Hello, it’s Adam, back with another letter of original art and perhaps an original idea as well. There are lots of new readers this month, you are very welcome!
I have a fun experiment I want to try with you and I’m looking for three volunteers, but you’ll need to be quick!…scroll down to find out more… ⤵️
First, some brief notes on failure
May has been a hard month for me on this new path I am treading: a month of disappointments.
The disappointments aren’t the hard part — life is full of ‘em; it’s been hard because these failures have triggered deep, ancient wounds and I have finally decided to sit down with these wounds and talk to them.
That’s been, and is, damn hard work.
Perhaps one day I’ll feel comfortable telling you about those old scars; but in lieu of that for now, the realisation I want to share is that it is only failure which can bring me to this place.
A video that performs surprisingly well doesn’t trigger anything except my narcissism; a video that flops so hard I would have done better shouting out of my window at passing traffic…that brings all the demons bubbling to the surface.
As a result, over the last few weeks I’ve had at least two profound revelations about the subconscious forces that drive my desires, my behaviours and my thoughts. I am steps closer to understanding what this thing called Adam really is.
And it leaves me rethinking art-making, not as the pursuit of the most streamlined, pain-free, clear-headed, efficient process followed by acclaim and reward; but as a bi-directional mess, full of friction, confusion and difficult feelings…through which the artist discovers the truth of themselves.
If you’re not failing, you’re not growing.
New work, May 2026
The Final Regrets of Glyndwr Michael
I’m excited to share this new short story which I wrote, drew and painted over 4 weeks. It’s a dark little piece but it hides an unexpected inspiring message about asking for what you want.
I’ve intentionally buried the message quite deep. After reading the story once, you’ll probably need to do some googling and then read the story again. Like one of those magic-eye posters, the message should leap out.
It’s also the first time I have made a comic intentionally for a screen as opposed to the page. The panels have smartphone dimensions - it should look good on any device.
By the way, if you’ve ever been curious about my short stories, there are now only 3 copies remaining of my two zine collections Biteguard Fever Dreams - snap ‘em up, quick!
The final chapter of Absolute Legend, To Be Fair
Chapter seven of my graphic novel is now online, meaning you can read the entire first act of the book for free.
It’s all I have drawn of the story. Nick, Ed, Ollie and Will may remain trapped in their nudist hostage situation forever if I decide to leave it here. Right now I am more excited by other projects.
If you want to see this story unfold then reply and let me know!
Two new videos
I made this video about the wisdom hidden in mythology and how it can guide artists on their creative journeys. It’s one of the best videos I’ve made in years. Unfortunately the YouTube algorithm couldn’t figure out what to do with it so it died a death. For now, it’s our little secret!
And I took this daft idea I wrote about back in February and made it into an even dafter video. It’s about the economics of creativity, a playful take on Kevin Kelly’s 1,000 True Fans.
A fun game!
The novelist and technologist Robin Sloan is always coming up with clever ideas that play with how digital and analogue technologies can interact (a bunch of which I have written about before).
His new project is a perfect example of this: Magic Postcards! Lovely risographic stationary with a programmable QR code on the back. The sender uploads a video only accessed via the postcard, which sends in the snail mail. As Robin explains it:
Scan the code, the video plays. There’s no app, no login, no subscription … this is really just a postcard! You buy it, you use it: just like a postcard. The experience is fast and light: just like a postcard.
I snapped a pack of these up as soon as they went on sale and I’m excited to try them out! So, I propose a fun game (which may sound reminiscent for those of you reading these letters back in 2019).
If you’d like to play, here’s what to do:
- Send me a prompt of some kind (it could be a question, a request, a provocation) via this form. You could ask about a part of my creative process, request a tour of my studio, ask for my opinion on something you care about…or something else!
- I’ll pick the three questions/requests that excite me the most. If it’s yours, I’ll email you asking for your postal address.
- I’ll record a private video response just for you, attach it to the card and drop it in the post.
- After days/weeks of anticipation, the postcard drops on your doormat, you scan the QR code and watch my video response to your question!
This is totally free - I’ll pay for the postage. I only have three postcards, so don’t delay! Here’s the form.
Expect the next (electronic) letter on or around the 29th June!
Until another Sunday soon,
