January 16, 2024

Not enough time

I can’t remember where I heard this but ever since I’ve heard it, I can’t get it out of my head, it goes something like this, “There comes a time in every cartoonist’s life where they realise that they don’t have enough time on this Earth to complete all the ideas they have in their head.”

This has happened to me (I thought it was just me but now I know it’s not). And, I suppose, there are two ways to respond. The first is to crawl into a hole and weep. The second is to get working. I’ve chosen the second.

Other observations

February 24, 2026

Can I do this?

Where does the motivation for beginning mark making come from? Why would I even try in the first place?

February 17, 2026

Visibility and confidence

How might we become less reliant on other people’s reaction to our work and the confidence to make more of it?

February 10, 2026

Proof of existence

Why do I feel compelled to share my work with anyone at all? Isn’t it enough just to make it for me?

February 3, 2026

Something beyond raw materials

Some work, like some meals, stand out more than others. So what’s on the plate or canvas that goes beyond ingredients or paint?

January 27, 2026

Effort has value

Whether we’re aware of it or not, humans tend to be able to feel the human effort behind work.

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My deep gratitude to our traditional custodians

I have lived and worked my whole life in Gadigal and Boon Wurrung Country in what we now call Australia. I acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which I do my work and I pay my respects to elders past and present. I acknowledge the sorrow of the stolen generations and the impacts of colonisation on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. I also recognise the resilience, strength and pride of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and through my work, aim to help as much as I can to empower and help them thrive.

About the author

Matt Shanks is an internationally-published and critically-acclaimed author/illustrator of over twenty picture books. Eric the Postie (2018) and Queen Celine (2019) were both awarded Notables by the CBCA for Picture Book of The Year. Rosie the Rhinoceros, written by Australian rock legend Jimmy Barnes, and Herman Crab, written by one of Australia’s favourite comedians, Peter Helliar, is available now. Matt is a two-time fellow of the May Gibbs’ Children’s Literature Trust, an Australian Literary and Numeracy Foundation ambassador, co-editor of Words Like This, and works primarily in watercolour. He lives in Melbourne, Victoria, with his partner and cat.

Learn more at www.mattshanks.com.au