Three questions for cartoonist
Wes Molebash What is working for you? I don’t mean like “Three steps to achieving your dreams.” Good, because I can’t give you that. I still have a day job, but I’m making more money as a cartoonist than I’ve ever made. The thing you’re most passionate about might be what gets people’s attention. But the thing you’re going to make money for might be something different. I had to learn that afterwards. People kept asking me to draw stuff for them. Finally — it took a while — I realized, “That’s what’s making money. I have to figure out how to exploit that.”
Does your creative process ever feel like worship? I love the process ... I don’t know that I’ve ever viewed it as an act of worship, though. When I think of worship, I think of when I’m at church, the band is going, and I’m feeling that. But I guess that connection with God also happens when I’m drawing. I think about him; sometimes I pray. That’s a fun time. I guess if you wanted to be technical, I guess that’s kind of worship.
Photo by Cassidy Dawn Photography
How do you know when it would it be better to keep your creativity a hobby or a side project, rather than to try to make a living with it? Sometimes I wonder that. If the reason that my cartoons have never taken off in such a way that I’d be able to make a living at it, is because God knows I’d lose all interest in it. Let’s say Insert IMG takes off ... now there’s people with money invested. They’re going to want to have some say in how the cartoon looks. I wonder if there’s this aspect of “mo’ money, mo’ problems.” I think if you’re having more fun with it, that’s going to benefit whatever you’re doing. People will tell when you lose interest. — Chelsea Batten convergemagazine.com
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