Problem: Article: The messages you tell yourself determine your perception of yourself, as well as your ability to accomplish your goals. If your inner dialogue is negative, you may become the greatest obstacle to your own success. Look for the following types of statements: "I'm not good enough." "Everyone knows I don't belong here." "I'll probably just fail again." "Everyone else is ahead of me/doing better than I am." "I waited too long/wasted too much time." Notice when your inner voice feeds you negative messages. When this happens, replace that thought with a positive message. Over time, the negative messages should diminish. As an example, you might notice this negative thought: "I'll never be able to finish a race that long." You could replace that with, "Everyone starts somewhere. If I work hard, train smart, and stick to it, I can accomplish my goal." It's normal to have fears, but they can hold you back if they're left unchecked. You need to figure out what you're afraid of so you can confront it. Question the reasons behind your fears, then face them head on to challenge their truth. Ask yourself questions like these: What am I afraid will happen? What in my past has made me afraid to put myself out there? Why do I think I will fail? What will happen if I fail? How can I overcome my fear? Trying to suppress your feelings won't make them go away. Instead, they'll just bubble beneath the surface waiting to explode. Let your emotions come and acknowledge how you feel. Then, release them. For example, you may notice you feel sad about losing a competition. Say to yourself, "I'm sad right now because I really wanted to win." Allow this feeling to pass. Don't let someone else's life become your measuring stick for yours. You'll always come up short because you only see the highlights in their life, not the daily struggles. No one's journey is the same as yours, so you can only compare yourself to you. Use the past version of you as your measuring stick. As long as you're improving upon yesterday, you're on the right track! For example, don't compare your life to what you see posted on social media. People usually post only their best moments and may even misrepresent how well they're doing. It's not a fair comparison!
Summary: Confront your inner dialogue that holds you back. Counter negative inner dialogue with positive self-talk. Determine the source of your fears about failure or success. Acknowledge your feelings without letting them control you. Stop comparing yourself to others.

Problem: Article: amusing tale or skits for your comic. Come up with a joke you want to share with the world. Scribbling down some basic dialogue for your characters may be helpful. Make use of subjects that interest you and what you find funny, then try to fit it into your own sense of humor. A lot of literary work comes from personal experience. Your past may be rich with stories you can tell. You can also put yourself in new situations to get more inspiration. For example, Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes is about a boy and his stuffed tiger. Scott Adams's Dilbert lampoons office culture. Ask yourself what age group your comic is meant for. Complicated jokes are more appropriate for teens and adults, for instance. Tone down the joke if you're writing for children. Before setting pencil to paper, make a final decision about your comic's subject matter. This is very important since it determines how you design the rest of your comic. Select a scenario that is easy for you to imagine. It may not seem laugh out loud hilarious yet, but it can be a good starting point. Even ideas that seem insignificant at first can turn out to be very funny. For example, imagine drawing a child pretending to be Superman. You can take this concept in many different directions. Once you have settled on the story you want to tell, think of who you need in the comic to tell it. Most short comics involve a limited number of characters, usually less than 3 or 4 at a time. The comic's story can be driven by the personalities of a few characters and how they interact. You do not need to have multiple characters. For instance, picture a child blowing bubble gum until it pops all over her. Her actions and reaction, driven by her personality, create the humor. If your comic is short, having a lot of characters can be overwhelming and obscure the writing. Keep your comic simple so it stays funny. Ask yourself what your characters are doing. You should have a basic idea of this from brainstorming funny ideas earlier. Expand on your idea before beginning to draw. Any characters you use should contribute to the joke presented in your comic. This may help you come up with more amusing situations or dialogue. Take into account the character's personality. Keep their actions true to their character. The reason doesn't have to be complex, but it does keep the humor cohesive. For example, a child may dress up as a Superhero because superheroes are fun and they want to fly. The setting may be a very important part of your joke. If this is the case, you will need to draw the setting into your panel. Close your eyes and try to imagine your characters in the location you chose. You should be able to see the background and any important plot details you need to draw in. If your character visits a zoo, for example, plan on drawing cages, animals, and possibly walkways and other scenery. If your comic can take place anywhere, having a specific setting isn't necessary. Many black and white comics use a white background. Color comics keep the background an unobtrusive color like blue. Think about when your comic takes place. The time of day, season, or year may not make a difference in some situations. For others, it can be very important. Many comics are funny because they address present-day issues that readers relate to. Also, your choice of time period can affect your comic's background. For instance, a comic set in autumn looks different than one set in summer. Instead of a bright, radiant sun, you may end up drawing piles of leaves. For example, Hagar the Horrible is about a viking. The setting is the Middle Ages, so you won't see cars, vending machines, skyscrapers, or computers laying around. Most funny stories can be told within 3 or 4 individual panels. Each panel gives you space to tell a part of the joke. The first panel sets up a situation, the second panel shows what happens, and the last panel explains what happens, completing the joke. Many short comics have a 3-act structure, similar to lots of books and plays. Having a beginning, middle, and end is a simple, classic way to arrange comics. Not all comics are in this format. Many good comics are 1 panel, such as those printed in magazines like The New Yorker and Women's World. Comics can also be much longer than 4 panels.
Summary: Brainstorm Choose a topic for your comic. Determine who will be in your comic. Come up with a reason why your characters are in the comic. Establish where the comic takes place. Choose a time period for the comic to take place in. Plot out how you will tell your story in a comic format.

Problem: Article: To cream butter and sugar, first let the butter sit out of the fridge for about an hour until it has reached room temperature. You want it to be soft, but not completely melted. Cut the butter into cubes and place it in a large bowl, using a wooden spoon to beat it until you've made a soft, even mixture and there are no chunks left. You can also use a mixer if you have one. Pour the brown sugar into the bowl and use the tines of a fork to press the sugar into the butter. Use the wooden spoon to mix the ingredients together until the mixture rises and is a light yellow color. Just place the cookie dough bites on a plate and stick them in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. You can also put them in the freezer for 10 minutes if you have a time constraint or you feel impatient. You can place the balls in the refrigerator or freezer to cool the chocolate coating.
Summary:
Cream the butter and brown sugar together. Refrigerate the balls until they're firm. Allow chocolate to cool.