Finding My Bearings

And trusting that I'll figure out where I am eventually.

Mar 27, 2025

Description: 4-panel comic about finding my bearings. Panel 1 shows a cartoon girl with a bun curled up on a mattress in a desolate empty room with only a backpack. Text reads: "The first night of being in an unfamiliar place is always the loneliest and most desolate for me." In panel 2, the girl is red-faced and picking up coins from the ground in front of a market stall, as an exasperated vendor gestures that she's doing it all wrong. Text reads: "I used to do this a lot - throw myself into new situations where I don't know what the rules are and need to learn by trial and error." In panel 3, the girl is laying awake in bed, in the same room, but slightly more furnished. Text reads, "Over the years, this disorientation has, in itself, become more familiar. I know that I can survive it. But it's still a feeling I can recall on cue." In the last panel, the girl has the same backpack on and is studying a map. Text reads, "So when my world turns topsy-turvy, I know I have to pause and take a moment to find my bearings." Titled "Finding my bearings." Ink and watercolor on paper. Original artwork by Connie Sun, cartoonconnie, 2025.

First, welcome to the relaunch of my comics blog on Substack! Since 2011, I hosted my blog on conniewonnie.com. It has been a year-long project to migrate my entire cartoon archive and also find a place on the internet to publish new artwork on my own terms. I'm excited to continue my cartooning practice here and experiment with new formats. Let's see how it goes!

I cartoon to understand myself and what’s happening around me. There's been a lot to process and I am finding my bearings, probably like most everybody.

Illustration excerpt showing a girl with a bun curled up on a mattress in a desolate empty room with only a backpack, by Connie Sun, cartoonconnie

It reminds me of all the times when I was in an unfamiliar place or situation, nothing made sense, and I had to learn to navigate on the fly. In this sense, the unfamiliar almost feels like a second home to me. Not exactly comfortable, but I trust I'll figure out where I am eventually.

The muscle memory serves me well now. In the confusion and overwhelm of upheavals, I'm taking a moment to reorient myself. If I can do this, then I can figure out what next.

Thanks so much for reading and for your encouragement that has kept me going all these years. I’m not quitting, so stay tuned. - Connie

Betsy Haanes

Mar 29

You are one of my heroes. Keep doing you. I'm not an artist, but I rely on a polar bear the way you rely on your beautiful elephant (I love elephants too!).

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Fred A Levy Haskell

Mar 28Edited

My bearings, not unlike my marbles, keep rolling out of my head and behind the refrigerator where I can't find them.

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