Fear Monster Comics

A web comic about fear, and how silly it can be!

[fearmonstercomics]

The Fear Monster News Network

This week was a sad week in the news. With the loss of Robin Williams, I was actually a little surprised at how much it affected me. I sat down on Monday to watch my favorite movies of his, and crying to "Friend Like Me" in Aladdin was definitely a new experience. I was singing along through messy tears, thinking, "You're right, Robin! There was nobody else like you!"

  Granted, aside from my father, Robin Williams was probably the man I've loved the longest. Ever since "Mork and Mindy," he made me laugh. I grew up with his wacky sense of humor. So I feel like my tears were justified.

  But this all reminded me of why I tend to just ignore the news. (I know I was picking on Fox News in this comic, but the joke wouldn't have worked as well if the MSNBC peacock was reporting.) The news, for the most part, is nothing but fear, fear, fear, and then if you're lucky, they'll have a 30 second story about a lost puppy getting rescued at the end. Maybe. But it's all just food for your fear monster to feed off of.

  I believe the stuff  you think will have a direct impact on the quality of your life. If you're feeding your brain with 24 hours of live coverage of stuff to be afraid of, guess what kind of effect that's going to have on you.

  Some of you are probably thinking, "How do you not watch the news? Don't you want to be informed?" Yes, I do. But I do read, and if there's something that's actually important happening, I'll hear about it elsewhere.

  I'm picking on the news media, but this week, I would encourage you to think about the stuff you're putting into your brain. Whether it's TV, books, music, or even the people you hang out with, be mindful of how these things make you feel. And if it's feeding your fear monster, try to find something more uplifting, or just walk away. (And turn the TV off! Saves on your energy bill too.)

  Sending you lots of love,

  Jillian

  P.S. There is some awesome limited edition merchandise you can get when you support the Indiegogo campaign! And you can even get one-of-a-kind artwork of your fear monster or make a cameo in a future comic!

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Predicting the Future

I have a little "news flash" for those of you who may not have noticed this yet, but life doesn't always work out the way we expect it to. You have to have dreams for your future, of course! But what happens when the way you envisioned your future doesn't work out? What do you do?

  Fear monsters want to give up whenever they get their crystal ball predictions even the tiniest bit wrong. I understand the temptation. Sometimes it's tough to power through that disappointment.

  But guess what? Another "news flash" for you -- if you're still breathing, you still have time! Whether it's chasing your dream, finding love, or running a 4-hour marathon, you can choose to keep trying.

  And tell your fear monster to throw that crystal ball away, and just enjoy the ride.

  Sending you lots of love,

  Jillian

  P.S. There is some awesome limited edition merchandise you can get when you support the Indiegogo campaign! And you can even get one-of-a-kind artwork of your fear monster or make a cameo in a future comic!

[fearmonstercomics]

Handyman George

Fear monsters like to fix things. It's in their nature. Sometimes though, they end up trying to fix things that aren't really broken, or they end up breaking things while they're in the process of "fixing" it.

  This is especially true when it comes to yourself. We all have things about ourselves that we wish we could "fix," but what if you're exactly who you need to be right now? What if even the things you view as flaws could be your greatest asset? Your "flaws" and "quirks" are what make you unique!

  And what if... you don't even need to "fix" your feelings? It can be uncomfortable to feel stuff like sadness, or anger, or anxiety. Yes. But so often we fight against these feelings, and in the process miss the message that our emotions are trying to tell us. And when you miss the message, you miss the lesson.

  If you had a friend with a broken heart, there isn't much you can do for them except for to love them, right? Same thing with yourself. You feel whatever you feel. Just love yourself, and I think you'll find that if you can love ALL of you, emotions and all, the emotions will ease up pretty quickly.

  I hope this helps! Let me know in the comments, is there something about yourself that you're trying to fix? Are you ready to let go of the need to fix it and just love yourself instead?

  Lots of love,

  Jillian

  P.S. There is some awesome limited edition merchandise you can get when you support the Indiegogo campaign! And you can even get one-of-a-kind artwork of your fear monster or make a cameo in a future comic!

[fearmonstercomics]

Makin' in Rain, Maybe?

