GOING FOR THE GUSTO

Not long ago I went to an event where my friend, Olivia Trimble, gave a presentation. Olivia's a sign painter who has become an important presence and catalyst in our local arts scene. Until I heard her presentation I was under the assumption that she has an outlandish amount of gumption to go for the gusto. In actuality, she's scared AF. At the event she spoke about fear; she's always scared. She's scared when she's up on the ladder working on a mural, and she's scared about how her work will be perceived.

Sign painter, artist, and total badass, Olivia Trimble.

All I can say is, WHAT A RELIEF! (I mean... no need to be scared, Olivia. You're a boss ass bitch.) Olivia's an artist who is taking care of business and getting all of the shit done with every appearance of total confidence and self-love - and she gets scared? Not just a little scared, either. She gets scared a lot every time she pushes forward with her work. Coincidentally, so do I.

Me reading the test copy for my new comic book, Brushwork. It'll be available to buy in June, andI couldn't be more scared.

The idea of fear has been swirling around in my brain lately. I didn't realize how much so until Olivia spoke at that event. This year I've set a lot of artistic goals for myself, but I've also been terrified to move forward with my projects and ambition. Putting one's work into the world takes a fair amount of faith that things will be okay, or, in my case, as much distraction as you can handle so that you don't have to think about it.

A sneak-peek at the first page of my Secret Project.

There's a secret project I'm currently working on. I'm having a lot of fun playing with fear and anxiety in it. Ironic, right? I'm scared of making it, completing it, and sharing it with people, and I'm scared of the project's worth (what if it has none?). I'm scared to have the gumption to go forward with all of the gusto, but when it comes down to it, maybe that's what being a boss ass bitch is all about.

Original animation by Super Deluxe for PTAF's song, Boss Ass Bitch. Video taken from YouTube.