The following entry was originally posted on www.oaktreecomics.com, Nov. 25th, 2020.
Part of the Oak Tree Comics' philosophy is to share our creative process with you so you can learn from it and apply it to your own creativity. This comic was inspired by the kindness of a friend and by the activism of Brianna Noble.
Where does your imagination come from?
When my friend reached out in May of 2020, I had just experienced an upsetting setback that made me want to give up on my imagination and quit writing. My friend sent me a postcard (on the right) to encourage me to persevere. He said the postcard reminded him of me. "My whimsical spirit," he said.
I believe adversity is often an opportunity in disguise. If you keep your eye(s) open, you can find a way forward — sometimes, for the better. For years, I told anyone who would listen that I wanted to write children's literature. But I never focused the entirety of my energy in that direction until now. If it weren't for the adversity I faced in May, there would be no Oak Tree Comics!
I find my ideas often come from a combination of self-reflection and observing what's happening in the world. A month after my friend sent me the postcard, Brianna Noble rode her horse to a San Francisco BLM protest.
To me, Noble's powerful pose speaks to her inner strength. In it, I see an example of how to rise up in response to the greatest adversity we face as a country. How do we react to systemic racism? I think it starts with seeing. We must look for ways to take action, speak up, persevere, and change the world so it aligns with our vision of a better future.
