Persistence
Oct 30, 2008 General Nonsense |
The first time I ever tried to get a cartoon published, it was a submission to New Yorker magazine, around 1987. New Yorker is considered the most prestigious publication on Earth for a cartoonist. They rejected me with a form letter. But I never released on the goal of getting a comic in that publication. This week I finally achieved my goal. Well, sort of:
http://www.newyorker.com/services/referral?messageKey=ef1f47a74daa0ebb224178d474ae0e40
I never really let go of a goal. That's not always a good thing, since all of my unfulfilled goals gnaw on me from within. But it sure feels delicious when one of them wanders in from the wilderness.
Three and a half years ago, when I lost my voice to spasmodic dysphonia, I set my goal on not just beating this incurable condition but ending up with a voice that was better than it had been before I got the problem. My original voice was a bit nasal, and I had a habit of mumbling. If you're going to have a goal of defeating an incurable condition, you might as well add some extras. I wanted my next voice to be better than it had ever been.
As I have written before, I had surgery in July with Dr. Berke at UCLA, who pioneered a procedure to fix this sort of voice problem. It was supposed to take 3-4 months from the day of the operation before a good voice returned. Sure enough, right on cue, this is the 3.5 month mark, and my voice is about 90% functional for most purposes. (I can't shout yet, and by the end of the day it is a bit hoarse.) Still, it's frickin' amazing.
Over the next year, my voice is expected to improve further. But that's not good enough. I'm going to put some serious work into making my new voice better than it ever was. It might take me twenty years, but I'll get there.
Votes: +9
Comments
User Name: tenor2
Jan 26, 2009
0
Hi, Scott--
I'm very happy to hear of the return--even stronger than before--of your voice. I'm a writer working with Toastmasters Magazine, and the editors have asked me to contact you about exactly that. Would you be willing to do an interview with me about the adjustements you've had to make during the process of losing, and then regaining, your voice? The following from the editors will explain a bit more:
"...Kind of looking at what it's like to lose your voice pretty much completely -- how do you communicate with people? And in Scott Adams' case, how did that affect his work? (i.e. , did it make him more creative in his cartoons, since that was his main voice now? Did it give him a different perspective on life, and on the issues
he was drawing and writing about?)
"Also, what's the process now that he's trying to regain his voice? Does he need to re-learn how to talk, communicate, etc.?"
And, of course, we're very interested in hearing about the importance of keeping a sense of humor about it all, and how that likely helped you along the way.
What say you? I'm available nearly every day at patrickmott@roadrunner.com.
Many thanks in advance for your kind consideration.
All the best,
Pat Mott
I'm very happy to hear of the return--even stronger than before--of your voice. I'm a writer working with Toastmasters Magazine, and the editors have asked me to contact you about exactly that. Would you be willing to do an interview with me about the adjustements you've had to make during the process of losing, and then regaining, your voice? The following from the editors will explain a bit more:
"...Kind of looking at what it's like to lose your voice pretty much completely -- how do you communicate with people? And in Scott Adams' case, how did that affect his work? (i.e. , did it make him more creative in his cartoons, since that was his main voice now? Did it give him a different perspective on life, and on the issues
he was drawing and writing about?)
"Also, what's the process now that he's trying to regain his voice? Does he need to re-learn how to talk, communicate, etc.?"
And, of course, we're very interested in hearing about the importance of keeping a sense of humor about it all, and how that likely helped you along the way.
What say you? I'm available nearly every day at patrickmott@roadrunner.com.
Many thanks in advance for your kind consideration.
All the best,
Pat Mott
User Name: lostandloster
Nov 2, 2008
0
Hey great post. I love hearing about really successful people getting rejection letters. It keeps me in the game as I am only now beginning to pitch to magazines myself. Thanks for sharing this and I loved the story about your voice.
LOST AND LOSTER
:)
http://lostandloster.blogspot.com/
LOST AND LOSTER
:)
http://lostandloster.blogspot.com/
User Name: Magnesium
Oct 31, 2008
0
Are you sure that Maurice Sendak isn't one of your subconscious influences? It almost looks like Dilbert is the grown up version of the boy who knew where the wild things are.
User Name: BoscoH
Oct 31, 2008
0
I dunno Scott. Maybe you just have a face for radio and a voice for blogging. I bet if you put your mind to it, you could be one of the greatest bloggers.
User Name: HumilityRocks
Oct 31, 2008
0
Scott,
It is a random suggestion, but learn to sing and go get good vocal instruction.
If you have an ear for pitch at all, you'll enjoy it... and it is literally amazing what you'll be able to learn to do with your voice.
