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Nov

28

Shying Away From Giving Talks

Filed Under Comics Artists, Creating Comics, Filipino Artists | 19 Comments

Up until recently I’ve generally accepted invitations to give talks at schools and universities in Manila, but over the last year or so it’s become difficult for me to accommodate invitations for various reasons. The main reason is probably this: I had been assessing myself and my skill at giving talks, and after several years of doing it, I really have to be honest with myself and say that I’m not really good at it. I guess I do the job OK enough, but I don’t think I’m as effective as I want to be. After every talk, I feel I could have done it better, and I really torment myself about it. I’ve decided to quit several times, but sometimes it’s hard to say no.

I guess the trigger that finally made me realize I don’t want to do this anymore was a recent invitation to give a talk at a school in Manila. Now when I’m invited, there are things I wish people would understand.

One, I would be coming from San Pablo City, in Laguna. That’s 82 kilometers away, around 2 hours or more of public transportation going to Manila via tricyle, bus, and at Manila perhaps LRT or Taxi, depending on where it is. It would be another 2 hours or more going back.

Two, since I’m coming from San Pablo for an hour or couple of hours talk at a school in Manila, it means I’m actually devoting an entire day including travel time. I will be stopping my work for an entire day, an entire day away from my drawing table. And since I’m in a business where you don’t get paid if you don’t work, that’s an entire day where I won’t earn my living.

Three, teaching is work. The professors of these students teach them and they get paid for it. I share my specialized knowledge and expertise to teach students what I know, but I do it for free.

So if you think about it, an invitation means I’m invited to stop working on my comics (which means less income for me), spend my own money to travel via a long bus trip to Manila, where I will work for free.

Now I don’t charge at all for talks like this. This is not about the money. I’m just trying to put some kind of perspective here. To make you understand exactly what i’m being asked to do, and what that entails.

So I told the group I don’t mind giving a talk. My only request was, I hoped they could give me a ride. I’m not exactly a really young guy anymore, and it’s becoming more difficult for me to commute long distances by bus. I think that’s only a fair request, in exchange for the things they’re asking me to give up and do. A ride from San Pablo to Manila and back. Since this is an exclusive school which I assume are populated with well off students and well off parents, I think it wouldn’t be a problem for them to spare someone to come get me do this job for them.

And you know what? They reconsidered their invitation. It seems they no longer want me to give a talk anymore.

Now that just made something snap in my mind. If I had gone along with this, they would thank me and think I’m such a nice guy, but I can’t help but feel I had just been taken advantage of. And I think I’ve come to that point and that age, where I have to draw the line and just say ENOUGH OF THIS. If they come away thinking I’m not so nice, well I don’t care what they think, or what anyone thinks. Call this EGO if you want, but if EGO means nobody gets to take advantage of me anymore, then I don’t care what you call it.

It doesn’t mean I don’t want to teach, or share my knowledge. It’s quite the opposite. If you look at this blog, you will find tons and tons of articles of advice, tips, and how tos on the art of creating comics. You just have to want to read it. It’s all here. And if you have any question about anything about the art of comics, you can just send me a message or post something at my Facebook page, and if you ask nicely (and aren’t intolerably pushy and demanding), I usually reply and offer my advice. To me that’s already teaching, and I do it for free.

Now that said, I wish to give some advice to schools and universities. I don’t know where the idea of hiring a specialist for a day to teach your students and don’t pay them for it came about. I’ve been thinking about it, and yeah, there seems to be something inequitable in this equation. You pay your professors to teach your students, and yet when you invite a specialist for a day of special education, you don’t pay them, and you don’t even offer to give them a ride for their trouble. I suggest you start. The artists won’t ask for it because artists are like that. They love to share what they know, and they would readily do it for free, as I have many many times. But for the things they do for you, I think it’s worth paying them for the things they can teach your students. Don’t wait for them to ask, because they won’t. Offer it. And I’m not talking honorarium. It’s nice when schools do offer it, but lots of times they don’t. Show them you appreciate their service, and the things they’re giving up just to share what they know. I think it’s only fair.

