Why you will never draw like me.

I remember this like it was yesterday. It happened around 2002-2003 while I was taking an evening course in Cartooning at a local college.

I was working on an in class assignment along with all the other students. I may have been the eldest in the whole class (aside the instructor of course). With my usual, headphones on playing my inspirational/motivation tracks on my portable CD Player (yes I owned one of those cuz at that time we didn't have smartphones and mp3 players were freaking expensive).

Now I was sitting across who I assume may have been the youngest in the class room (a male of about 17-18yrs old) that kept looking at my work unfold with great aw and amazement.

Break time came and I paused my music and went for my usual coffee and cigarette break (I've long quit smoking since then) when the young fellow stopped me just as I was about to get up to exit. He asked to see my progress before I left and I was more than excited to show him. I asked to see his progress as well in a kind and caring exchange.

When I returned to my station to resume what I though was a subpar piece that would probably be best used as toilet paper, I was met with an unexpected statment from my young classmate.

He looked at me with great administration and joy (the smile on his face was majestic in my opinion) and said with great pride and humbleness.... "I want to draw like you one day. Your art is amazing!"

I was taken by surprise and was filled with great joy and confidence. I could have replied with anything like "Thank you. You will one day." or "Thanks. All you got to do is keep practicing and you'll get there." But I didn't.

What I responded with was a 2 part response. The first one left the young man confused and very much insulted. The second have changed all that for him and saw something much deeper to why I responded with my first part.

My 1st response was....

"You will NEVER draw like me."

This felt like the biggest insult to the young man as well as too all you reading this right now. And in some aspect you are right to go off on me in your minds as you read this. Hell you probably even want to unfollow me and post negative comments. I would suggest to hold of until the end of this blog. Trust me. Even the instructor had the WTF? look on his face when he hear that come out of my mouth.

My 2nd response was...

"You are a talented artist and I'm jealous of how your line structure suits each character you've done. In the end you'll never draw like me and I'll never draw like you. You will draw like you. You will practice and in time learn new techniques and styles along the way. Then one day you'll have a style all your own that will represent you and no one else. So again you'll never draw like me."

This was probably the best thing I could have ever said to this young guy. He looked at me and thought for a moment just before tears formed in his eyes. Then he responded with the most confident and thankful response that I remember tk this day.

"I always thought I was no good at drawing. I always wanted to draw like all those artists in my favourite comic books. I use their art as a guide and I copy their images when I practice at home. I always wanted to draw like them. Now you just told me that I'll never draw like them or you and that I will draw my own style. That just changed how I've been looking at my art. I've been too busy being like someone else that I haven't been myself. Thank you. I know what I need to work on now."

This changed the young guys life. He came back every class with art that was amazing and inspiring each and every time. He blew up as an artist in just weeks when he stopped trying to be like someone else and started being himself. Heck even his posture and confidence exploded. No longer the shy guy and walking tall and proud like champion walking into the ring to defend his title.

The take away from this (for all aspects of our lives) is that we can't strive to be like everyone else but to be ourselves. We are unique individuals and we do not do or live life like everyone else. Granted there are aspects of life that have set guidelines that can't be deviated from, but when it comes to being YOU, that TRUE SELF that is inside us all, why would we want to hide that to be like everyone else?

So to all who read this far, be your TRUE SELF. Be weird be kind be awesome.