Chapter 8: Sarah Andersen on composing cartoons, combating critics, and cultivating creativity

Jul 13, 2018

 

It’s getting tougher to grow up these days.

We’re surrounded by endlessly reflecting images of everyone else having fun without us. 

There are incredible pressures to achieve, to be ourselves and be different, to stand up and stand out, to follow big footsteps… and follow our hearts at the same time. 

A friend said to me the other day “When I was in high school and I’d stay at home on a Saturday night I assumed my friends did, too. Now my daughter sees all her friends out partying without her on social media. Right after they told her they were busy.”

It broke my heart. 

But it’s happening right alongside rising anxiety, loneliness, and depression rates around the world.

So what does coming-of-age look like these days? How do we keep our children safe, raise our families, tap back into our best selves, and stay focused on what matters most?  

These days I don’t think anybody is addressing those big questions better than Sarah Andersen, author of Sarah’s Scribbles.

Every one of her cartoons taps into the feelings of anxiety, awkwardness, and stresses of growing up in the digital age. It’s no wonder her work has gained millions of followers, scored numerous awards, and resulted in three bestselling comic books including her award-winning debut Adulthood is a Myth and her newest Herding Cats.

I am so excited to share my conversation with the incredible Sarah Andersen of Sarah’s Scribbles, recorded above the clouds at the very top of the western hemisphere’s tallest building. 

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

• How do we balance our desire to stand out and fit in?
• How can we tap into the purest versions of ourselves?
• How can we break free from the rigid rules of artwork and unleash our artistic freedom?
• Which systems enable online abuse and how can we curb this without provoking censorship?
• Why is it so difficult for artists to monetize their work online?
• Where should aspiring artists start if they'd like to start publishing their work?
• How do we balance our desire to learn more and contentment with where we're at?
• How do we connect with our most childlike parts of ourselves?
• How do we disappear into other worlds while remembering who we are?
• How do our family reading habits affect our own -- and what should we watch out for?
• What new distribution channels can we harness to share our art? And what are the risks?
• Which areas of online harassment can we be more aware of and how do we protect ourselves and our families?

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