George and I have a big announcement today! I've decided to focus on the comics, and I'm going to start drawing the comics daily, starting in September!!

  And you can help! You see, drawing the comics every day is going to be a full time job, and since I'm not one of those lucky people who are independently wealthy, I could use some help in the whole paying the bills department. (Despite what he thinks, George does not actually "make it rain.")

  There is some awesome limited edition merchandise you can get when you support the Indiegogo campaign! And you can even get one-of-a-kind artwork of your fear monster or make a cameo in a future comic!

  So anyway, the comic today is more or less the conversation that George and I had about this particular decision. You see, in my experience, I've found that when you make a decision to follow your heart, there's this weird sort of peace that comes along with it. (AFTER you make the decision. The process leading up to the decision is, of course, absolutely terrifying.) And when you make a decision and feel at peace about it, that's how you know it's the right one!

  At the same time, when you're used to being afraid all the time, the absence of fear. . . well that can be pretty scary too. That's actually the thought I had: "Well crap, now I'm worried that I'm not worried." How silly, right? (Just go with it, Jillian! Enjoy the peace while it lasts!)

  Have you ever experienced that weird sort of peace about a crazy decision? Did it freak you out too? Let me know in the comments!

  Lots of love,

  Jillian

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Choosing Your Path

Sometimes life reaches a fork in the road, and you have to make a decision about which path to take. Making a choice can be scary, especially when it seems that choice will be permanent. You can ask for advice, meditate, pray, journal, and all sorts of other things to try and determine what will be best.

  And then your fear monster gets involved... and so often, they like to make decisions based on the past. But, hopefully George helped to illustrate just how silly that is. Things change. Situations change. People change. You change. To make a decision based on who you used to be is just as silly as taking a road sign down the path with you because you might need it again.

  So, where in your life are you making choices based on who you used to be? It feels crappy doesn't it? Are you ready to make a decision based on who you are today? (Let me know in the comments!)

  Go forth and be happy!

  Lots of love,

  Jillian

[fearmonstercomics]

Strange Love Letters

Yesterday was a special day for me. Six years ago, I made the decision to follow my heart, no matter where it took me, no matter how little sense it made to my brain. And it's been an amazing six years!

  I celebrate July 10th every year, as a reminder to keep following my heart. It's not always easy, mostly because George is kind of a stick in the mud.

  I'm going to go off on a tangent for a minute, but stay with me... It has a point!

  There was a comedian, Bill Hicks, and he was absolutely brilliant. A lot of people may not know who he was because, like many of the greats, he was taken from us far too soon. He would often close his shows with the following:

  The World is like a ride in an amusement park, and when you choose to go on it you think it's real, because that's how powerful our minds are. And the ride goes up and down and round and round, and it has thrills and chills and is very brightly colored, and it's very loud. And it's fun, for a while. Some people have been on the ride for a long time, and they've begun to question, 'Is this real, or is this just a ride?', and other people have remembered, and they've come back to us and they say 'Hey, don't worry. Don't be afraid, ever, because this is just a ride.' and we KILL THOSE PEOPLE.  "Shut him up! We have a lot invested in this ride! SHUT HIM UP! Look at my furrows of worry. Look at my big bank account, and my family. This just has to be real." It's just a ride. But we always kill those good guys who try and tell us that. You ever noticed that? And let the demons run amok. But it doesn't matter, because ... It's just a ride. And we can change it anytime we want. It's only a choice. No effort, no work, no job, no savings of money. A choice, right now, between fear and love. The eyes of fear wants you to put bigger locks on your door, buy guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love, instead see all of us as one. Here's what we can do to change the world right now, to a better ride: Take all that money we spent on weapons and defense each year and instead spend it feeding, clothing, and educating the poor of the world, which it would many times over, not one human being excluded, and we can explore space, together, both inner and outer, forever ... in peace.

— Bill Hicks (1961 - 1994)

    This exploded my brain the first time I heard it. (Sorry, I can’t use the term “mind blowing” anymore because its overuse by sites like Buzzfeed have caused the term’s meaning to change. Anyway.) It’s influenced the way I think about things and the way I make decisions. There is something very calming about the simplicity of boiling it all down to a choice between fear and love.

