Anyone else afraid to start their comic?

[Pandastrophic]

I've honestly taken my time in starting my comic but I felt like the time I toke before starting it really helped me develop and refine it more, but it was also fear that was holding me back as I wanted it to be good enough.
I found it super helpful when I set a specific month that I wanted to start my comic in, I wanted to start posting it late June, so regardless of whether I'm scared or not I posted it anyway. It's hard to 'just start' so maybe you could set yourself a goal as to when you'd like to post it and you'll find yourself working towards that and when the time comes you'll be less scared, at least that's how I felt.

[lizm]

I finally managed to overcome a similar fear myself last year, and the two major things that helped me get there would be...

• Being less critical. Even artists you consider to be insanely good will doubt their work every now and then and feel like they're not good enough. Telling yourself you want to wait until your art is better is a vicious cycle that will never end and keep dragging you down. Think of all the different poses, expressions, clothing, sceneries and whatnot you'll be drawing in a comic--there will be so many things that you might never even think of for regular drawings! Comics involve so much drawing that you're pretty much guaranteed to improve, and it would be sad if you didn't take that chance seeing as there's obviously a part of you that really wants to! Take a good, honest look at popular webcomics--you'll find that many of them have stunning art indeed, but there is so much stuff out there that people enjoy even though the art is far from perfect!

• Setting priorities. This one may come across as a little harsh, but I believe it's true for a lot of things in life. Ask yourself how much making that one comic or comics in general really means to you. If you keep making excuses or getting distracted by trivial things, maybe you just don't want it enough. ...Whenever I say this to anyone, I hope they get mad and ready to punch me in the face with determination, because come on! You want to, and you can do it! I know you can! But how will you and the rest of the world know if you never even start!? And hey, I'll just spoil it now; once you can prove to yourself that you're really actually working on the comic for real now!!, that'll be one of the greatest feelings in the world. It'll be frustrating at times, but don't focus on that. Focus on how amazing it is that you're creating something you thought of in your head! Life is short--live it in a way you'll be proud of at the end.

[AnnaLandin]

I was literally sleepless for a week before I committed to Grassblades. It's been living in my head for years, but actually starting the drawing? So scary.

BUT - what did finally convince me to stop being scared and start making it was knowing that it is better to be doing than to be planning. Seriously. Don't wait until your art is better. Don't wait until you've got a shiny, polished, 100% perfect version of your script.

You're going to get better at art by drawing your comic.

You're going to change your mind about the script while you're drawing.

It happens to all of us, and it's okay. Just repeat to yourself that it's better to be finished than to be good. It's better to have a comic than it is to preparing for one. It's SO easy to get stuck planning forever and never committing to anything, and that way lies madness.

[phen]

Oh, you've got this, you can get your comic started right away! If there's any doubts you have about your skill, you'll notice that making comics pushes your limits faster than anything else. Your art will improve dramatically within the first few pages and you'll see your potential realised -- there's nothing more beneficial to your work than getting the ball rolling. You don't even have to publish it if you're worried about negative reception. Just start creating, let your pen go~

That being said, there's absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to wait until the time is right -- everyone feels like that! It's like trying to time your entry with skip rope, "Do I go now? No, just a second, not yet! How about.... nn...nnow!" Observe, place your rhythm and once you lock in, you won't stop. Even if you don't, tripping up is totally normal. See what's successful and what isn't and then join the game again! ^u^

[starsyscomics]

Start now. We were worried about a ton of stuff before we started Finite: we both had full time jobs, A wasn't sure if her art skills were there yet, I wasn't sure if the story was even worth turning into a comic, but we decided to just go for it because we'd been sitting around for years talking about "when we would do web comics". Just do it now. Even if your first attempt absolutely bombs, it's fantastic practice. I wouldn't say that in the past months our comic has blown up, but we have a good little group of faithful readers and the other benefits have been tremendous: I've made great strides in comic pacing (because it's different the novel pacing fo' sho'), and A's art has gotten way more interesting between our first page and our current chapter.

tl;dr: You will only learn and grow as an artist by starting your comic now. Why put it off?

[kellywrenbrown]

I understand at first so was I because I had posted part of it on another website but nobody else liked it but then I decided to post it here and already after only 3 episodes I have 46 views and 1 subscriber. So here's my advice even if you fall on your face first try again. If people don't like it at first give it time but if you don't like it start something new. Keep trying because when you fall on your face you get back up,right? So give it your all and keep practicing because you'll only get better with time.

[Kura]

To but it bluntly, the sooner you start making your comic, the sooner you will start gaining experience in the field. Putting it off can 'potentially' stunt your growth as a comic artist (I say potentially because like all things, the learning curve and method is different for everyone)

I was stuck in that spiral for a while, I never felt like I knew enough about making comics so I was never good enough to release them. (redrawing the first chapter over and over and over again because it was never good enough) A big part of that was that I didn't know what I was doing wrong, I knew I was doing SOMETHING wrong but I just didn't know what, because I did not have any experience in drawing comics.

Eventually I started releasing them despite my lack of experience even though I knew that I needed to work on things or that I didn't know how to do things. The thing is, when you post stuff online you can get critiques from readers and people that have experience making comics, you can learn from the mistakes that you made and incorporate them into your next pages. I've come a long way from when I started and learned a lot, it actually hurts to look at the first chapter of Raven Wolf because now I can spot all the mistakes and things I did wrong (not in concerns to drawing, but comic layout and word bubbles and story telling methods) but it also shows how much I learned and my progress in doing so. It's something to be proud of.

