If there’s anyone out there who’s never felt like an imposter, or suffered from FOMO (fear of missing out), or struggled with self doubt, I sure would like to meet them.
Yet, just because these are common human experiences, it doesn’t make it any easier to deal with when they happen to you. (Can I get an a-men?!)
In 2017, for the 100 Day Project, Portland-based cartoonist Lucy Bellwood penned her own demon in a series of 100 comics. Those illustrations have now become a book titled 100 Demon Dialogues.
In the forward she writes, “Back in 2012, entering my first year as a full-time freelance cartoonist, I hit an art rut. Trying to shake things up, I doodled a picture of a tiny, taunting inner imp who apparently believed I’d never make anything of myself.”
“He cropped up time and time again over the next five years — when things were going well and I was worried I’d lose everything, or when things were going poorly and I thought it’d never get any better. Each comic I drew about him brought a little more humor or clarity to our relationship, but I still felt like I was at his mercy,” she continues.
“Then, in April of 2017 I set out to complete my second 100 Day Project, a
themed challenge in which participants do something creative every day for 100 days. Spanning just over three months, it seemed like the perfect chance to really dig into what was going on with this little jerk and get a handle
on how to banish him for good.”
Her project resonated with people of all walks of life. Here’s a taste:
100 Demon Dialogues goes on sale June 19 but is available to pre-order now for $14.99 (paperback) or $7.99 (Kindle). Portlanders can meet Bellwood at the book’s release party on June 4 at Ford Food & Drink.
In addition to the book, she’s got some cool demon-themed schwag and prints including this plushie for $25. I suggest making poking it with pins like a voodoo doll when self doubt starts creeping in.
Previously: Sailor tattoos decoded and Comic about three weeks on an oceanographic research vessel