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December 30, 2005
On Lightning Rods
About a year ago, I was having some interpersonal problems at the dayjob. My boss, a really great guy who I respect immensely, pulls me into his office. I think, great, here it comes. Instead, he tells me:
"You're doing really well right now, Rob, and that's going to make people pay attention to you. There's going to be a lot of jealousy from some people, and that's something you're just going to have to get used to."
Those words have really stuck with me. It really put a lot of things in perspective for me that I just hadn't understood before. Every time in my life that I've excelled at something, I tended to get more sneers than cheers. People don't want to see you do well, because it makes them confront themselves.
It's one thing to react that way to folks who are just given something on a platter, but it's another when that person works hard and scrapes by to achieve.
I've run into that with my comix career very frequently as well. I work HARD at this stuff, folks. Lunchbreak at work? Drawing. Get home? Draw. Write. Correspond. Promote. Network. Facilitate. I live and breathe this medium. There's nothing I'm more passionate about in my life, sometimes to my own detriment, but god damn it, it's worth it. I love helping others to get their works done as well. I love raising the tide and allowing more boats to sail. That only helps me.
I got an email this morning, telling me that I'm unhealthy to be around. Well, then come on and catch my disease. I think the world would be a better place if it went pandemic.
We need more passionate people. We need more people striving for excellence. We need more people setting goals and achieving them. Catch it. Spread it.
Posted by Schamberger at December 30, 2005 06:30 AM