Anyone else quit/thinking of quit making comics?

[rajillustration]

Yo, this feeling has been so pervasive that I'm like writing a comic right now just about this same feeling because it's been everywhere I've gone lately, comics or not. I think it helps me that comics aren't my endgame, but just a thing that I do--I actually would rather end up in doing covers or concept art, and the medium I tell my stories is relatively unimportant to me, so long as I can keep telling stories.

But, that doesn't mean I'm in any way immune to that feeling of loss and rejection when it inevitably comes. I think it's OK to grieve if a story's expectation's aren't met, and that it's OK to walk away and do something else for a while. In fact, I think that time is really helpful for putting things in perspective. We have a lot of life to live and a lot of stories to tell.

These websites come and go in an instant, followers come and go, but your art is forever and in the end no one will know or care how many notes it got. Like, for instance, all my old art I put on my old LJ was hosted through an image site that died, so all art I posted before 2005 is a broken link. I also had like 3 blogs on blogger--and blogger died in the mid 10's so now I can't easily access any of them: none of those posts, none of that art. So, what I own from that era is what is on my own computer and I honestly don't remember anymore which was popular or not. It doesn't matter anymore. But, I'm glad I made the art.

[joannekwan]

Oh definitely.

Especially the latter half of 2019, when I had health issues coupled with a big burnout. It really made me reevaluate exactly what I want to do with my creative work. During that period I barely had the energy to draw or put out any pages consistently, but I did have the energy to type and write. And that's when I found I enjoy novel-writing and began my debut webnovel.

I also felt a great weight lift off of me once I finished my first long-running webcomic, Demon House earlier this year. That thing took 5 years to complete!

I think now that I'm relatively healthy again I have a better grasp of my plans. For now I'll focus on finishing my two on-going comics. I'll also shift my focus to novels. Since I can finish a whole novel faster than I can a webcomic, I think prose will become my main avenue of storytelling. I may still work on a single comic at a time after my current ones are done (and after a good break), since I don't think I could ever fully divorce from the medium. But I've come to accept that if I want to get all my stories out of my head for the world to see, novels are a quicker way of accomplishing that.

[duckuga]

I did quit for a while, mainly because I got busy with school and life and wanted to spend my free time drawing to improve rather than drawing comics. Not that comics won't help you improve your art, but I wanted to drawing exercises and gesture and studies and stuff that's kinda harder to translate to comics. Sometimes I get so busy with my courses that I have little to no time for drawing at all whatsoever.

I know if I definitely tried to make a more professional comic, it would be alot easier to get frusturated and burn out especially at the beginning. I think it's because I put low effort in my comics that Ive always felt more relaxed about how much engagement I get.

Honestly I make my comics mainly for myself, because I love my ocs so much that I want to see more content about them lol. It just so happens that I post them online in case other people enjoy them too. I think it's because I'm more motivated by myself (?) than by the attention of others that I feel less discouraged if I don't get as much attention as the next comic in line.

[k5rakitan]

I quit writing after my boyfriend died in 2015 and didn't start again until after I got married in 2018.

[K-Rexo_Deactivated]

In that case, yes; I did think about not making comics anymore (and I just started!).
I always [try to] experiment with different mediums in media such as making an animated web series, or an indie game, though not from the start, to my work across. There are times where I don't really understand webcomic culture...

Sometimes, I have trouble deciding if my comic's premise will work, or I just become sluggish and lose faith in the premise. But that's why I post comics without a set schedule, though I post every 1-2 months; it will determine whether I should keep going with my story/joke ideas in the air or just say "Aw, forget it! How the heck will that work?".

It just comes down to the pace I'm going for, while being honest [and still] friendly to other readers and/or comic creators.

[Cavechan]

Yeah. Even just now I was reading a manga that has fantastic artwork and I'm thinking... why is it I can work so hard but can't even be half as good as this? It also doesn't help I did the Sailor Moon redraw meme and I hate how it came out. Like I have been trying so hard and studying for so many years and there are 15 year olds who draw way way better than me.

