Have you ever wondered how a comic strip cartoonist creates enough funny content for a daily publication?

Each day our family still gets the actual newspaper. It is thrown onto our driveway or doorstep each morning. My husband loves the routine of getting the paper and sipping coffee to prep for the day. I guess touchscreen scrolling doesn’t have the same effect for him. So, the paper arrives each morning.

I like to skim the paper, but rarely read it cover to cover. I know I sound old, but sometimes the print is just too hard to read, and my eyes get tired. I do find myself pulled toward the comics for a quick giggle. If time is short, I go directly to the two one-frame cartoons. One black and white image is drawn with a caption at the bottom. It’s usually sarcastic or quirky or sometimes a good pun (oxymoron, right?). But they are quick and witty and easy to see.

I wondered how the cartoonist comes up with enough content for a daily entry? Wow! I recently started this blog and it’s all about wondering to see what ideas are generated. There is no other goal other than thinking. I can’t imagine having to make it funny too…and daily??

I guess there are lots of people producing content, funny or otherwise, every day. News media, social media, talk shows, TV series, movies, song writers all produce, some share, some meet their purpose or goal. Maybe these cartoonists have thousands of works-in-process and each day move them along bit by bit? I guess we all create thousands of opportunities for content all day by just participating in life – teachers, parents, kids, workers, retirees, leaders, followers, observers, listeners. It just isn’t shared with a wider audience yet. Or maybe it is but not to me? What are the parameters that make it ready to share? And to whom?

But whether it is creating a comic or participating in a discussion, when we have content, the following questions come to mind:

What do you do when too many ideas start flowing?

Or the ideas aren’t applicable?

Or are too complex?

Or too simple to fit the situation or boundaries?

Or too much silence or awkwardness?

Or no connection or obvious common ground?

Or imposter syndrome sets in?

It makes you wonder, How does one know how to sort through all of their potential content to select what to share that makes the desired impact?