and that's exactly what happened to me with knitting, but it was at a bus stop in the rain. I had quit years before because my scarves always curled up into these sad little tubes, and I swore off it completely. This woman next to me was knitting something gorgeous and I just blurted out how much I hated it, and she laughed and showed me how to loosen my purl stitches. It sounds so dumb but it was like a light switch flipped, I went home and finished a scarf that weekend that actually looked like a scarf. There's something about a stranger who has zero stake in your success, they just want you to enjoy the craft, and that takes all the pressure off. I think the 'feel the rhythm' thing is real too, I was gripping the needles like they were going to run away from me. Good on you for giving it another shot, sometimes you need the right teacher at the right time.

Question the endings though, are you actually reading the whole last page or just the final panel? Because a killer final panel can still hide a flat last chapter that leaves you feeling cheated. I've seen books with great closers but the middle sags hard, so did that kid seem like he was checking for payoff or just a hook?