Well, as 2009 draws to close, and the first decade of the 21st century ends with it we’re forced to stop and take note of all that has occurred over the last 10 years.

I’m forced to accept that the last decade had been, for me at least, concerned with evolution, education, awareness, challenge, change and acceptance. I’m going to be 30 in 29 days, and I believe that I’m now at the point, finally at point that I know what I want to do and how I have to do it. I used to ask myself: why didn’t I simply do the things I wanted to do? Why would I go out of my way to avoid doing the things that I’ve known for years I’ve been up here to do? Was it avoidance? Self esteem issues? Environmental conditions? All of the above?

I don’t believe it was any of the aforementioned. I believe you have to be at certain point in your life and have encountered certain things and have had certain experiences before you can actually start being creative. I believe that you had to either grow into or change yourself into the person you want to become before you can start doing the things you want to do. All the creative people we admire and respect didn’t start doing what they’re famous for straight off the bat. They had to be become the people they were going to be for the rest of their lives. The Miles Davis’ (or insert any famous individual of the last 3000 years) we all know and love wasn’t born the Miles Davis' we know and love. They had to become them.

We have to build ourselves into the people we want to become. This doesn’t happen over night. It takes a lifetime and it’s process which never stops.

Well, it’s been almost nine years since that day in sunny September that I decided to get back on the creative horse. Or rather, events conspired in my favour to remind me why I’m here and that it’s not to be a bloody C++ coding monkey!! And only now do I feel confident enough and have learned enough and have lived enough to start transforming myself in the man human being that I want to become.

2010 and the new decade that come into existence at the stroke of midnight this evening signal not only a new year and a new decade. It signals something more important for all of us.

It signals another chance for us to get it right.

Draw a line in the sand and say: I was that person but I’m not that person anymore. Begin the metamorphic process. Start the change. Become who you want to be. Because if I can do it, I’m quite sure you can too.

We mortals have only one true purpose on in this life. And it’s more of a responsibility than a purpose: It’s to leave the world a better place then it  was when we entered it. So not too much weight on our shoulders then, huh? :)

Your future is bright. But only if you choose to make it so. See you in the next decade. As you me..shit...I’m so excited I can hardly contain myself:)
© J.C.Cole 2009-2010
2008 was the year that I finally got over my hang ups and committed myself mind, body and soul to creating that which has given so much joy and inspiration throughout my life: a comic. Though it was ropey and badly drawing in places, it was a firm start.

A thing that existed in my head now existed on paper.  A physical thing that other people could see and hold in their hands and criticise.  This was the single most empowering thing that I've ever done in my life

Much more next year


2008 was the year that I could actually see improvement in my work.  I could see who far I had come from that day waaaaaay back in summer 2002 at Warren Ellis signing at Forbidden Planet when I decided to start drawing again.  It been a long long road., there are still miles to go.

2008 was the year that I accepted that it okay to draw completely differently to everyone else.  That you don't have to conform to a certain art style.  That as long as you have a firm understanding of the foundations. you can as unique and iconoclastic as you wish.

2008 was the year the Ashley Wood, Sean Phillips, Jae Lee, D'israeli, Alison Bechdel and Nihei Tsutomu had their hands firmly in my pocket.  I think I've got more manga by Nihei Tsutomu than anyone else in the UK!!

2008 was the year I discovered Milton Caniff, Sergio Toppi amongst many, many others.

2008 was the year that I read my first Stephen King book and cursed myself for not have read any of his work before.

2008 was the year I realised that good art takes time.  That something the process of discarding a finished drawing that doesn't work, although it looks nice and you like it get you closer to something that does work.

2008 was the year that I took my writing as seriously as my art.

2008 was the year I finally came out of the closet as a trekkie:)

2008 was the year that I was more strapped for cash than any other year previously:  I REALLY, REALLY didn't like that.

2008 was the year that I saw the would change and history happen before my very eyes.

2008 was the year that I stopped attending comic conventions.  No more conventions until I've got shit to show.

And that's that.

Good luck to us all in 2009.  We're all going to need it.

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Joseph Elliott-Coleman

March 2020

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