekend.” This is related to setting boundaries & work hours above, but on a weekly schedule. Don’t work every day or you’ll burn out! Especially during this time, I’m letting myself not worry about accomplishing as much on Sundays. I don’t even check my email on the weekend. Remember, the world revolves around a M-F 9-5, and most people don’t check their email til Monday too.
Now’s a great time to test out getting up and going to bed at the same time every day to get better sleep. I can’t enjoy NYC nightlife for the foreseeable future, but one upside is that I don’t feel the need to sleep in on the weekends. I sleep better and accomplish more in the day!
Let me know if you found anything in this blog helpful!
Stay healthy & safe!
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?
New Spiritual Mini Comic!
Hot off the press! I’ve been working on a very different kind of comic for the past few months - not really a “funny” one but it’s in the spiritual realm. It’s called “Discernment of Spirits,” and is basically about figuring out where the good and bad things in your life are coming from, and what to do about them.
I’m trying to think of how to best write about this… my audience is all over the board, and I know that some people may not be into spirituality, but when I release a new comic, I want to let everyone know!
Hopefully I’ll have some copies shipped to me in time for MoCCA Fest (if it still goes on as scheduled - who knows with the corona virus! I’ll definitely keep you posted.)
Freelance Tax Class Thurs 2/27 & Various Sundries
If you’re a freelancer in the NYC area, please go to my DO FREELANCE TAXES EASIER class! It’s coming up this Thursday, February 27th, from 3p-4:30p at Caffeine Underground in Bushwick. I’ve been getting materials together for my OWN taxes as well during this time, so I’m right there in the trenches with you on the tax journey! You’ll probably save more $ in deductions (& knowledge!) than you’ll spend on this class, which is only $25 via Eventbrite or $30 walk-in. Feel free to spread the word to your friends who don’t know where to begin on their freelance taxes.
In other news, spring is almost here (or is it here now? I saw flowers while jogging in the park yesterday) and that means MoCCA Fest is approaching! I’m tabling there with my friend ToughSpirit Creations again. This is the first comic convention I’m exhibiting at this year - last year I did a bunch of small ones early in the year. I’ve decided to participate in less conventions this year for various reasons. While it’s great to exhibit in conventions large and small, I’d like to take a different approach and focus on growing my audience more online rather than in-person. It’s an experiment - we’ll see how it pans out.
In other OTHER news, my friend Michele Witchipoo recently released a bunch of episodes of her podcast, Comic Book Convo W/ Michele! This may be the most comprehensive interview I’ve had, as Michele asks me about everything from my Kickstarter to the No Tears web comic to my zines.
Take care & enjoy!
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!
Vision Board 2020
I was inspired to make a vision board for the next decade. What kind of life do I want to have in 10 years? Confession - I’m older than I look and there are many things that I’ve always thought would happen eventually, but they haven’t happened yet. Well, I need to take steps to MAKE them happen in the next 10 years and be more PROactive instead of REactive. It was surprisingly easy for me to brainstorm all these things - they’ve been in the background of my mind but I haven’t really put pen to paper on many of them. As a visual person SEEING your goals is super important!
AER HEAD was the first thing I thought of, but I’m talking about the WHOLE SERIES here, not just issue 1. #1 is a goal for just 2020. If I can complete an issue per year with one Kickstarter per year that would be fantastic.
After I had my main ideas, I wondered what it would take to achieve them. They fell into 3 main categories: time, money, spirituality, or some combination thereof. Having a more abundant mindset is more on the spiritual spectrum, whereas I definitely need more money to get an art studio space. Also gotta say that even though I do all this crazy planning, I need to make more room in my life for spontaneity/enjoying life more, which is hard to do when I need to be so disciplined in art creation.
I came to the conclusion that before most of these things can happen, I need to focus on creating a more sustainable art career first. In the next blog you’ll see my separate action board for that. Note the distinction between VISION board and ACTION board. Vision boards are nice ideas to look at, keep in mind, and be inspired by, whereas action boards are specific actions you can take to achieve your vision.
