"random new york", 1998

Nov 5, 2009

I drew this one in early 1998, during my first months of living in Manhattan.

I liked all those intense, late-night random conversations with all sorts of equally random Manhattan people- especially at first- but of course, after a while they all start to sound the same.

This is the kind of drawing one does sitting on a New York barstool, when one is not liking one’s day job nearly well enough. That was my situation at the time, anyway.

If today I met my younger self from back then, I’d say to him, “You’re just paying your dues, Kiddo. Frickin’ get over yourself…”

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Skyle

15 years ago

I just moved to NYC, so this is timely. I laughed reading this, because it’s something my favorite person in the world (my Nana) would always say: “get over yourself” Indeed it’s just what I needed to hear today 🙂

Tanya

15 years ago

LOVE this post… Yes, we do indeeeed do a great deal of ‘dues paying’ 🙂 till we figure out our passion and how to weave it into ALL that we do

@Little_Lawyer

15 years ago

I’m telling myself everyday to get over myself. I may try this in a New Yoiker accent in an attempt to make it work.

Excellent post, excellent blog – especially enjoyed your “living in Manhattan” piece. You’re a talented writer, thank you.

Jonathan Vaudreuil

15 years ago

When I graduated college I had been working in a lumber yard, and I told my best friend I was done paying my dues.

“Done? You aren’t done paying ALL your dues.”

So true, so true, and yet as a youngin’ I still have delusions of having arrived. I’ve arrived at the doorstep of my next adventure, that’s about it.

Adesh Sidu

15 years ago

Read somewhere,every rejection is incremental payment for dues. Consider you are ploughing it back in your work.

rascalpants

15 years ago

lived in NYC during the same time… completely relate to the feeling… but I disagree about the dues part, at least from a “management ignoring the underlings” point of view.

Some of the best ideas come from those individuals that have not yet become jaded by their working environment, and great companies understand this… and allow these fresh ideas to grow.

It is as simple as listening to these ideas and finding something positive to say about them… and on occasion, acting on them.

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