The convention scene this summer has been fun to read about so far. Many popular guests have shown up with the crowds to back them up. With COVID becoming more and more of an afterthought, fans have been rushing out to meet and learn about their favorite guests.
One guest in particular had a quote, in my opinion, that spoke volumes about how to become good at what you want to do.
As you can tell from the artwork, I’m talking about Makoto Yukimura, the highly-praised mangaka of Vinland Saga. He showed up at San Diego Comic-Con 2023 years after the manga had a rough start, sales-wise, back when it was first licensed in the United States. But with how great the anime has been, the manga has found a strong foothold here.
Anime News Network did a extensive report of Yukimura’s panel at SDCC 2023 and it was nice to hear his perspective on the story, the anime, and more. The fun part came the Q&A from fans. While there’s definitely cringe questions at most Q&A sessions, a few questions do stand out. The ANN report reported one fan question that Yukimura gave a excellent response to – what’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned after all the years of being a mangaka?
Yukimura responded.
“What I learned is that there’s no way you can work as a mangaka without communicating with people from outside. For example, our conversation will nurture me into becoming a better creator and will be reflected in my work too.”
I love this answer. People are constantly bouncing off of one another. That’s how we get better. Plus, it’s hard to get what you want in life if you’re not able to express it to others in an effective manner. I think about the many artists who aspire to be mangaka. I know most of them may not be the best at talking to other people in person. It’s nice to sit all day and draw like there’s no tomorrow without worrying about people bothering you, but constructive feedback is needed to grow once you reach a wall in the artistic journey.
Over the years, there have been reminders for those who want something to speak up – especially those who feel they have been hurt by others or those who really need a helping hand for important manners. It’s okay to ask for help. It’s okay to get it. There’s nothing wrong with that.
The beauty of communicating with people from the outside is that it helps improve mental health despite how stressful the act of communicating can be. While there’s definitely awful relationships out there, there’s more good than bad ones. People underestimate how well conversations go.
Effective communication takes practice. Take it slow and in a safe space. I know Yukimura probably honed it over the years and that’s a big reason why Vinland Saga has turned out the way he wanted.
And more importantly, learn from the good and bad of conversations. I’ve had my fair share of awkward moments of communication and learned how to adjust accordingly. I try to think about the other person’s perspective. There’s always something that will surprise you when you least expect it when it comes to conversations. I had a conversation with a stranger over the weekend on the train that made me think about how rough it is to be someone who has a physical disability and having people treat them like an afterthought.
We can’t all be physically strong as Vikings, but we can be tenacious and resilient as they are when it comes to improving the important relationships of our lives by being communication warriors.