Upwelling

This is the chapter heading for Surfside Girls' first act, Upwelling. I wanted the viewer to be underwater, looking up at the kelp. It's a metaphor for possibilities. Stuff is surfacing- in the ocean upwelling is where the nutrient rich cold water hits the shelf and comes to the surface. All kinds of little things start feeding on it, and it provides a start for the food chain. When you're surfing, it's a sudden cold spot in otherwise warm water. In the book, it's where everything is setting up.

I kind of feel like that's life right now too. I'm graduating with my MFA, I have students graduating into the Wide World, taking their toolboxes of skills and trying to make it. We talked extensively about that today in my Cartooning and Caricature class. What the state of things is, and where can you fit into it. Publishing is changing, print is changing, there are simultaneously less and more opportunities. I think the best we can do as artists is to keep learning, keep the skills sharp, be kind, and say yes to opportunities. And enjoy the ride. It is the best job in the world.