Now that I’ve quit smoking, the real question is: What’s next?
If I’m not standing outside with a cigarette, pacing around the backyard, or planning my day around cravings, then where does all that time, money, and energy go?
Into my art.
Into my books.
Into my life.
I’ve already lined up three major events for 2026—because apparently, when I’m not buying cigarettes, I turn into a full-time entrepreneur.
First, there’s the LA Times Festival of Books on the USC campus, April 18–19. That’s been my big reward and motivation from the very beginning of this quit. The booth is paid for, the planning is underway, and I’ll be there representing Dan Joyce Art with everything I’ve got.
Second, I’m returning to WonderCon—the smaller but mighty Comic-Con convention at the Anaheim Convention Center—March 27–29. That booth is already secured too. I’m ready to dive back into the world of comics, books, and art fans who “get it.”
And third… the big one.
Comic-Con San Diego, late July.
I’m still waiting to hear back, but hope is alive. It’s always alive.
Some people might call all this a hobby. But I’ve made a business of it most of my adult life. This isn’t something I dabble in. It’s my work, my passion, my identity. My books may be journals and memoirs, but they’re also records of a wild, complicated, adventurous life—an artist’s life. And now that I’m finally smoke-free, I get to pour myself into that life without being held hostage by a pack of cigarettes.
This is the future I choose.
And I’m ready for it.
I got this.
by Dan and Bonkers
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