Action
What are some big life goals on your mind you’ve been thinking about for awhile? Make a vision board! I just used a big sheet of paper, construction paper, and a marker. Make it fun by writing in different styles, cutting fun shapes, or using different colors. If you’re not that “artistic,” you can type out words in different fonts in Microsoft Word. Cheers to your success in life, career, love, pets, etc in 2020!
More Than Just A Resolution
With a new decade coming up, I thought a lot about larger life choices and what direction I want my life and career to go. I made a couple brainstorming mind-map things, starting with this one. Major things I realized were that I feel like I’ve hit a career plateau and I need to push myself to keep learning new things, especially graphic design-wise. I also need to update my websites to reflect my current brand, and even gain clarity on what my brand IS! I do many things from my own comics (AER HEAD - which I just finished drawing!) to custom comics, to teaching, to design & more.
Also, the end of 2019 has been a bit rough for me, but I know 2020 will be a more positive future! “Know thyself” is key - I recognize negative thought patterns in myself and will take steps to catch myself and replace the negative thoughts with positive thoughts. It’s all about MINDSET!! For example, concerning AER HEAD, sometimes I think I’m working so hard on it but in the end, as an indie comic it won’t reach many people and not many people will care. WRONG! AER HEAD is AMAZING and if I can learn more about how to market it correctly, it WILL reach more people! Even by word of mouth alone - I had 85 backers for my Kickstarter and 27 patrons on my Patreon (yes there is some overlap with people supporting both :), as well as all of you on my mailing list, and that is FANTASTIC! Definitely already blessed with lots of support!
Keep in mind that all the post-it notes in the pic are NOT just “resolutions.” They are action items that I want to work towards in 2020. Sometimes just by labeling something as a “resolution,” it’s almost doomed to fail by mid-January. MINDSET!! I made another action-map based on items from these goals, which I’ll post in a future blog.
Life Tip
Even though this is the time of year when the holidays are bustling, take some time to reflect beyond just a resolution now instead of picking something the first week of January, then dismissing it mid-month. The start of a new decade is time to think BIG! Start with a larger goal and brainstorm some action steps you can take to work towards that goal, like “mini goals.”
Happy Holidays!
Inspiration: Make 100____!
I’m already thinking about my plans for the new year, which is actually a new DECADE! I want to hit the ground running in 2020 and will do a post on some of my goals in the next few weeks, but I wanted to share something cool with you: Kickstarter’s “Make 100” campaign. I’m not participating in it (still working on my own Kickstarter fulfillment!) but if you want to get your feet wet with Kickstarter for the first time, Make 100 is a great way to finally give yourself the push you need!
Make 100 happens every January and you can make 100 anything - 100 copies of zines, 100 bracelets, 100 cupcakes, anything! It’s very advantageous if you coordinate a project you’ve wanted to do with one of Kickstarter’s special promos like this because you’ll probably get a bit of extra attention from being a part of the larger campaign. Kickstarter promotes Make 100, people search for it, and your project may end up in a featured newsletter (happened to me twice for “Small Press Big Ideas.”)
I’m telling you this now so you still have time to plan if you want to launch anytime in January. You could even launch at the end and have almost 2 months to plan. I know that people have various thoughts and feelings about Kickstarter (my launch happened mid-kerfuffle), but you can’t deny that it is the best platform to launch a project in a HUGE way. There were people who just found me “out of nowhere” just from Kickstarter!
Business Tip
Start planning for the new decade now instead of the first week of January and then give up the second week of January. By brainstorming now I feel like I have more time and space to determine what goals matter to me.
What Are You Thankful For?
Yes, it’s great to be alive! I often get caught up with what ISN’T good in my life rather than what IS, and Thanksgiving is a great time for reflection. We always see everyone’s social media highlights of major accomplishments in career, life, love, and we often feel left out. Things could always be better, and and as a freelance artist I put lots of pressure on myself to be more productive, try for better opportunities, or try something different. This blog is a closer look at simpler things of what I’m thankful for, with a freelance spin, in no particular order.