Operatic or classical singers actually use their skulls as a resonating chamber and by thinking in different ways you can alter the sound / quality of your voice by pushing the sounds to different parts of your skull, or sinus cavities, etc... plus you learn to breath differently and all sorts of other things that are counterintuitive to "normal" speaking / singing.
Sounds freaky and it kind of is. But when you hit it, it feels like you could knock someone down with your voice... and I'm betting that these things could apply to speaking in certain contexts as well.
Plus, the thought of a hot female vocal instructor getting you to sing show tunes, just makes me happy.
It is a random suggestion, but learn to sing and go get good vocal instruction.
If you have an ear for pitch at all, you'll enjoy it... and it is literally amazing what you'll be able to learn to do with your voice.
Operatic or classical singers actually use their skulls as a resonating chamber and by thinking in different ways you can alter the sound / quality of your voice by pushing the sounds to different parts of your skull, or sinus cavities, etc... plus you learn to breath differently and all sorts of other things that are counterintuitive to "normal" speaking / singing.
Sounds freaky and it kind of is. But when you hit it, it feels like you could knock someone down with your voice... and I'm betting that these things could apply to speaking in certain contexts as well.
Plus, the thought of a hot female vocal instructor getting you to sing show tunes, just makes me happy.
User Name: tamsnod27
Oct 31, 2008
0
Wow, webgrunt, if they were truly that awful, I am sorry I never attempted to get some! Man, what a great halloween snack--taste these---"So bad, it's scary!" I wonder what special powers the elimination track of hyena would bestow on these rotten potatoes! Great stuff, would read again!
User Name: rebent
Oct 31, 2008
+1
woo look at me I'm scott adams I have voice problems and I am going to talk about them for the next ten years because I am such a big deal! feh feh feh
User Name: Zowie
Oct 31, 2008
0
User Name: mohrorless2
Oct 31, 2008
0
Congrats on the (apparent) success of your surgery!
When can we expect to see you show off your new improved voice on Broadway?
When can we expect to see you show off your new improved voice on Broadway?
User Name: ScottBennett
Oct 30, 2008
0
Glad to hear the surgery is working so far. I've been very reluctant to pursue irreversible surgery. But just like you experienced, I've been struggling maintaining the Dr. Cooper method. Maybe I'll wait another year and see if this holds up for you. :)
User Name: jcvesq
Oct 30, 2008
0
"If at first you don't succeed, try again! If you fail, quit. No need to make a fool of yourself."
W.C. Fields
W.C. Fields
User Name: rji1963
Oct 30, 2008
+2
Scott,
Glad to hear that your voice is coming back. I hope it stays. Please keep us up to date. My brother has the same condition. Every update you post I pass along.
Bob
Glad to hear that your voice is coming back. I hope it stays. Please keep us up to date. My brother has the same condition. Every update you post I pass along.
Bob
User Name: ssk
Oct 30, 2008
0
Hi Scott,
Hope you can scream louder than before and may all your dreams come true, but this refers so much to your recent blog entry about , not being content with what you have, and being ambitious as a result. With someone of your intellect and by the way you understand this world [ Gods Debris], you surely must have wondered if Happiness is only a pursuit and never a destination. It is perfectly natural to have ambitions and goals and all that is fine, but this discontent , can it not be the reason there is unhappiness in peoples lives? Can there be progress or satisfaction without struggling to achieve things for yourself ? Can a person simply realize the purpose of his life, and follow it with remarkable dedication regardless of the result? You have done this already, but still you don't cease to have goals.
On the surface everyone is quick to say they have achieved a lot and hence they are obviously happy, but I want to know, does achieving a million things ever make you happy? Does it truly make sense to have impossible goals and convince oneself that the discontent is the reason the progress has happened? Can there be action without discontent or ambition? Can there be a blissful human being?
Gods Debris is a remarkable book because it resonates with the deepest philosophies in the eastern world, yet the means for its realization is totally different.
I guess this comment makes little sense, but its always good to speak to you.
Get well soon.
Hope you can scream louder than before and may all your dreams come true, but this refers so much to your recent blog entry about , not being content with what you have, and being ambitious as a result. With someone of your intellect and by the way you understand this world [ Gods Debris], you surely must have wondered if Happiness is only a pursuit and never a destination. It is perfectly natural to have ambitions and goals and all that is fine, but this discontent , can it not be the reason there is unhappiness in peoples lives? Can there be progress or satisfaction without struggling to achieve things for yourself ? Can a person simply realize the purpose of his life, and follow it with remarkable dedication regardless of the result? You have done this already, but still you don't cease to have goals.