  However, I would like to propose an addendum to this philosophy. What if the choice between fear and love is just another one of the things that our minds believe is real? What if it’s a false dichotomy? Because fear isn’t really real. It’s just an imaginary friend who means well. And when you get down to it, it’s an imaginary friend who loves you and wants you to be safe. So. . . What if you didn’t choose between love and fear, but instead simply chose to love your fear?

  Lots of love,

  Jillian

[fearmonstercomics]

The Fight for True Freedom

Happy Independence Day, Americans! (For those of you in other countries, happy Fear Monster Friday!)

  In the USA today, we're blowing things up to celebrate our freedom from the British monarchy (even though our tabloids are still totally obsessed with them). But today I'd like to talk about a different kind of freedom -- the freedom to be who you truly are.

  It's not always easy to do. To truly express yourself seems like an interminable battle with your fear monster. They tend to come up with a wide variety of excuses for why you shouldn't be yourself.

   • Other people won't like you.

 • It might cause an argument.

 • You might lose someone you care about.

 • You might get fired from your job.

 • The Westboro Baptist Church will protest your funeral.

  ... and so on. But the thing is, none of these excuses compare to the pain of not being true to who you are. That pain will eat away at you. It tends to cause all manner of self-destructive behaviors. It's not worth it.

  I guarantee your fear monster is exaggerating the consequences of fully expressing yourself, and even if there are some consequences, it's still way better than hiding who you are.

  So today, feel FREE to express who you are to the world! We're waiting for you!

  Lots of love,

  Jillian

[fearmonstercomics]

A Venn Diagram Regarding Your Purpose

I've written about finding your purpose in the past (and if you're curious, read part 2 as well, because I thought of something else after I wrote the first part). But today's comic is for those who know what their purpose is and are trying their best to live it.

  It's not always easy. I had one of those days yesterday. I love drawing the comics, inspiring others, and making people laugh, but yesterday my body just didn't want to cooperate. I occasionally have lower back issues and I occasionally get migraines. Yesterday, my comic drawing day, both things decided to hit me at once. I've thought to myself that I really ought to have a backup comic ready just in case days like yesterday happen, but I didn't.

  As is usually the case when my body doesn't feel good, George temporarily took over. I thought about not drawing the comic (but I love you guys and gals!). George tried to convince me it wasn't important. But then I talked to a good friend who talked me into taking a nap. That helped.

  Anyway, my point here is that, no, it won't always be easy. And maybe it won't always be fun. But the rewards of living your purpose far outweigh the bad days that will occasionally happen.

  I just want to thank all of you who read the comic for keeping me going. And thank you to my good friends, and my family. Your support means the world to me.

  I'm wishing you all a freaking wonderful Friday and an awesome weekend!

  Lots of love,

  Jillian

  P.S. For those of you wondering why "love" isn't completely within the "stuff that's fun" circle, (hahahahahaha!) that's so awesome for you that you've never loved an asshole. :-)

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A Change of Perspective

Well, I hate to admit it, but every once in a while, George is right about something. Last week, he predicted that Spain would lose their chance at winning the World Cup. I thought he was being silly, but then they just imploded! When they lost their first two games and were eliminated from the competition, George and I were pretty disappointed.

  That's a part of life, though. There are bigger disappointments than just the outcome of a soccer match, but no matter what the disappointment is, you still get to choose your attitude about it.

  I won't pretend it's always as easy as distracting your fear monster with some Harry Potter merchandise. I'm guessing that your fear monster might not have ADHD as bad as mine does. And that's okay. Just remember that even though it's difficult sometimes, keep your head up. Maybe if you can look at the situation with a new perspective, it will seem a lot better.

  Lots of love,

  Jillian

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The Illusion of Kind of Having Control Over Stuff

Whenever you're feeling anxious, chances are it's because your fear monster has confused the things you can control and the things you can't.

  It's pretty easy to freak out about things you can't control. That's normal. But when you do that, often times that means you'll be wasting precious brain processing power on worrying, rather than figuring out solutions to the things you can control.

  Acceptance is key. When you can talk your fear monster into accepting that you are not the omnipotent ruler of the Universe, then you can focus your time and energy where it's needed most.