Health - we all take it for granted until it’s not there anymore. Working on the FD comic for so many years really brought to light daily struggles that people with FD (and other conditions) experience. The worst I’ve gotten is a cold, and even that holds me up a few days and I’m not as productive.
Family - we all “say” we’re thankful for family, but do we really mean it? In particular I’m thankful for my parent’s support of my crazy artistic freelance antics over the years. This is something that many artists do not experience, and not having that emotional support can really weigh other artists down and it’s hard to fight against (though not impossible!). I also think of how my parents and grandparents worked their butts off so I could have a better life.
Friends - The classic Beatle’s song “I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends” is so true in my life. When I’m commiserating about an underwhelming comic con, just BEING there with a friend I’m sharing a table with, or making new friends with the people exhibiting around me, makes all the difference. It’s great hanging with people from my writer’s group too, who give a fresh perspective, not being in the comics world. And it’s just great to kick back with friends just for a fun party and let work fly out the window!
This isn’t an exhaustive list, but the first 3 things that came to mind.
Business Exercise:
Make a list of some things that you’re thankful for in your career. If things are not where you want them to be, besides brainstorming ideas of how to improve, make a list of what’s working well and how you can increase those things in your life.
Saying Goodbye to A 7 Year Web Comic - No Tears: Life With FD / FD Heroes IRL
The only thing you can count on is change! I’ve really been blessed to work with the Dysautonomia Foundation on a very niche and meaningful web comic for the past 7 years, but now the foundation is going in a new direction. In 2012, I met David Brenner and his son Michael at a small comic con in Jersey (Toys on the Hudson in the fall). David (then director of the foundation) had been thinking of a FD comic for awhile since his son loved comics. He loved how my Misfortune Cookie mini comics featured unfortunate subjects in a lighthearted manner, and knew I was the right fit to make his ideas a reality.
The very first No Tears: Life With FD comic! Created in January 2013
Backing up a bit, FD stands for Familial Dysautonomia, a rare Jewish genetic neurological disorder that effects the sensory and autonomic nervous systems. For example people with FD may have trouble swallowing so they need a feeding tube, as in the comic above. I’ve also done a few comics featuring the BiPap machine, because sometimes people with FD have trouble breathing while sleeping. The comic’s title has a double meaning - one of the symptoms of FD is the absence of overflow tears / corneal drying. The title also encourages FD patients and their families to have hope through their daily struggles. Topics in the comic series range from dealing with specific FD situations, like Crisis, to social scenarios of persons with disabilities, and more. The comic has always had a light-hearted and touching theme focusing on the closeness of families.
In the beginning, David wrote the scripts and I hand drew (and even hand-lettered) the comic, coloring it on the computer. It would be posted each week on the foundation’s Facebook Page.
In 2016, sadly David Brenner passed away from cancer and was dearly missed by all. I wondered if the comic would continue, since it had personal ties to David himself. But the interim director, Paul Schack, was happy to continue the comic. It became more of a collaborative endeavor, as I suggested more script ideas and eventually wrote the scripts all by myself, with some edits by Paul. This is the first comic script that was all my own. I also switched to creating the whole comic digitally using my wacom tablet, and turning my handwriting into a font for digital lettering.
Previously the comic had different characters for each strip, with a few recurring characters like a family with a newborn baby with FD. But when I wrote the script, (and also thinking of fresh subjects for the strip) I had lots of creative freedom to explore subjects like special needs dating with recurring characters Adam and Ariel. And I also loved featuring FD Man and FD Girl (top comic) for positive messages! David originally came up with the idea for FD Man, but FD Girl was one of my additions to the comic, and they made a great team!
In late 2018, the Dysautonomia Foundation hired a permanent new director, Lanie Etkind. Again, I wondered if the comic would continue. In 2019, Lanie and others at the foundation suggested focusing on real people who had FD for the comic, like a spotlight. Thus, “FD Heroes IRL” was born! People with FD who were interested in being featured reached out to me and I asked them some questions. I then created a script from their responses (this is much like how I work with people to create custom comics). The FD community loved the new comic too! Andrew S’s comic, above, was personally very inspiring to me because he didn’t let FD stop him from going on an awesome road trip!
