Deadlines

Through a weird confluence of events, I've had this super-easy day today. Jerry Scott's been out of town and I've finished all the Zits work I had on my drawing board. Somehow I've cleared my countertop of odd jobs and pro bono commitments and even caught up on my mailing and, well, whatever that pile of stuff that's usually on my desk is all about. All I had to do today is one editorial cartoon, and I got that idea in the shower this morning.

So it's 4:00 and I still haven't done it. I've stared at my empty email box all day, checked out some blogs and websites, exchanged some messages with friends.. and now face a mini-panic to get my cartoon done. What's that about?

It hits me again that without deadlines, my worst enemy and greatest friend, I would have accomplished nothing in my career. I can perform at almost any level if I'm told I have to.

I used to tell people that if, when I started this job, my editor had told me I had to draw five cartoons a day, I would have done that. Or, if he'd told me I had to draw one cartoon a month, I'd have groaned and struggled to get it done. It's all a matter of what you have to do.

And right now, yikes!, I have to draw.