[joannekwan]

Don't be afraid to fail, learn from your mistakes. Just go for it, the sooner you start, the sooner you will become better.

[insomniascrawl]

I think when I was a little younger I felt that way, but now I don't care as much. I'm still not 100% about my art. Your art will get better as you go and if your story is good, people will be interested. I think you should go for it if you really want to make comics

[Mharz]

You know what they say, the first step is always the hardest. Take that first step and the rest will be easier.

I got to admit I did wait until my art is "good enough" to start posting publicly. 3 years ago I have a very low self-confidence because I hated that I could only draw like that while others are so good. So don't be like me who waited for years before posting. You might regret it later.

Start as soon as you can, Even when you're having doubts with your story, do it. If you draw everyday you'll definitely improve and don't compare your art to others. Everyone has there own style.

[WasHNooB]

YOU CAN DO IT
- WasH

[dylangandune]

making a comic is a learning experience...
just take a look at Peanuts or Garfield or any comic or comic book...they evolve over time...snoopy looked different at the beginning...
your skills get better as you move forward...the more you do, the better you get.
people will tell you what you can do to get better, or what you could do better...here on tapastic, people seem to be really nice about it too...you just have to not take any comments too seriously or personal...most criticism is there to help you get better...
and, this really is true...sometimes you have to fail a few times to ever truly be successful...sometimes you get lucky...
just do it and have fun...that's the best way to go about it...try to challenge yourself...put things into your comic that you like...that you like drawing, but put some stuff that's hard to draw in there once in a while....
have fun....bottom line...If you really love comic making, you'll do it whether anyone sees it or not...
do it
and show me what you come up with =)

http://tapastic.com/dylpdx

[Stellamari]

There are a lot of kind and encouraging words mentioned so I am just going to share a quote that helped me for many years: If it makes you nervous/ scared and excited at the same time, you should do it.

[efdvorsky]

I think it's universally agreed how scary it is to start a comic. Even during it can get anxious like "okay okay I'm ACTUALLY doing it, don't screw up now, don't screw up!!" but that's your brain entering on panic mode since it's in unfamiliar territory. Thankfully you're also a logical being and you can work ways to push through what scares you and begin working on something you really want to show.

Not gonna lie, you might screw up, but you're also going to learn. A lot. And very quickly too. You'll notice bigger improvements working on a comic than simply practicing on the side hoping to improve.

I saw this on my facebook feed today and thought "ah this is cute, I'll save it for some time"

So here I am sharing it for you

[zerofruits]

I know how you feel! I signed up here almost a year before actually starting my comic. I also felt like I had to refine my art before publishing it. But you know what? Screw this kind of thinking! Like others said - just do it! Making comics on a regular basis will actually help you to improve your skills and don't worry if you think your art is not as good as other people's. You will get there.

And tbh, I do kinda regret that I've been so hesitant to post it, I lost a lot of time, that I could have spent with something productive, instead of thinking "what if..."

All that counts is the journey!

[Bluejay]

That's what most people go through! Honestly, that's how I was in the beginning too, but then I was like you know what "duck it", and jumped to it. Feeling like your art is not good enough and want to get better before you publish is common, but think of it this way: you will always get better. Someday you will look back to your first pages and be like: "bejeesus, what happened here."

[gateofselidor]

Your art and your writing will probably never be good enough from your own perspective. Being dissatisfied with your own work is normal, and for a lot of people, it helps motivate them to get better. Besides, how do you expect to get better at making comics if you're not actually making comics? I'm not sure there's really a trick to getting over that fear of starting something, you just have to do it anyway, like ripping a plaster off.

[Endhil]

Wow, thank you all so much for the responses! This got a lot more than I was expecting.
I've read all your comments (?) and I'm taking your advice on board.

When I posted this I felt quite disheartened, but you have all inspired me to push forward!
Though, I'm going spend a little time refining everything as much as possible. My hope is to release within the next six to three months.

Thank you all for your help

[KreativeConfusion]

fear is normal. Honestly it's like the first time you jump off the diving board or go into the deep end of a pool. It seems scary but once you take that first jump it's not so bad anymore. The fun thing about webcomics is that there's little to loose and a lot to gain. You get to share your story with so many people and even if it doesn't become as popular as you hoped you still have that knowledge that there are people who care.

Just do it and things will be fine.

[Doubtcent]

Oh yeah, starting your comic is hardest part in actually making it.
You can plan all you want in the world, even have a decent skill in art, but unless you actually start, you'll never find yourself improving or discovering your limitations.

When I first started, my work was crap. Like real crap.

But through time and realization, I found ways to improve my comic, like inking with an actual brush, allowing my speech bubs to step outside the frame, and a color scheme that allows my monochromic comic become something eye-popping.
1 year later:


http://tapastic.com/episode/245865
http://tapastic.com/episode/230998

Also, having a dedicated project allows you to find out what you can and cannot draw, then you find out ways to work around that, or find ways to improve.

So in the end you gotta have some patience for yourself and your skill, but have something to work on to get better and test your limits. Now I make 4 different comics a week minimum, and even that's not enough for me. I just gotta keep working in order to make that buffer, work on guest comics, possibly start a website, begin on a new comic sharing site, and test out a Q&A livestream once I reach 150 subs total. (I'm currently around 90. It's not too far off) I would've never imagined that I would make it this far. Sure, I might be going mad, but I rather be mad and stirring my creative juices than sitting around like a couch potato as I once was.

If light that spark, you might get a little flame to see through the darkness, and it can go out at any moment. But if you take care of that light, and you might end up creating a real bonfire.