I’ve been at the publishing game for more years than I care to admit, coming into illustrating through the back door, first working as a writer/illustrator, creating my own artwork for my technical books.

I’ve gone from painting and pen-and-ink stuff to digital and have no regrets. I don’t miss the ink blots on clothing and furniture, nor the fumes and mixing of oils. Or cleaning clogged nibs and paint-clogged brushes. (I do miss the smell of turpentine and linseed oil.)

From time to time I meet fellow artists and writers who mourn the fact that they don’t seem to fit in anywhere.

My take on this? Perhaps it’s part of the the price the creative must pay, because (after all) one of the things that makes a person creative is the ability to to see things from new angles. That doesn’t always help you fit in when the crowd wants to believe in the latest fashion, or take part in groupthink.

Feeling alone or of having folks not “get it” when we present an idea is part of that price that has to be paid, especially if we’re to get that moment when at least a few people start to appreciate what we’re doing.

Do I feel sorry for these lonesome souls?

Well, sure. In part because of the “been there done that” routine.

But I also sometimes feel a little like kicking these young writers and artists in their virtual behinds. Keep working, “hang in there,” and try not to worry so much about what other people think. Attempt to embrace your differences, channeling them into creative energy.

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Duncan Long is a freelance book cover illustrator for HarperCollins, PS Publishing, Pocket Books, Solomon Press, Fort Ross, and many other publishers and self-publishing authors. See his cover illustrations at: http://DuncanLong.com/art.html
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