It's also frustrating because creating art for me feels fake. I never had this ability or drive to draw from 3 years old like I hear so many stories from. I started because I loved anime and manga, not because I loved drawing. It's just... kind of a natural thing I do now.

I just finished up a panel yesterday and I wanted to make it cool and it just sucks.

I just really want to be at a better level already. And I have made great strides in it recently but it's just never enough.

Like I'm 34 years old. I should be ten times better than I am right now.

I do have a dream to work as a professional comic artist someday but I'm afraid it will just always be a dream because I always make such stupid mistakes and can never make it look FANTASTIC. I do think about giving up on that dream, but I am stubborn at the same time.

I did quit for a bit (2 years), but it wasn't really related to being frustrated with drawing or wanting to give up.

[NickRowler]

Not really quitting, more like me wanting to take a break. Last year I was dealing with a lot of personal issues that it was hard to focus on being creative, so I didn't really post much. Once I was able to get to a point where I felt better, I was able to come back with a more positive attitude.

I have also had series I have ended quickly or put in a forever hiatus because I wanted work on something else.

You shouldn't dedicate your time to something you don't like, and if you lost motivation for your series you could try taking a break or finding something else to work on.

[K_in_Kaze]

I've had thoughts like that in the past. but I stopped when I realized how much fun and sense of achievement I feel when I do create. and tbh I stopped caring for the amount of likes. As long as I know that people read the story, I'm happy. them reading it is enough to satisfy me.

[Jrej]

@oksoup I made it to that point as well. I have 5 pages left to complete my story but I'll probably take a break before drawing something new. So much competition and it's hard to be visible.

About the money, I've been posting my work on Hive.blog for the last few years and at least you get some crypto currency back for your work. That really kept me going.

I now launched an interface for Hive specifically for comics and novels. I'd be happy to host the work you accomplish so far, see how you do on a more decentralized platform.

The site is https://inkito.io
Let me know what you think.

Have a nice day,

Jrej

[pilot-obvious]

I'm notorious for quitting almost everything I do. Stories I make, books I read, video games I play, sports, workout routines, etc. My current comic has gone through 6 different iterations before this version that I post now! (2 versions of an animated series, a comic, an animated movie, a different comic, and now this version) I quit all the previous versions for different reasons, but I am hoping I stick with this one! I almost feel pressured to quit at some point because I feel like I expect it of myself. haha

[writercynknapp]

Readership is falling. It falls often this time of year. Experience says readership will grow again around September. Wait until a couple of months past then to decide.

[iddqd]

I quit last summer after finally wrapping up the first part of the story, and thought I would just stop right there and quit while I was ahead (after some 7 years of work). Then after some time I had this feeling of unquiet that was growing in me, until I did this thing called "focusing" and realized the story just won't let me go, so I continued and felt better! My unquiet diminished a lot.

I think a big reason I was (and often still am) so discouraged is that, like many people, I tend to think that hard work should pay off. But that's just not how the world works, and there is absolutely no guarantee of success. Accepting that helped me be a bit less discouraged and I started looking at other things I can do to improve and advertise my work.

[Kelheor]

No way. At least, not any time soon.
And here is the reason: some 9 years ago, when I barely drew anything, I made a Deviantart account, and I thought I wasn't half bad. I thought people would find me and they will like my works. Should I say that my works were really bad and I didn't get any following? Some time later (i.e. like 5 years ago) I understood, that my art looks like sh*t and I don't draw anything interesting for people to watch at. That I am nowhere close at all to the artists I look up at.
I was not (and probably still) very productive with my time, and I am also not so young to compete with high-school students who are already way better than me, but drawing is still the thing I do better than anything else. So maybe I should just make some effort and become a bit closer to the awesome artists, and then people will notice my art and recognize my work.

