And now back to our regularly scheduled programming.
I’m still tired, pals. Profoundly, skeletally tired. The kind of tired where you can’t cook a good meal, drive a car, or write, no matter how much you want to. Which means that I have no new writing to share this month. But I have been drawing. Cartooning, actually, with Lynda Barry’s glorious class-in-a-book MAKING COMICS.
Below (and above) are some of my responses to Barry’s prompts. Each panel was drawn in 5 minutes or less.
![Two cartoon drawings in black ink on notebook paper of a big-headed, big-eyed figure. In the first panel, the figure lays on her stomach in the grass, gazing adoringly into the eyes of a squirrel. In the second, she is riding a bicycle with a baguette in the basket while wearing a striped shirt and beret and smoking a cigarette. Two cartoon drawings in black ink on notebook paper of a big-headed, big-eyed figure. In the first panel, the figure lays on her stomach in the grass, gazing adoringly into the eyes of a squirrel. In the second, she is riding a bicycle with a baguette in the basket while wearing a striped shirt and beret and smoking a cigarette.](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b3a0f3c-86c1-431c-bd45-6d57c1fe8fa0_1920x1080.jpeg)
I never know what these pictures will look like before I draw them. And almost every time, I am startled and delighted by what (and who) appears on the page. The gentle protagonist of this story began as a lightning-shaped scribble.
When you only have 3–5 minutes and a felt-tip pen, there’s no room to start over, reconsider, or erase. You can only keep going.
![Two more ink drawings of the same big-headed, big-eyed figure from earlier. In one drawing, she is being carried like a baby by an enormous swirly alien. She looks up at the alien with awe. In the second drawing, the figure is tiny, standing on the tongue of a human mouth, looking elated, offering a box of chocolates to a bashful-looking tonsil. Two more ink drawings of the same big-headed, big-eyed figure from earlier. In one drawing, she is being carried like a baby by an enormous swirly alien. She looks up at the alien with awe. In the second drawing, the figure is tiny, standing on the tongue of a human mouth, looking elated, offering a box of chocolates to a bashful-looking tonsil.](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa672419b-f605-40d5-9fe6-be450023d60a_1800x1200.jpeg)
These 5-minute drawings are crudely executed, weirdly proportioned, marred with botched lines and left-handed ink smears—in other words, a full bouquet of stressors for this perfectionist. And they are charming, poignant, morbid, and laugh-out-loud funny. Flawed and wonderful.
Someday I will absorb this lesson.*
tenderness toward existence days
There are so many good tiny holidays in April! To keep this newsletter relatively brief, I’m restricting my list to the next two weeks.
Peeps Day, also Encourage a Young Writer Day (4/10)
International Louie Louie Day (4/11)
Grilled Cheese Day (4/12)
Plant Appreciation Day (4/13)
Look Up at the Sky Day (4/14)
Slow Art Day (4/15)
Day of the Mushroom (4/16)
BAT APPRECIATION DAY (v. important!!!! 4/17)
National Velociraptor Awareness Day (4/18)
Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day (4/21)
National Dance Day (4/22)
![Final cartoon drawing in black ink on notebook paper of the big-headed, big-eyed figure wearing an oversized hoodie and standing on a balcony with a small dish in her hands. Conifer trees are visible in the distance. A crow peeks its head out from behind a neighboring wall. Final cartoon drawing in black ink on notebook paper of the big-headed, big-eyed figure wearing an oversized hoodie and standing on a balcony with a small dish in her hands. Conifer trees are visible in the distance. A crow peeks its head out from behind a neighboring wall.](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F185ee192-3e89-4773-8fa7-6ad9a3ef947d_4032x3024.jpeg)
Thanks for reading all the way to the end. If you have any suggestions for monster names or prompts for future 5-minute drawings, I am all ears.
*Just kidding. I will learn nothing from this.
I need this book! I have pen paralysis when it comes to drawing. I used to love drawing and painting, but I think that art school messed me up. Also, I have a grilled cheese day at least once a week :)