In 1996, comic artist James Kochalka wrote a rather controversial letter to the Comics Journal. In part:

I just felt suddenly like I had to write and say craft is the enemy! You could labor your whole life perfecting your "craft," struggling to draw better, hoping one day to have the skills to produce a truly great comic. If this is how you're thinking, you will never produce this great comic, this powerful work of art, that you dream of. There's nothing wrong with trying to draw well, but that is not of primary importance.

TCJ collected many of the responses, and I highly recommend you read them. While I don’t entirely agree with Mr. Kochalka, his letter does address something I’ve struggled with for years: when to study and when to produce as an artist. When is it time to sharpen your craft and when is it time to put the books away and create finished work?

Today, we have instant access to great teachers. For an artist, there are hundreds of cheap or free classes taught by industry professionals. The opportunity to learn and improve is always available. Why start on a project today when you could take a class instead and make a better project tomorrow?

I won’t say I admire someone who ignores craft completely, but I do wish I had the courage to be satisfied with where I am today and get to work!