Comments

19 Responses to “Shying Away From Giving Talks”

  1. Meryl on November 28th, 2011 1:10 am

    Very well said, sir. I totally understood what you mean to say. Maybe you could just do a talk via skype next time? LOL kidding. :)

  2. Gerry Alanguilan on November 28th, 2011 1:16 am

    Skype… hehe. I’ll probably just do a series of videos at You Tube. I actually already have a couple of videos already there with tips for aspiring comics artists.

  3. Odin Sayson on November 28th, 2011 1:34 am

    I completely understood everything you said sir. I just realized that having a talk is very impractical if you’ll sacrifice the whole day of your energy for a talk that will only happen in just few hours without considering hours of travel.

    I experienced inviting artists for a talk in our organization, even I attempted to invite you to share your thoughts with us, we love to invite specialists because we know they are really good in their fortes but all of our minds only focused on how the event will turn out. We sometimes forget to consider how many sacrifices were made to manage to make that day possible.

    This blog opens a perspective that everyone must consider :)

  4. Gilbert M on November 28th, 2011 3:35 am

    I think tama lang :) Minsan naisip ko na rin iyan eh. They value us and maybe what we have to say since thay can’t answer it, but do they really take us seriously?

  5. Eight on November 28th, 2011 4:17 am

    True!

    You can use/teach on WizIQ instead of Skype. :)

    If only I hadn’t stopped drawing at the age of 8.. *sigh*

    Anyway, I love your blog, sir. :)

  6. Frans on November 28th, 2011 7:13 am

    I agree. There’s a line that has to be drawn when it comes to giving away our time and effort. At most, we should always strive for a win-win situation, so that everyone is happy. Asking for a ride is actually still very generous. And the fact that a school will not even consider to offer a ride shows that they’re being inconsiderate.

  7. Hawking Comics, Articles & Art | Hawkers Magazine on November 28th, 2011 7:37 am

    [...] Shying Away From Giving Talks by Gerry Alanguilan “As I get old really fast I start to learn some new things about myself. Well, they’re not exactly new, but I guess I’m just being more honest with things I really feel, and I’m more open to saying what I really think.” [...]

  8. George S. on November 28th, 2011 11:23 am

    I totally understand where you’re coming from, sir Gerry.

    I read an article in the newspaper once about some award-winning Pinoy musician refusing to accept gigs for a pittance, pointing out that foreign acts get paid premium to do the same thing. Parang “Kapwa Pinoy na nga tayo, papagastusin mo pa kami.” Doesn’t make sense to me to this day.

    Anyway, people still have Komikon to get a chance to see or talk to you. :)

  9. Jerald on November 28th, 2011 11:23 am

    Sad. Reporters I know get paid when do a talk. Actually last Komikon, when my reporter-friend dropped by to support my comics, a van was ready to fetch him from bayanihan center to pampanga for a talk.

  10. Francis Lim on November 28th, 2011 2:17 pm

    i hadn’t gotten to the end of your post pa nga eh…when i was reading the part about your long commute…i was already thinking to myself, “dapat may magsundo sa kanya.”….i mean who wouldn’t jump at the chance to have you all to themselves for 4 hours? duh….

  11. dante on November 28th, 2011 2:30 pm

    very well said sir. dapat lang na bigyan konsiderasyon ginagawa nyo. and a ride home is way to cheap, kung hindi man na bayaran kayo sa ginagawa nyo but of course, you do it for free. tama lang yung ginawa nyo. practical na pag iisip lang naman. at syempre kung ano mas importante ayun ang dapat gawin.

  12. Jonas Diego on November 28th, 2011 9:28 pm

    Tama lang, Ger.

    As much as we want to spread the word and continue with our advocacy we have to draw the line somewhere. :)

  13. frbarba on November 28th, 2011 9:47 pm

    i think its called etiquette/courtesy to give something to people who hold talks (not just in comics, but the whole manner in general)

    it doesnt have to be anything monetary, like you said, even just the transportation expenses, or pa- merienda or anything like a special gift to express their appreciation/gratitude to people like you

    sa panahon ngayon, hindi sapat ung “thank you” lang but siguro bahagi na ng kulturang pinoy yan, ung mag assume na libre sa mga deeds at mahiyan namang maningil ng karampatang compensation sa mga gawain

    excelsior!