On the surface everyone is quick to say they have achieved a lot and hence they are obviously happy, but I want to know, does achieving a million things ever make you happy? Does it truly make sense to have impossible goals and convince oneself that the discontent is the reason the progress has happened? Can there be action without discontent or ambition? Can there be a blissful human being?
Gods Debris is a remarkable book because it resonates with the deepest philosophies in the eastern world, yet the means for its realization is totally different.
I guess this comment makes little sense, but its always good to speak to you.
Get well soon.
User Name: nWoKevin
Oct 30, 2008
0
User Name: tsarna
Oct 30, 2008
+2
Glad to hear your voice is improving!
I have to admit though, every time I read about your voice problems I have a hard time imagining it. I guess this is because I figure that you and Dilbert would sound the same, and of course Dilbert sounds exactly like Daniel Stern. Whenever I read your columns, in my head they sound a lot like a "Wonder Years" narration.
Heck, if the treatment hadn't worked, maybe you could have just hired him to follow your around and do voice overs for your real life. It would have fooled me.
I have to admit though, every time I read about your voice problems I have a hard time imagining it. I guess this is because I figure that you and Dilbert would sound the same, and of course Dilbert sounds exactly like Daniel Stern. Whenever I read your columns, in my head they sound a lot like a "Wonder Years" narration.
Heck, if the treatment hadn't worked, maybe you could have just hired him to follow your around and do voice overs for your real life. It would have fooled me.
User Name: charlesfunnish
Oct 30, 2008
0
Excellent post.
On another note, I came across this document today:
An Examination of Obama’s Use of Hidden Hypnosis Techniques in His Speeches
Perhaps this is what you were referencing in your hypnosis post a week or so ago? And no, I haven't read all 67 pages.
On another note, I came across this document today:
An Examination of Obama’s Use of Hidden Hypnosis Techniques in His Speeches
Perhaps this is what you were referencing in your hypnosis post a week or so ago? And no, I haven't read all 67 pages.
User Name: Will Von Wizzlepig
Oct 30, 2008
0
I have my own bizarre incurable condition which I have not been able to locate a name for online, and unfortunately, it's a learned response my subconscious seems to have picked up.
I had a job 15 years ago working on a forklift, the order picking kind where you go up in the air, so you can get a box and put it on the forklift, instead of having to take everything down off the shelf just to get one box.
Understandably, the rig is not wiggle-proof, and, once up in the air, you must get used to standing on a wiggly surface, and also dealing with a shelf which may also be wiggly. It's not too tough to get used to.
Apparently, though, how my brain covered this created an annoying side-effect. If I am standing on solid ground, and a nearby object which should not be wiggly is wiggling- say, a table or bookshelf- then >I< feel like I am wiggling.
And it's entirely subconscious, so, I usually don't know if there's a wiggly piece of furniture near me or an earthquake for 2-3 seconds.
It's faded over the years, but it's still there.
I had a job 15 years ago working on a forklift, the order picking kind where you go up in the air, so you can get a box and put it on the forklift, instead of having to take everything down off the shelf just to get one box.
Understandably, the rig is not wiggle-proof, and, once up in the air, you must get used to standing on a wiggly surface, and also dealing with a shelf which may also be wiggly. It's not too tough to get used to.
Apparently, though, how my brain covered this created an annoying side-effect. If I am standing on solid ground, and a nearby object which should not be wiggly is wiggling- say, a table or bookshelf- then >I< feel like I am wiggling.
And it's entirely subconscious, so, I usually don't know if there's a wiggly piece of furniture near me or an earthquake for 2-3 seconds.
It's faded over the years, but it's still there.
User Name: webgrunt
Oct 30, 2008
0
Nuken4STP wrote:
"The way you wrote this blog today infers that you blame affirmative action for your not getting published in the New Yorker. Sad. You suggest that you should have gotten a real dark tan and made your screen name Mohamed."
I didn't see anything like that in the interview or in the post. Is this a joke?
"The way you wrote this blog today infers that you blame affirmative action for your not getting published in the New Yorker. Sad. You suggest that you should have gotten a real dark tan and made your screen name Mohamed."
I didn't see anything like that in the interview or in the post. Is this a joke?
User Name: elizabeth
Oct 30, 2008
0
since this post is somewhat health related, I'm curious if you have ever heard of the Weston A. Price Foundation... I'd suggest starting with the Myths & Truths link on the left...
http://www.westonaprice.org/splash_2.htm
http://www.westonaprice.org/splash_2.htm
