Yes, I am a professional cartoonist/animator/caricaturist.  Yes, I want to make more money at this.  Yes, I want more people to enjoy my work enough to want to pay me.  And yes, I'm happy that Edward Zellen and I are working on "Afghanistoons", Afghan proverbs illustrated with my cartoons.  And yes, my main motivation for cartooning was love of doing the art.

So why am I feeling scared all of a sudden?  Not frightened out of my wits, but just feeling a sense of mild fear.  It's because my dreams are coming true--it's REAL!  I'm not just imagining it!  But because it's real, things can go wrong.  Doing "Afghanistoons" will bring me a whole bunch of new viewers to like my work but also more people to dislike it.  And now I have to deal with publicity:  A local PBS station reporter contacted me to talk about this new project.  Great--but scary!

I'm just being yanked out of my "comfort zone"--and it's tough!  But to move forward like I want to I have to leave the familiar and comfortable behind and take on the new and unfamiliar in front of me.  And I must pick and choose which new and old parts will go into my life and work.  Difficult but doable.

D.K. Upshaw, you are on your way.  Enjoy the journey!