And well, since the community is small (it’s a rare disease affecting only 200 people on Earth), the comic has seemed to run its course. I’m so happy to have been involved with the FD community and have contributed to making their days a bit brighter through the comic. Really, it’s amazing the comic has ran for 7 years! I’ve learned so much about FD and always tell new people I meet about the disease and the comic when they ask about what I do as an artist. Spreading awareness!
Comic in memory of Scott Fass, who passed away from FD.
I found the comic work I’ve done for the FD Foundation to be incredibly rewarding and I feel like the comic touched people’s lives, even if in a small way. I like working with non-profits because of the meaningful impact. For a few years I also did a comic for the RLS Foundation called “Night Walkers.” When one door closes, another one opens. I’m definitely open to continuing my comics journey with other non-profits! Please forward this blog post or tag someone on social media who you think would be interested in working with me to create comics that have a positive impact on people who may be going through struggles of any kind.
Christmas Card Time!
It’s early November & that means it’s time to start thinking about gifts for the holiday season! Along with gifts comes cards! I reprinted some of my Christmas cards from last year, available at my online store. All the illustrations are based off of Christmas songs! The most popular one from last year was We Three Kings:
I just updated all the stocks, but even if they run out, I can always reprint more. Just email me at mindy at mindyindy dot com if you have any questions or special requests.
Also consider getting a custom sketch or custom comic for the holiday season too! Things tend to speed up at the year draws to a close, so it’s good to start thinking of a really special gift now :)
Business Tip
Try to do holiday marketing soon after Halloween XD . Before Halloween is just annoying, but you don’t want to wait too late (like, when YOU actually do your personal shopping) to promote special items for the season.
Diversity Comic Con Fri 10/25
If you’re in the NYC area, please stop by Diversity Comic Con at FIT tomorrow - Friday 10/25 from 10a - 6p! More info here. They have a great panel lineup - better than NYCC, as it’s geared towards creators. I’m personally interested in the webcomic one the most at 2p!
Business Tip
Don’t do too many comic cons or events in a row. This is more a mental note to myself! They really take a lot of energy to do, from lugging all your gear there early on public transit, setting up, constantly reaching out to people all day… I’m naturally social and like talking to people but it gets tiring after awhile! I’ve realized that I’m still worn out after a con no matter how many sketches I’ve done. Am I getting OLD? lol! You really gotta love drawing comics to stay in the game! But I’m not going anywhere for a long time, don’t worry :)
Baltimore Comic Con this Fri-Sun!
Baltimore Comic Con is celebrating 20 years! I’m tabling with my friend Jennifer Buckley at table A255 (I feel like I’m in the same place each year?) https://baltimorecomiccon.com/
Less than 24 Hours Left to Kickstarter!
Greetings! As of this posting, we’re less than 24 hours left to my AER HEAD Kickstarter and almost at $3,000! Super happy that so many people have come together to make all this happen :) Still stretching towards the next stretch goal though, to hire a flatter! But really anything on top of my initial goal is icing on the cake. Last chance for you to be part of the action and get your name printed in the thank you page of the book (back at any level), get original pages from the AER HEAD comic (it’s hand drawn!), and more. Check it out before 5pm Thursday Oct 10 (that’s tomorrow!)
Business Tip
You can’t promote too much when you’re advertising something like crowdfunding, an event, a special sale, etc. We artists struggle with self-promotion a lot, but I’ve found the more you do it, the easier it gets. Sometimes I wonder if I’m being too annoying posting all over facebook or in my IG stories, but the thing is, this is what these platforms ARE DESIGNED FOR!
Also reaching out to people with personal messages has gotten more people to actually donate to the Kickstarter. We do need to be mindful of the way we message though! A friend/colleague in the comics world today was just saying how people just send him links to their crowdfunding with no message. Pretty rude and it doesn’t really work. I see messaging people as a way to reach out and reconnect with someone you may not have seen in awhile and also let them know you’re still creating great artwork (or whatever it is that you do).
Cheers!