Josh Martin: noodling and doodling about life and the lessons learned from it

I’m Josh Martin: a motivational content creator on a mission to cultivate wellness through stories and doodles. In my work, I strive to operate at the intersection of “ha-ha” and “a-ha.”

Back in 2008, I was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia. Originally, the doctors gave me a 40–50 per cent chance of surviving. I was later told that the odds were more like 20 per cent.

Confronted with cancer, I felt outmatched and ill-equipped for the fight ahead of me. But what I didn’t realize at the time was that a lifetime of blunderful experiences had equipped me with a slew of tools to help me overcome this obstacle.

Patience. 

Teamwork. 

Adaptability. 

Self-care. 

Putting in the extra effort. 

Like a collector of misadventure merit badges, I had acquired many important skills from life’s moronic moments — from peeing my pants in kindergarten to duct-taping a duffel bag to my brother’s back to getting launched from a shopping cart as it crashed into a fire hydrant. 

Thanks in no small part to those lessons, I am now a hundred per cent cancer-free. And although my journey with leukemia was a gruelling one, it taught me a lot about what it takes to get through life’s trials and tribulations.

I learned that life isn’t about trying to avoid the monsters and mayhem lurking around every corner. Because no matter who you are, there will be times when you’re faced with challenges you have no choice but to tackle head on.

No, the key is equipping yourself with the right tools, honing the right skills and surrounding yourself with the right team — so that you’re as prepared as you can be when those inevitable obstacles do try to get in your way.

Because in the end, it’s not the size of the problem that matters. It’s how we face it and who we face it with that makes all the difference in the world.

Today, I’m excited to share the lessons I’ve learned from life’s awesome, awful and absurd moments. And this platform is where I’m lucky enough to do exactly that.

I’m Josh Martin, and I’m really glad to be here.

Get in touch by email at joshmartinink@gmail.com.