[Hodge]

Hmm like actually quit? Not really, no.

I've been at this for ~3 1/2 years now and despite this being a difficult path to take, it's mostly felt like I'm consistently moving forward towards my goals, even if those goals are very very far away. There was one point where i thought maybe I should put comics on the side while I focus more on illustration, but even then I didn't totally stop working on comics.

I've also been rejected or failed many many times, and though there were some bitter pills to swallow along the way, it never made me want to quit. Actually, sometimes the rejection motivates me even more. Which is good cause I got a lot of room for improvement haha.

When it comes to that sense of some insurmountable wall of talent, the kind of talent people associate with these super amazing teenagers, or a feeling of stagnation in your own work, I refuse to quit comics for these sort of reasons. The former is just an unproven narrative that doesn't really apply to art imo, and the latter is more due to a lack of resources/knowledge/will rather than someone just being born deficient. Maybe I'm wrong, but this is the approach I decided on.

[Ramonkey]

You know I already followed you because of your comic; now I have other reasons too. Thank you for posting this.

[kxjinli]

I recently stopped creating my webcomic. I discontinued mine after six years working on it, and it did hit me hard (and I am still recovering from it). Making comic series based on my OCs was something my younger-self would love to see. I wanted to fulfil that dream. Even I was very excited to see it for myself.

While it felt like posting things into the void and gain almost nothing in return, it did brought so much joy. I was able to still at least achieve something that I thought it was impossible. While experience and joy was definitely ongoing thing, it is mentally taxing. The silence for past six years is pretty painful. I also had wrist pain here and there.
It is very frustrating where even if you have a full story planned out, you feel like you're going nowhere.

I do have full time job (which I enjoy a lot), and there are a lot of things I don't want to miss out in real life. This is where I realised that I'll never be able to finish the series. I want to create other things instead of being bound to creating an old dream project.

Am I still sad about it? Of course I am.
But am I mentally healing from letting it go? 100%

For anyone who needs to hear it: It's okay to stop. Be kind to yourself if you do end up discontinuing your major work.

[KevinReijnders]

No never. I cannot fathom myself quiting.

But then I don't do it for clicks, views, numbers or even money. I simply enjoy making things. It gives me a greater sense if fulfillment than any creative job I have ever done.

The act if creating a world, filled with characters and spinning a tale from it, is so ingrained in my very being, I wouldn't be surprised if you could find it in my genetic make-up.

If I were for some mystical reason ended up quiting Trespasser before I finished the main story, I will no doubt end up creating a new story before long. I'm just compelled to create.

[thepenmonster]

I quit all the time because it's my hobby, not my job. And since it's not my job I'd be an idiot to treat it as such and "push through".

My advice is this, go do something else if comics are making you unhappy. You're going to become too infirm to do anything fun WAY sooner than you think, so don't waste that short time on working for free.

[Ayumi]

Yes, I felt it in the last few years.
I do my main comics since my teenage years (I will be 34 this year). I had readers, then after I started to work, I got slower in drawing my comics, and maybe my readers aged too, so did I, so I just lost my readers, and kept drawing to the void.
I love my characters, and comics, but when no one is interested in it you start to questioning why are you doing it. Am I not good enough? But this is the only thing I love to do. Or just loved to do? If I don't love this anymore, the only thing what truely defines me, what's the point of anything?

Yeah... such questions can make you feel down. Luckily then found me a youtube video about burn out. One of the artist been interviewed told that he stopped a project after he realised that it became an unwilled work to do. He started to create something new, and it helped him. So... I realized that it is okay to admit that your comic failed. I so wanted to finish my comics that I did not realised that I need something else to work on.
I swithed to digital drawing, and now I'm working on a new comic. I try to make a buffer before starting to upload it, so maybe consistent uploading will also help me. Now I think drawing the buffer chapters feels the same as drawing to the void but I feel much better and maybe I will finish one day my old projects too. Will my new comic be a failure too? Probably 🤷‍♀️ But maybe comic drawing is just an unrequited love for most of us.

