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Bruce Eric Kaplan, long-time cartoonist with The New Yorker magazine, said in an NPR interview that he loved to draw little people as a child and always dreamed of being a cartoonist. In pursuit of that dream, he joined a creative artists group in New York in his late twenties. To remain a part of this group, he was required to make creative commitments, produce each week and support others to reach their dreams. His commitment was to draw 10 cartoon frames. Since he was already creating them, he decided to send them to his dream magazine- The New Yorker. He sent cartoon frames in each week for two and one-half years despite the fact that they were returned each time in his self-addressed envelope with an unsigned, impersonal rejection card.

Instead of judging himself as untalented or giving up, Bruce unwavered in his persistence. In fact, he started sending notes each week with expletives interspersed saying that any other ‘bleeping’ magazine in the world would be printing these great cartoons. The support and encouragement of his group reassured and buoyed his confidence through rejection.

One day Bruce returned to his apartment and saw a Fed Ex envelope from The New Yorker. He recounted how he had started crying from relief just knowing someone was at the magazine was actually reading his cartoons. There was a message inside giving him a number to call. The editor who answered laughed when he told Bruce they were reading his cartoons all along and were just waiting for him to be ready!

Since 1991, Bruce Kaplan’s cartoons have appeared in the New Yorker every single week. Bruce had perfected his art over that two and one-half years and with the support of his creative group, he was able to persist with confidence.

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