  14. Jose Mari Lee on November 28th, 2011 10:54 pm

    Gerry: I’ve always thought these universities are paying you guys to do this sort of thingy. They should actually send a limo to pick you up. That’s how they should do it: with class and elegance. If Limo is too expensive for them, then at least a chauffeured SUV so you’d be able to travel comfortably. That’s not too much to ask. Ask some Catholic Bishops regarding comfortable SUVs, especially the ones “donated” by Arroyo.

    However, if they’re cheap enough not to do this, heck, let them come to you instead of you going to them. They should arrange a field trip to Laguna (and the venue should be walking distance from your residence) where you can get away from your drawing desk for a couple of hours, then you can quickly go back to work.

    But of course, you must set your fees before hand, on your own terms, like a talent fee that most performers are paid in any speaking engagements.

    The only thing I disagree on what you said is the big “O”. Jeepers, guy, if you consider yourself old, I don’t know what “young” is. :)

  15. JOSH on November 29th, 2011 7:39 am

    Very much agree, Sir. Dapat lang maging considerate sila lalo na’t totally free ang ginagawa nyong magpunta sa mga schools… >=|

  16. Veejay on December 8th, 2011 12:19 am

    Hear hear! I commend you po for refusing to be taken advantage of any longer. :) You’ve raised some very fine points indeed. It is just fitting that they shoulder your travel expenses. I hope ‘they’ read your post.

  17. John Kevin A. Gomez on December 8th, 2011 7:50 pm

    Good day Arch. Gerry
    I’m one of the student of CAFA in MSEUF Lucena kung saan nag talk kayo:)) for me sir It’s really an honor for having you in our school:) it is really a great time nung nakikinig ako sa inyo i really learn a lot of things and appreciate every word that come out in your mouth specially as an architecture student. I thank you for accepting our invitation thank you so much:))

  18. Jay David Ramos on December 11th, 2011 8:37 am

    Thank you so much for voicing this out, sir Gerry!

    Like you and some of our friends/colleagues in the industry, I also get invites to give talks/lectures at universities around the country. As much as I like to give talks for free (because I just really love to teach and inspire aspiring artists in the same way that guys like you have inspired me), it really does constitute giving up a day’s wage to accommodate lecture requests. Then it becomes a struggle for me as an artist and as a professional. I hope universities/event organizers get to see our point of view. It’s not even easy to give a talk — we have to prepare for it, update our powerpoint presentations, prepare demos, create easy-to-follow flowcharts, and use the right approaches to make technical discussions exciting (or even JUST less-boring).

    The worst thing that has happened to me so far was I got an invite to talk to fine arts graduating students about working in comics. I came to the venue early, prepared my laptop and demos and sample works, and waited. The event got delayed, and the organizers apologized profusely. I was like, “It’s okay, I’ll wait.” And then a “very important advertising creative director”, who was supposed to talk after me, came in very late and then said he “had to rush”. And to my amazement and anger, the organizers let him give his talk first (which went on very long), and due to lack of time — CANCELLED my talk. And of course, they offered nothing else but their sincerest “sorry.” There you go, right? It was very disrespectful and very unprofessional.

    We’ve worked our butts off in this industry that we are in – giving our blood, sweat, tears, health, etc just to continually give our best efforts in our craft. I really feel that universities/event organizers should acknowledge that and offer us substantial compensation for our talks especially since we lose income each time we accept talk requests.

    We deserve it not because we cost that much.

    It’s because we are WORTH that much.

  19. Gerry Alanguilan on December 11th, 2011 9:24 am

    Thanks for sharing Jay… I’m actually quite surprised at a lot of feedback from fellow comics pros who seem to share the same sentiment. Yes, I guess I got to the point that I had to talk about it. As artists, and more specifically comic book artists, we need to impress upon people that there is value in what we do.