Staff Pick
It's like Lucy Bellwood's demon is my inner critic's twin. Instead of running away from her negative thoughts, she gave them a shape and debates the little imp. Beautifully vulnerable, unbelievably relatable. If you've ever suffered from impostor syndrome, anxiety, and fear of failure (or even success), pick up this book. Recommended By Rose H., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Navigating the rocky shores of self doubt with charm and honesty, 100 Demon Dialogues is a collection of comics for anyone who wants to talk back to the little voice in their head that says “You’re no good.”
Cartoonist Lucy Bellwood is beset by a tiny, petulant demon who embodies workaholism, imposter syndrome, and fear of missing out. Fed up with its constant nagging, she sets out to defang and humanize her inner critic in a series of conversational comics. From overcoming self-doubt to prioritizing self-care, Bellwood and her demon embody a hilarious and relatable partnership that will resonate with people from all walks of life.
100 Demon Dialogues reminds us that we are not alone in our fear, and that our best self always comes hand-in-hand with a little demon of our own.
Review
“In the old tradition of Zen masters like Hakuin Ekaku and Lynda Barry’s One! Hundred! Demons!, Lucy Bellwood paints her artistic doubts as demons, leading readers on a cartoon investigation of imposter syndrome and the struggles of the creative process.” Austin Kleon, author of Steal Like An Artist
"I don't think there is a person alive who hasn't dealt with some of the inner battles portrayed in Lucy's comics. By the end of it you'll be yelling for her to get out of your head.”
Jessica Hische, author of In Progress
"By eschewing stoicism and allowing us into this fraught-but-tender relationship, Lucy Bellwood has done a solid for artists everywhere. Rather than fighting her inner demon, she overcomes suffocating self-criticism with creativity-inducing compassion, artfully reminding us that the negative little buzz-kill in our heads is a vulnerability, not a liability." Deb Norton, Author of Part Wild: A Writer’s Guide to Harnessing the Creative Power of Resistance
“An honest and entertaining portrait of self-doubt that will pole-vault you over your own insecurities and get you back to work.” Trin Garritano and Jenn Bane, co-hosts of Friendshipping
Synopsis
Navigating the rocky shores of self doubt with charm and honesty, 100 Demon Dialogues is a collection of comics for anyone who wants to talk back to the little voice in their head that says "You're no good."
Cartoonist Lucy Bellwood is beset by a tiny, petulant demon who embodies workaholism, imposter syndrome, and fear of missing out. Fed up with its constant nagging, she sets out to defang and humanize her inner critic in a series of conversational comics. From overcoming self-doubt to prioritizing self-care, Bellwood and her demon embody a hilarious and relatable partnership that will resonate with people from all walks of life.
100 Demon Dialogues reminds us that we are not alone in our fear, and that our best self always comes hand-in-hand with a little demon of our own.
About the Author
Lucy Bellwood is an professional Adventure Cartoonist based in Portland, OR. She is the author and illustrator of Baggywrinkles: a Lubber's Guide to Life at Sea, an educational memoir about her time crewing aboard 18th-century replica tall ships, and the illustrator of How to Invent Everything, a forthcoming time travel survival manual from New York Times-bestselling author Ryan North.
Her comics projects have covered a range of expeditions around the globe, including rafting trips through the Grand Canyon, cutting-edge oceanography in the Pacific, and an expedition aboard the last wooden whaling ship in the world.
As an outspoken advocate for transparency in creative careers, Bellwood has given talks on following an independent path, the finances of freelancing, and working with imposter syndrome at events and institutions around the globe. Her latest collection,100 Demon Dialogues, takes a hilarious, humanizing look at what it’s really like to persevere when our Inner Critics are trying to take the wheel. She is a member of Helioscope, the largest collective of freelance comics professionals in North America, where she spearheads the studio’s Mentorship Program.