Year Of Positivity
Using the new to make the better
New Year’s day always holds a mixture of feelings. I am never sure what to do with the day. One thing about the first of the year—a random day embued with way too much signifigance, I might add— is it has a feeling of new. Fresh. Starting with gusto (going to use gusto in a cartoon next week, stay tuned).
I started this newsletter in December of 2021; at the time I was unsure what it would be. It has evolved into a place that I am fully enjoying, a space for observation, humor, connection with others and reflections.
Over the two years of these daily missives, several regular features have evolved, and I look forward to keeping those going: the “I Saw This Person Today” live drawing on my iPad, the video set up in my studio to talk to you all and create on paper; the podcast with my husband and New Yorker cartoonist Michael Maslin where we talk shop and marriage; the podcast reading by me of captions from The New Yorker; political rants and drawings, and of course regular drawings that were published and unpublished. Sometimes I will do a history post, and sometimes I will share live drawings of events that I attend. My hope is that all of it is of interest, fun and occasionally insightful. I love sharing my unpublished drawings with you, The New Yorker rejects; your feedback on them is fascinating. The regular zoom gatherings will continue for paid subscribers, I really love getting to know you all.
As I have written before, the media landscape is changing all the time and I know it’s a cliche to say the world is moving fast. But it is. As we whine about change, there are people out there using the new to make the better. It’s a balancing act between those who simply are looking for profit or power and don’t care about the damage to others, and those who are working to use new technologies and ideas for good.
Platforms like this are helpful to us creatives. We find an audience and can communicate with our readers in thoughtful exchanges. I’m telling you it’s like a breath of fresh air. And I cannot say how much I appreciate the financial support from some of you. It’s freeing, allows me to think and create in unique ways—and along with your comments and cheering me on, I am emboldened. I did not expect that aspect of this, and it is wonderful.
This day of beginning, this January 1st, 2024, maybe can be a celebration of positivity. Together we will muddle through and change the world and get this country figured out and be its best. We will help each other see and feel and share. I’m ready to go.
Thank you for being here. Help me make this the best newsletter ever!
I love your material and am happy to be a subscriber. Most weeks I do a non-political (although I agree with your politics) mailing of cartoons and memes, along with commentary, to more than 3 thousand recipients who seem to like the mailing. The idea is just to make people laugh – which is a good thing in these times – and I use a lot of your material, probably more than anyone else’s. So thank you and please keep going!
“We are here to help each other get through this thing, whatever it is.” - Mark Vonnegut, when his dad, Kurt, asked “What is life all about?”
Thank you, Liza, for helping us get through this thing.