But Like Maybe Don't?: What Not to Do When Dating: An Illustrated Guide
Brand: Rodale Books
Color: Pink
Categories: Books, Comics & Graphic Novels, Graphic Novels



Dimensions: 6.29 x 0.83 x 8.29 inches
ISBN-13: 978-0593136607
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0593136608
Publisher: Rodale Books
Print length: 176 pages
Publication date: February 4, 2020
subtitle: Hardcover – February 4, 2020
author: Visit Amazon's Arianna Margulis Page search results Arianna Margulis
review: Editorial Reviews Review Praise for Arianna Margulis and But Like Maybe “Margulis is like a Carrie Bradshaw for the Instagram age. While the iconic HBO series tackled issues that were groundbreaking in the late 1990s and early 2000s, much of But Like Maybe [Instagram] revolves around a quintessentially 2020 problem: What happens when you’re dating someone but not, like, actually dating anyone? . . . Optimism is a lot easier when you realize you’re not alone in your dating woes. These cartoons will do just that.” — Elite Daily “Prepare to be obsessed with But Like Maybe.” — Cosmopolitan “Now that you have a book deal, can I get my sweatshirt back?” —Alex, ex-“boyfriend” “ But Like Maybe Don’t? is an illustrated journey through Arianna’s biggest dating mistakes, but it’s also a hopeful guide to what you need to get wrong in love before you get it right. And it’s good.” —Swipe Life “Instagram cartoonist Margulis goes analog with a laugh-out-loud-funny, illustrated guide to the don’ts of dating. She suffered so you won’t have to.” — Newsweek About the Author Arianna Margulis is currently navigating New York by way of small-town Michigan. As a relationship-obsessed fashion girl, she began doodling about her day-to-day dramas on the floor of her studio apartment and decided to expose her innermost feelings to the world. Thus But Like Maybe, the girl cult Instagram, was born. From painting street-sized murals and major brand collabs to enacting revenge on ex boyfriends, her imaginary best friend has created a world of opportunity she never thought possible. But most important of all, her drawings have brought her self-confidence, motivation, and love. Armed with a sharpie and fueled by margaritas, she’s ready to take on the world. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Foreword Have you ever looked up at the sky after having your heart smooshed and thought, What is wrong with me?! More times than you can count? Because LOL, same. Let me first begin by saying that NOTHING is wrong with you. You’re a gosh darn unicorn. Glitter runs through your veins. But you could be doing some stuff that’s wrong. Like I did. My name is Arianna Margulis and I’m a *reformed* serial dater. All of my many, many “relationships” from high school through about age thirty topped out at three months. My sweet spot was around three weeks. My friends like to joke that I’ve been on a date with every guy in Manhattan, and I gently remind them—don’t forget most of Brooklyn, too. How had I NEVER had a serious boyfriend? I always fell so hard, and too fast. I had no problem finding guys I liked, I just had problems keeping them around. I never understood it. But, somehow, I remained ever hopeful. I always thought, The next guy I meet could be my husband! Growing up in a small town in Michigan, that’s how I thought it was supposed to work. Meet someone in college, get married, have babies. Why was it taking me so gosh dang long? Now, for the first time, I can say I know what love feels like. (Reciprocated love.) It prompted me to think, What was different this time? And I realized the difference was me. Looking back, I truly believe that I reeked of insecurity and desperation. I brainwashed myself into believing that I needed to catch up with some timeline and constantly compared my romantic relationships to others around me. I was obsessed with the idea of love. So obsessed with the thought that my happiness lay with finding a man. I used to think, If I just get a boyfriend, I’ll finally be happy. Life would fall into place. I was fixated on finding someone and ignored everything else, especially myself. I admittedly had no serious personal goals, dreams, or aspirations besides “him.” I couldn’t discover or love me because I was too busy trying to find someone else to love. Let me take you back to one of my breakthrough moments (whimsical flashback music . . .) It was a gorgeous day at the tail end of May in New York City. The Tuesday after Memorial Day, to be exact. Why do I remember this? Well, I had just returned after a