Life on Earth
Today we welcome the talented Adam Finlay as our guest blogger. Adam’s been with us from the beginning, contributing eloquent and enlightened comments and teaching us all new words 
. We thought it was time he stepped out from behind the comments box and into the limelight, to tell us about why small business owners are artists in their own right.
When musician-turned-actor Glen Hansard accepted the 2008 Academy Award for Best Original Song (‘Falling Slowly’ from the film Once) he told the audience, and by extension the world I suppose, ‘This is amazing. Make art. Make art.’
Once, about a struggling Irish singer/songwriter, was made on a tiny budget and its critical success – and Hansard’s Oscar – were mighty unexpected; indeed, ‘amazing’.
How is this relevant to a cartoon of the Devil performing hellish (sorry) stand-up comedy to a damned (sorry!) miserable audience?
(This image is also the January cartoon for my 2010 Life on Earth Calendar.)
Well, my nascent small business creating cartoons for worldwide syndication is very much at the ‘Make art’ stage. My ideas haven’t won a Best Original Artwork Oscar yet, or whatever the cartooning equivalent of an Oscar is – in fact, they haven’t even turned a profit. That’s a bold revelation for a blog about succeeding in small business, and it’s a hard truth, if you consider the following timeline.
Life on Earth Cartoons began in 1999, when I saw a cartoon stuck on a friend’s fridge in Sydney and remarked, ‘That would be funnier if …’
My friend laughed and agreed. She then tolerated me as I disgorged a dozen more ideas quick smart. Inspiration came and went, but after a couple of years I had hundreds of rough sketches. So much so that a silly capacity for non-sequiteur started to become a real idea for a bigger project.
Because I draw like a brick (I just think the cartoons up) I had to find an artist who matched what I saw in my head. After four ‘false’ starts across four years I finally found the remarkably talented Tim Molloy, who brought to visual life all the ideas you’ll see in the gallery on the Life on Earth web site (and there’s plenty more in production).
As we slowly started to build a portfolio, I decided to publish a calendar, simply for the fun of putting some ideas out into the world. The first LOE calendar was published in 2007; this year’s calendar will be the fourth edition.
Apart from some modest sales, everything so far has been developmental. Time, energy, minor (but relatively significant) dollars. Seth Godin might call this process The Dip, where I’ve put in the time but the payoff is yet far. He may be right. Certainly I’ve invested plenty of emotional, temporal and financial energy into an already-10-year project.
Why?
I like my ideas. They make me smile. I like creating for the fun of it. I like having faith in my unique (silly, odd) perspective. It brings me focus and peace. It’s a commitment, even if only to saying ‘I will’, then doing as I say.
I think these are the qualities that fire small business; that keep us going through the long, difficult periods where success isn’t even on the radar. Where we’re just doing what we do because we like to make art.
So whatever your art is, make it.
Adam Finlay , Life on Earth Cartoons
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Fabulous stuff, Adam. I agree with Megan that it’s high time you wrote for us. And let me just add to her intro that you’ve played a pivotal editorial role on many of my posts. So pivotal that ALL my writing has improved markedly. Many thanks!
Thanks also for this candid snapshot of your journey. I like to think this blog is about living and working in small business. If we could only table our success stories, it’d be slim, boring pickings indeed.
I love your cartoons and your calendars. I’ve bought them, scribbled on them, given them to clients and used them to mark the days to my next holiday. They never fail to raise a smile, so I exhort our readers to do themselves a favour and BUY one.
Anyway, Ad; cheers x 3 and thank you very much for being part of our youbeaut blog. P.
Great post Adam,
In fact could Paul please advise how we can all purchase these wonderful calendars as they make fantastic Christmas gifts. On the weekend my daughter asked me where the new Life on Earth calendar was as the 2009 version has held pride of the place on the family pin board.
With passion comes inspiration which drives creativity which in turns provides the energy to create something truly worthwhile. I have been playing with my surf brand Ozone Surf Australia for a decade, unfortunately in fits and starts around my commitments but the passion never dies. LOE is the same and the results show it.
This is truly the definition of a great business idea.
Forget cute kittens, generic scenery, swimsuit models (well maybe not swimsuit models, it’s OK to have 2 calendars afterall!) and sports cars or commercialised rubbish for something original, clever and funny go the Life on Earth calendar. I will be buying them, they are great!
Onya, Malcolm! Buy it here:
http://www.lifeonearthcartoons.com/files/calendars.htm
The more you buy, the cheaper they get.
Many thanks indeed to Megan, Paul and Malcolm for the kind words, and the pump up.
I’d be interested in this forum’s view on this: I eschew the sales pitch … whenever I find myself including copy like ‘Perfect for Christmas’ or ‘Great value’ or ‘Selling fast’ (or whatever) I resile, with the view that the consumer can do as they please without my exhortation.
What do you think? Do small business owners need the sales pitch, or do we let our work speak for itself?
I think one of the advantages of being an artist / small business owner is that, if we followed consensus, we’d never get anywhere – so we follow our noses.
That said, perhaps I cut mine to spite my face?
Your thoughts welcomed …
Speak or Zing? The eternal question! I feel your pain, Ad. Where’s Winno when you need him?
Good onya Adam
And hi folks
Mate, I’m at year one and effectively starting again $30,000.00 worse of than I did when I started last year.
In the eyes of many I may be viewed as being a failure, because my business failed. But did it? I don’t think so…I learned heaps and feel a hell of lot better than I would’ve had I not had a go…and I’m not dead yet and I have an idea that I can rebuild upon…
You have built something excellent, and it is still alive. I would say that as long as you can get up in the morning wanting to do more of what your doing, then keep doing it.
As for the sales pitch? Do what feels right mate. If there’s one thing I did succeed at in a relatively short period of time, it was building a brand. Of course it wasn’t globally recognised, but it was recognised and importantly, remembered by the folks that had contact with it; and from all accounts I backed up that brand well with my own actions and attitudes. I simply acted in accord with the spirit of that brand, which was easy for me because it was something I created. It was therefore a matter of personal integrity for me.
Have you done a sales pitch cartoon?
Cheers
Stephen G
Hey Stephen
Many thanks for your thoughts here. I guess the rule of thumb for one’s attitude to failure is that Edison went through 1000 crap light bulbs before he invented one that worked. Although, I suppose, wouldn’t you hate to spend decades inventing the right light bulb only to find you had a screw socket and not a bayonet? I hate that.
Anyway, I digress … yep, we must all keep on …
Haven’t done a sales pitch cartoon, but the idea has merit. Even though this is a long-term project, I still feel like I’m at the start, so we’ll see what unfolds …