  Just like George can't control the outcome of the World Cup (and yes, George and I are cheering for Spain -- I'll cheer for the USA too, but I mean come on, that's like hoping the Cubs will win the World Series), there are also lots of things that you don't have any power over.

  But that doesn't mean you don't have power! Give yourself credit for the things you CAN do. And then do them! You'll feel a lot better.

  Lots of love,

  Jillian

[fearmonstercomics]

The Hero's Journey

Whenever you have a dream, something you want to accomplish, your fear monster is bound to show up and have a very loud opinion about it.

Sometimes fear monsters are afraid of failure, and that's relatively understandable. But sometimes they're also afraid of wild and crazy success.

Marianne Williamson said,

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most  frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do."

So, as we end another week, ask yourself how you're holding yourself back. Ask if you can play bigger. The world needs more happy people. So, go out there and chase your dreams and be blissful!

Lots of love,

Jillian

[fearmonstercomics]

Your Value is What YOU Decide It Is!

I've been inspired by all the discussion happening in the last week, especially regarding misogyny. There are many reasons why this subject hits home, but in summary (for now) suffice it to say that I've been the victim of entitled psychopaths on more than one occasion in my life.

  But I am no longer a victim. I get to choose my identity, and living my life as a fearful victim is giving those bastards way more power than they deserve.

  As a society, as women, and yes the men can be included too -- we can choose not to live in fear. We can choose to value ourselves. We can choose to make the world a better place simply by virtue of our existence.

  I hope you can join me for my new class on self-love! I would love for you to be a part of changing the world for the better -- and the class will help you live a happier, more confident, more fulfilled life too. Find out more by clicking on the link to the right!

  Lots of love,

  Jillian

[fearmonstercomics]

Worst Personal Trainer Ever

Whenever there's something that you really want, fear monsters will almost always try to talk you out of it. And when it gets "too difficult," they're going to want you to quit.

I firmly believe that following your heart will lead you to a better, happier, more fulfilling life, but I have a secret to tell you . . . it's not going to be easy! If it was easy to be happy, more people would do it.

You have to decide for yourself that you want it bad enough that it's worth climbing any mountain. (Or mole hill, as is often the case, right? I know George tends to make them seem much bigger than they are.) 

Lots of love,

Jillian

[fearmonstercomics]

Hot as Hades

Often, fear monsters tend to think we're not allowed to give ourselves a compliment. They get confused. They don't realize that there's a difference between confidence and arrogance.

  When you're confident, you know you're awesome. When you're arrogant, you think you're the only one who is.

  So, is there a compliment that you can give yourself today? What does  your fear monster think about that?

  Let me know in the comments below -- give yourself a compliment today! (And then if that makes your fear monster feel guilty, give someone else one too!)

  Lots of love,

  Jillian

[fearmonstercomics]

Fear Monster Porn

Every fear monster has certain things that they . . . *ahem* get off on. For George, it's a certain medical website. He's no longer allowed to use the Internet without supervision.

  There are lots of things that make fear monsters excited though! It could be the news, (sometimes) religion, your friends,  your family, or even the music you listen to.

  This week, I would encourage you to bring some mindfulness to what's going on around you and how it makes your fear monster feel. Notice if there's some external trigger that sets your fear monster off. (Or gets him off, if we're sticking with the analogy.)

  Let me know -- what's your fear monster's guilty pleasure?

  Hope you have a great weekend! Sending you lots of love,

  Jillian

[fearmonstercomics]

Anger, Explained with Cowboys and Ninjas

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Heart vs. Brain

I sent George on vacation this week, so that gave me the opportunity to tell a story that's been on my mind for a while, the heart vs. the brain. I started my journey following my heart six years ago now, and I'll never look back.

  Don't worry! George will be back next week with a new adventure.

  If you're wondering why I changed the format up, it's to pay homage to one of my artistic inspirations, The Oatmeal. More specifically this comic: If my brain were an imaginary friend. (If you don't read the Oatmeal, why not? He's hilarious.)

  Anyway, if you want some help following your heart, be sure to check out how we can help you do that!

  Sending you all lots of love. Have a great weekend!

  Jillian