magical weekend with my then–“boyfriend.” Let’s call him . . . Cooper, which is obviously not his real name. disclaimer: All the names and some descriptive details in this book have been modified to protect these men from an onslaught of vodka sodas thrown by angry women. Cooper’s family lived in Maine, some adorable town with a strip of stores that look like cottages, a town where everyone knew one another by name. We had only been seeing each other a couple of months, but it had escalated quickly. I had never really met anyone’s parents before. I was on a cloud when I came back to the city because the report was in: his mom, dad, cousins, everyone loved me! Cooper had texted me that afternoon to meet him outside of his office on Fifth Avenue. We would go for a walk in Central Park. Swoon, how perfect. We held hands as we strolled but didn’t get very far when he asked to sit down on a park bench. He put his hand on my thigh. He looked at me. Was he going to tell me he loved me? Was this it? Was I finally going to hear the words with meaning for the very first time? He began, “I just want to say, you’re an amazing girl, but—” And there it was. My heart sank. Those words I had heard so many times before, and I knew what was to follow. This wasn’t a declaration of love. It was a good old-fashioned dumping. He went on to tell me that he wasn’t himself anymore, he needed to focus on work, and I had really thrown off his meditation schedule. That was the line that made me want to burst out laughing and crying at the very same time. I repeat, I threw off his meditation schedule. I ripped his hand off my thigh and told him that I never wanted to speak to him again. And I didn’t—until a year or so later, when I found myself drunkenly yelling at him at a night club circa 3 a.m. But more on that later. I walked to Fifth Avenue and dramatically screamed, “TAXI!!!,” leaving him in the dust. (I’d always wanted to do that anyway.) I could still show you the exact park bench where it happened. I celebrate this story because, for the first time, I didn’t wallow. I laughed, and I used the breakup (sorry, okay, dumping) as fuel. I threw myself into a creative venture. I started doodling all sorts of funny breakup toons. I started reflecting on all of the stories that came before. The pain of the past was beginning to turn into pleasure. It was an epiphany! The irony is, by sharing my insecurities and horror stories, I was able to laugh at myself. I started to enjoy my journey and all the frogs I kissed. Or, all the frogs that went leaping away from me. I was creating something from pain, something I valued way more than a boyfriend. I was making something that I was proud of and sharing it with the world. I turned my broken heart into art. I learned to love me first (*cheese alert*), which I believe is the key to loving someone else. Oh man, did it take A LOT to get me to this point. As you continue to read, you’ll see that I have no business writing a dating guide. Nothing I did ever worked. I have no hot tips on how to reel him in. I have no secret potions or spells. (Wouldn’t that be nice?) What I can offer you, though, is where I went wrong. Where I went oh-so-very-embarrassingly, wow-really-tho? wrong. I have stories. Lots and lots of stories. No dos, just don’ts. I kind of think that’s what I discovered. There’s no reeling anyone in. There’s no trickery. There’s just you, being yourself. Someone will see you doing your thang and say to himself or herself or their gender-non-binary self, “I want to be a part of their world.” Where we go wrong is when we don’t trust that that’s even possible, so we start trying to make it happen. You get a PhD in emojis and read receipts. You ascribe magical powers to certain tops and lip glosses. You pretend to be really into rock climbing despite your crippling fear of heights. This book is about helping you to COOL IT. And a note about gender. Since I’m a woman who dates men, my stories are from that perspective, but dating is dating, and love is love. I think these are some pretty universal experiences. Whoever you are and whomever you love, this book is for you. Girls who date girls also do the seductive slow fade, boys who date boys also sometimes move across the country to surprise a summer fling (LOLZ, more on that later), and everything in between. Stop chasing, get reading, and start loving on YOU. I want you to enjoy and learn from my mistakes. I want you to laugh, cringe, and relate to them. AND THEN I WANT YOU NEVER TO DO THEM AGAIN, OKAY??????? Read more