[Shanny8]

Unless you draw smut and sell it on patreon like some-chan

Even doing that is no guaranteed success- especially with the whole movement by companies like Mastercard to reject anything sex related and/or platforms that keep giving NSFW artists limited space or booting them altogether.

It's also frustrating because creating art for me feels fake. I never had this ability or drive to draw from 3 years old like I hear so many stories from. I started because I loved anime and manga, not because I loved drawing.

It doesnt matter when you start to draw(or the reason why)...if you love drawing and you love making comics that's all that matters. People can get better; it just depends on the amount of time and energy you devote towards that goal.

While it felt like posting things into the void and gain almost nothing in return

THIS. This is EXACTLY one of my major issues...it gets really frustrating at times: I put my heart and soul into a thing and it's like I get no love back...it is utterly CRUSHING- especially since all I've wanted to do since I was a kid, is make comics...

But maybe comic drawing is just an unrequited love for most of us.

Sigh...

I did quit working on art but it was a total different reason...back during that time, I didnt have access to any of this- hosting sites, programs to create art digitally, social media- fast forward 10 years later, I had just started getting into social media, and stumbled on someone creating art digitally...a lot of this new stuff ignited a fire in me to create and work on my stuffs again.

This whole ride has been...a journey, but I'm now at the place where I've gotten used to not having to run out every few months to buy actual supplies(bristol paper, inks/nibs, brushes) and I'm okay with where I'm at skill wise in creating art digitally(of course I want to get better, but I'm in no rush).

I feel this a LOT...I've been dealing with some of the same(without the super high numbers); at one point, it felt like I was headed in the direction I wanted to go- and then things became stagnant, injuries piled up, and it also seemed like the companies changed their policies & left a lot of creators having to fend for themselves. I had a period between 2019 where I had to take a break from my webcomic coz I couldn't keep up the weekly production pace- not with me working a FT job as well- and then in 2020 I stopped doing art altogether(my dad passed and it killed any remaining art energy for LONG WHILE)...I eventually started back working on art again in 2022, but I'm at this point where I'm no longer interested in producing results; my main goal is to just finish the story.

I feel the "comparing yourself with other artists"- it's natural...a lot of artists do it. Hell, I still do it...I'm currently on Bluesky and crossed paths with a creator who gained 1000 follows and we're taking about posting work and I'm low key frustrated coz I dont have 1000 followers and every time I post something I barely get 2 likes. My shitposts get more likes than my art (but then again I DO know how to shitpost...LOL)

Yeah and I ultimately want to make some type of revenue/income from my art...I'm not looking to "make enough money from my art to quit my FT job" coz I know that'll never happen, but if I could do it enough where it was a nice supplemental income and I wouldn't have to worry about trying to get OT so that I could have extra money, then that would work. Even doing conventions lately hasnt panned out, so I'm taking a hiatus from that coz even some of the smaller events are charging these outrageous amounts for tables...

And it's CRAZY because despite all of this going on, there's some sort of "sereneness and peace" when I'm working on art...I dont have to stress out about stuff; I can come back to pieces and see where I've improved and try to incorporate that into my work moving forward...and I like making comics: I weirdly, insanely like the whole pencils to inks to colors to letters process. Creating art and comics is like...something I'm compelled to do.

While it SUCKS that I'm not doing what I want(to the effect that I want), I look at the errors in terms of the current landscape has forced people to consume media-especially comics in the worst way. Comics isnt something that can be cranked out at a break neck speed, it's not a "side hustle" for a lot of people, and it seems like everything has has went on in the last 8 years had made creating comics/webcomics WORSE.

@ble I'm not gonna knock you for quitting- it's okay, if you feel that way...everyone's art journey is different.

I'm just gonna say, be a little easy/kind to yourself.